TY - CONF T1 - WALK-MAN humanoid lower body design optimization for enhanced physical performance T2 - IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation (ICRA2016) Y1 - 2016 A1 - F. Negrello A1 - M. Garabini A1 - M. G. Catalano A1 - P. Kryczka A1 - W. Choi A1 - D. G. Caldwell A1 - A. Bicchi A1 - N. G. Tsagarakis KW - Robotics AB -
The deployment of robots to assist in environments hostile for humans during emergency scenarios require robots to demonstrate enhanced physical performance, that includes adequate power, adaptability and robustness to physical interactions and efficient operation. This work presents the design and development of the lower body of the new high performance humanoid WALK-MAN, a robot developed recently to assist in disaster response scenarios. The paper introduces the details of the WALK-MAN lower-body, highlighting the innovative design optimization features considered to maximize the leg performance. Starting from the general lower body specifications the objectives of the design and how they were addressed are introduced, including the selection of the leg kinematics, the arrangement of the actuators and their integration with the leg structure to maximize the range of motion, reduce the leg mass and inertia, and shape the leg mass distribution for better dynamic performance. Physical robustness is ensured with the integration of elastic transmission and impact energy absorbing covers. Experimental walking trials demonstrate the correct operation of the legs while executing a walking gait.
JF - IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation (ICRA2016) PB - IEEE CY - Stockholm, Sweden, May 16-21, 2016 UR - http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=7487327 ER -