Complex and Flexible Robot Motions by Strand-Muscle Actuators

Abstract

Towards biped walking humanoid Development of humanoid robots is increasingly active. A biped walking mechanism using StMAs is now under development. The muscle coordination in multi-DOF joints and its online optimal control presented in sections 5 and 6 are applicable not only to shoulder control, but also to any multi-DOF joints such as wrists, hip joints, ankles and neck, or even to eyes and tongue movement. The StMAs are small, light and simple. They are suitable for application to robotic hands, in which many actuators must be installed in the palm or in the forearm. The StMAbased hand in Fig.27 has 20 StMAs installed at the forearm, and the tension is transferred to wrist and fingers through tendon sheaths. 12 actuators are used as finger flexor muscles with leaf springs used as the corresponding extensor muscles. Leaf springs are also useful as the base