Development of a Human-Type Manipulator Using a High-Performance Control Cable for Robots

Abstract

Recently, it is increasing in the necessity of well functioned artificial mainpulator's arms and hands for the industry and/or the welfare robots. For the use of the force transmitting mechanism as the robot's arm, hand and finger, we have developed a high-performance control cable. The control cable contains an inner cable for transmitting driving power to the robot joints, and an outer cable for supporting the load and allowing good flexibility. The most outstanding characteristic of this newly developed control cable is its unique twin conduit-type construction which design inhibits any change in the cable's core length even when the cable is bent into various shapes. The characteristic makes it ideal for use as a driving force transmittance component for robot joints and/or hands. So, it was applied to the human-type manipulator with 3 joint, 2 ringers and 9 degrees of motion freedom which was developed at IPRI. Assembling the new control cables which have a diameter of 4 and 5mm with the capabilities of transmitting 130 and 180kg respectively, we made sure of the transmittance of force at a high efficiency of 80% even when the cable is bent into a U-shape and the rotational speed of 90deg/sec of the joint with the moment 400kg·cm of load.