Latest Papers

ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

  • Mechanical Characterization of Supernumerary Robotic Tails for Human Balance Augmentation
    on August 31, 2023 at 12:00 am

    AbstractHumans are intrinsically unstable in quiet stance from a rigid body system viewpoint; however, they maintain balance, thanks to neuro-muscular sensory control properties. With increasing levels of balance related incidents in industrial and ageing populations globally each year, the development of assistive mechanisms to augment human balance is paramount. This work investigates the mechanical characteristics of kinematically dissimilar one and two degrees-of-freedom (DoF) supernumerary robotic tails for balance augmentation. Through dynamic simulations and manipulability assessments, the importance of variable coupling inertia in creating a sufficient reaction torque is highlighted. It is shown that two-DoF tails with solely revolute joints are best suited to address the balance augmentation issue. Within the two-DoF options, the characteristics of open versus closed loop tails are investigated, with the ultimate design selection requiring trade-offs between environmental workspace, biomechanical factors, and manufacturing ease to be made.

Optimization of Translational Flexure Joints Using Corrugated Units Under Stress Constraints

Abstract

When optimizing corrugated flexure (CF) joints, most approaches for calculating the maximum stress on the CF beam depend on finite element analysis (FEA). The current paper introduces the design optimization for joints using CF units under stress constraints. The stress state is solved; based on that, the maximum displacement under stress constraints is deduced. The natural frequency formula of the translational joint is further derived from the results of the stiffness matrix. The stage configurations corresponding to the maximum displacement are optimized by restricting the off-axis/axial stiffness ratio and natural frequency of the joint. The optimal results of different types are validated by FEA and experiments.
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