Design and implementation of a low cost 3D printed humanoid robotic platform

Abstract

Humanoid robot with dual manipulators and dexterous hands shows great significance in domestic, medical and service applications. They can provide companion, operation, manipulation, material handling and many other services to human beings. However, current humanoid robots are either too expansive or too clumsy. There is a trade-off between robot flexibility and costs. It is a huge obstacle blocking the road of humanoid robot toward our daily life. In this paper, the design and implementation of a low cost dual wheel and dual arm humanoid robotic platform is introduced. The robot is based on the open source 3D printed humanoid robot “InMoov”. To fully explore the potential of “InMoov”, we redesigned its electrical system based on the developed Embedded Controller, and equipped it with a Mini PC and a touch screen for human-robot interaction. By using the 485 bus and modbus protocol, the wiring complexity is greatly decreased. A differential drive mobile platform is integrated to enable the robot with mobility and furthermore, a data glove system is also designed to explore a new type of robot programming technology. Robot Operating System(ROS) is used to realize the robot control and human-robot interaction. Comparing to the existing humanoid robots, the developed humanoid robotic platform is low cost but has fully functionality.