Abstract
We describe the development of a robot configured to play badminton, a dynamic sport that requires high accuracy. We used pneumatic-electric hybrid actuators, each combining a pneumatic actuator, with high-speed and lightweight attributes, and an electric motor with good controllability. Our first objective was to develop hybrid actuators that are lightweight and compact and with integrated sections. Using parts made of lightweight materials such as plastics and aluminum coils, and using wire for power transmission, we made actuators much lighter and smaller than previous ones. In addition, for high accuracy and power, tension sensor units and a heat countermeasure mechanism were also incorporated. As practice partners, we consider badminton robots to be more useful if they were humanoid in appearance and have a variety of shots. We, therefore, developed a humanoid robot arm. By incorporating actuators as link structures, the overall weight was reduced, and both complex degrees of freedom (DoFs) and a large range of motion were realized. Subsequently, we developed a robot with seven DoFs, three DoFs for the shoulder, two for the elbow, and two for the wrist, similar to the configuration of human arms. The robot, therefore, roughly reproduces human movements. At 19 m/s, the maximum speed of the racket was quite fast. The hybrid control reduced the motion variance, allowing improvements in accuracy of more than three times that of motions with only pneumatic control. In addition, performing path planning and tracking control with high precision was possible, tasks that are difficult for conventional pneumatic dynamic robots.
Highlights
S PORT is a global business and expected to be a popular field for robot applications
Using a hybrid control of the robot arm, we show that fine adjustments and improvements in precision can be realized, a task that is difficult with only a pneumatic drive
We decided to install the magnets on the piston and the coil was looped around the cylinder in the normal air cylinder as adopted in the integrated pneumatic-electric hybrid linear actuator developed by Nakata et al [14]
Summary
S PORT is a global business and expected to be a popular field for robot applications. This letter was recommended for publication by Associate Editor G. This letter has supplementary downloadable material available at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org, provided by the authors. It is expected that future developments of robot technology will lead to improved robot capabilities, including acting as practice partners for professional players and becoming active in sport entertainment as with conventional tournaments. There is a drawback in that its mass increases if both drive systems are mounted, we believe a considerably more lightweight and dynamic robot can be constructed compared with a solely electric-driven robot To construct this robot, we first developed a compact and lightweight pneumatic-electric hybrid actuator. We designed a robot configuration integrating these hybrid actuators into the link structure of the robot (Fig. 1) This creates a lightweight robot arm with DoFs and range of motion similar to humans. The robot so designed is dynamic and controllable and precise, and will contribute immensely to the robotic research field
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