Anthropomorphically Inspired Design of a Tendon-Driven Robotic Prosthesis for Hand Impairments

This thesis presents the design of a robotic prosthesis, which mimics the morphology of a human hand. The primary goal of this work is to develop a systematic methodology that allows a custom-build of the prosthesis to match the specific requirements of a person with hand impairments. Two principal research questions are addressed toward this goal: 1) How do we cater to the large variation in the distribution of overall hand-sizes in the human population? 2) How closely do we mimic the complex morphological aspects of a biological hand in order to maximize the anthropomorphism (human-like appearance) of the robotic hand, while still maintaining a customizable and manageable design? This design approach attempts to replicate the crucial morphological aspects in the artificial hand (the kinematic structure of the hand skeleton, the shape and aspect ratios of various bone-segments, and ranges of motion). The hand design is partitioned into two parts: 1) A stiff skeleton structure, comprising parametrically synthesized segments that are simplified counterparts of nineteen bone-segments—five metacarpals, five proximal phalanges, four middle phalanges, and five distal phalanges—of the natural hand-skeleton and simplified mechanical substitutes of the remaining eight carpal bones. 2) A soft skin-like structure that encompasses the artificial skeleton to match the cosmetics and compliant features of the natural hand. A parameterized CAD model representation of each synthesized segment is developed by using the feature of design-tables in SolidWorks, which allows easy customization with respect to each person. Average hand measurements available in the literature are used to guide the dimensioning of parameters of each synthesized segment. Tendon-driven actuation of the fingers allows the servo actuators to be mounted remotely, thereby enabling a sleek finger design. A prototype of the robotic hand is constructed by 3D-printing all the parts using an Object 30 Prime 3D printer. Results reported from physical validation experiments of the robotic hand demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed design approach

Kinematic and dynamic modeling and validation of an assistive robotic device for knee rehabilitation

La articulación de la rodilla está frecuentemente expuesta a lesiones en personas de todas las edades. En todos los casos, la terapia física se prescribe para recuperar la fuerza y la movilidad de un paciente. Los dispositivos de asistencia robótica están ganando la atención de la comunidad y apuntan a mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes. En este artículo, se propone el diseño mecánico de un dispositivo de rehabilitación de rodilla de enlace de 5 barras basado en la definición de los parámetros físicos de la población colombiana y/o latinoamericana, de acuerdo a los datos de antropometría. Se obtiene el modelo dinámico completo del sistema de rehabilitación propuesto y se realizan las comparaciones respectivas de movimiento con el prototipo real para desarrollar y evaluar estrategias de control apropiadas en trabajos futuros. Para este propósito, se presenta la formulación cinemática del dispositivo y luego se deriva la dinámica utilizando dos enfoques para validar el modelo; se obtiene la ecuación de movimiento utilizando la aproximación de Lagrange y un método algebraico que simplifica el modelado. Ambas aproximaciones producen un modelo único, que se valida en simulación y en ensayos experimentales, mostrando la funcionalidad del sistema y la validez de los modelos cuando se realizan rutinas de rehabilitación.The knee joint is frequently exposed to injuries in people of all ages. In all cases, physical therapy is prescribed to recover the strength and mobility of a patient. The robotic assistance devices are gaining the community attention and aim to improve the quality of life of patients. In this article, we propose the mechanical design of a 5-bar-linkage knee rehabilitation device based on the definition of the physical parameters of Colombian and/or Latin-American population, according to anthropomorphic data. We obtain the complete dynamic model of the proposed rehabilitation system and perform the respective comparisons of movement with the real prototype in order to develop and evaluate appropriate control strategies in future work. For this purpose, we present the kinematic formulation of the device and then we derive the dynamics using two approaches to validate the model; we obtain the motion equation using the Lagrange approach and an algebraic method that simplifies modeling. Both approaches yield a unique model, which is validated either in simulation and by experimental trials, showing the functionality of the system and the validity of the models when performing rehabilitation routines.Pregrad

Design and Fabrication of Fabric ReinforcedTextile Actuators forSoft Robotic Graspers

abstract: Wearable assistive devices have been greatly improved thanks to advancements made in soft robotics, even creation soft extra arms for paralyzed patients. Grasping remains an active area of research of soft extra limbs. Soft robotics allow the creation of grippers that due to their inherit compliance making them lightweight, safer for human interactions, more robust in unknown environments and simpler to control than their rigid counterparts. A current problem in soft robotics is the lack of seamless integration of soft grippers into wearable devices, which is in part due to the use of elastomeric materials used for the creation of most of these grippers. This work introduces fabric-reinforced textile actuators (FRTA). The selection of materials, design logic of the fabric reinforcement layer and fabrication method are discussed. The relationship between the fabric reinforcement characteristics and the actuator deformation is studied and experimentally verified. The FRTA are made of a combination of a hyper-elastic fabric material with a stiffer fabric reinforcement on top. In this thesis, the design, fabrication, and evaluation of FRTAs are explored. It is shown that by varying the geometry of the reinforcement layer, a variety of motion can be achieve such as axial extension, radial expansion, bending, and twisting along its central axis. Multi-segmented actuators can be created by tailoring different sections of fabric-reinforcements together in order to generate a combination of motions to perform specific tasks. The applicability of this actuators for soft grippers is demonstrated by designing and providing preliminary evaluation of an anthropomorphic soft robotic hand capable of grasping daily living objects of various size and shapes.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Biomedical Engineering 201

Design and development of robust hands for humanoid robots

Design and development of robust hands for humanoid robot

Humans Can’t Resist Robot Eyes – Reflexive Cueing With Pseudo-Social Stimuli

Joint attention is a key mechanism for humans to coordinate their social behavior. Whether and how this mechanism can benefit the interaction with pseudo-social partners such as robots is not well understood. To investigate the potential use of robot eyes as pseudo-social cues that ease attentional shifts we conducted an online study using a modified spatial cueing paradigm. The cue was either a non-social (arrow), a pseudo-social (two versions of an abstract robot eye), or a social stimulus (photographed human eyes) that was presented either paired (e.g. two eyes) or single (e.g. one eye). The latter was varied to separate two assumed triggers of joint attention: the social nature of the stimulus, and the additional spatial information that is conveyed only by paired stimuli. Results support the assumption that pseudo-social stimuli, in our case abstract robot eyes, have the potential to facilitate human-robot interaction as they trigger reflexive cueing. To our surprise, actual social cues did not evoke reflexive shifts in attention. We suspect that the robot eyes elicited the desired effects because they were human-like enough while at the same time being much easier to perceive than human eyes, due to a design with strong contrasts and clean lines. Moreover, results indicate that for reflexive cueing it does not seem to make a difference if the stimulus is presented single or paired. This might be a first indicator that joint attention depends rather on the stimulus’ social nature or familiarity than its spatial expressiveness. Overall, the study suggests that using paired abstract robot eyes might be a good design practice for fostering a positive perception of a robot and to facilitate joint attention as a precursor for coordinated behavior.Peer Reviewe

Humanization of robots: is it really such a good idea?

The aim of this review was to examine the pros and cons of humanizing social robots following a psychological perspective. As such, we had six goals. First, we defined what social robots are. Second, we clarified the meaning of humanizing social robots. Third, we presented the theoretical backgrounds for promoting humanization. Fourth, we conducted a review of empirical results of the positive effects and the negative effects of humanization on human–robot interaction (HRI). Fifth, we presented some of the political and ethical problems raised by the humanization of social robots. Lastly, we discussed the overall effects of the humanization of robots in HRI and suggested new avenues of research and development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio