Musculoskeletal System for Bio-Inspired Robotic Systems

Abstract

This article presents a research focused on developing musculoskeletal system for bio-inspired robotic systems. A musculoskeletal system is the fundamental structure that allows complex mobility of biological systems. This paper briefly describes the recently introduced twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) muscles and a novel design of musculoskeletal system based on ball and socket joint, as well as their application in a 3D printed humanoid robot. The challenge to develop such systems is multifaceted, including design, manufacturing, system integration, control methods, and energy usage. Some of the challenges in humanoid design are the degrees of freedom and the synergetic combination of hardware and software to perform a particular task. The other challenge is affordability of the platform. Most humanoids are very expensive. Since the TCP-based actuators are inexpensive and musculoskeletal systems inspired by biological systems are optimum for performance, they will address these problems. The bio-inspired ball and socket joint shown in the article can be cascaded to create complex robots, for example, for the shoulder joint of a humanoid.