Humanoid locomotion by grasping the environment based on muscle-bone integrated flexible hand-arm system and contact estimation using muscle haptics

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06723
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Asano Yuki 東京大学, 大学院情報理工学系研究科, 助教 (40783080)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 筋骨格ヒューマノイド / 腱駆動 / 人体模倣 / 五指ハンド / 橈骨尺骨構造 / 筋骨一体構造 / 環境掌握 / 筋張力制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research was to achieve humanoid locomotion by retaining its balance using its hands to grasp the environment. To achieve the purpose, a hand-arm system which can grasp the environment strongly and hold its weight is required. We got inspiration from human hand-arm structure and developed human-mimetic hand-arm system whose design was made as not independent but integrated structure. Five-fingered hand is composed of flexible machining spring joints and suitable for environmental contact. Forearm is composed of compact muscle actuator modules based on muscle-bone integrated structure and equipped with both compact and high actuation performance. By achieving dangling motion of musculoskeletal humanoid Kengoro which is equipped with the developed hand-arm structure, we confirm that the developed structure is effective for humanoid motion with involving environment grasp.

Free Research Field

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