AbstractThe unique structure of hybrid robot makes its dynamic characteristic different from that of the traditional machine tools. Therefore, the dynamic model is crucial to both designing and application of hybrid robot. In this paper, a new type of five-degrees-of-freedom (5DoF) hybrid robot is introduced, and its dynamic model is established. First, the kinematic formulas are derived for all the component, and then, the inertia forces or moments are calculated. Second, the active forces or moments in the joints are assumed as variables and the number of variables is reduced by analyzing joint types. Then, an equation set of 36 equilibrium equations with 38 variables is obtained using D'Alembert's principle. Based on the spatial deformation compatibility analysis of two branches, two supplementary equations are derived to determine the solution of dynamic model of the hybrid robot with redundant constraints in its parallel mechanism. Several cases are studied by comparing with ADAMS simulation. The result shows the good accuracy of the proposed dynamic model, which provides a practical method to calculate the reaction force or moment in any joint at any instant for the hybrid robot and thus facilitates dimensional synthesis, trajectory optimization, and smoothing control.

AbstractDesign and control of lower extremity robotic prostheses are iterative tasks that would greatly benefit from testing platforms that would autonomously replicate realistic gait conditions. This paper presents the design of a novel mobile 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) parallel manipulator integrated with a mobile base to emulate human gait for lower limb prosthesis evaluation in the sagittal plane. The integrated mobile base provides a wider workspace range of motion along the gait direction and reduces the requirement of the parallel manipulator’s actuators and links. The parallel manipulator design is optimal to generate the defined gait trajectories with both motion and force requirements using commercially available linear actuators. An integrated active force control with proportional integral derivative (PID) control provided more desirable control compared to traditional PID control in terms of error reduction. The novelty of the work includes the methodology of human data-oriented optimal mechanism design and the concept of a mobile parallel robot to extend the translational workspace of the parallel manipulator with substantially reduced actuator requirements, allowing the evaluation of prostheses in instrumented walkways or integrated with instrumented treadmills.

Together with the Editorial Board of the Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics (JMR), I am pleased to announce the winner of the journal's 2021 Best Paper Award:P. Reinier Kuppens, Miguel A. Bessa, Just L. Herder, and Jonathan B. Hopkins, 2021, “Compliant Mechanisms That Use Static Balancing to Achieve Dramatically Different States of Stiffness,” ASME J. Mech. Robot., 13(2), p. 021010. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4049438