VSA-CubeBot: a modular variable stiffness platform for multiple degrees of freedom robots
We propose a prototype of a Variable Stiffness Actuator (VSA) conceived with low cost as its first goal. This approach was scarcely covered in past literature. Many recent works introduced a large number of actuators with adjustable stiffness, optimized for a wide set of applications. They cover a broad range of design possibilities, but their availability is still limited to small quantities. This work presents the design and implementation of a modular servo-VSA multi-unit system, called VSA-CubeBot. It offers a customizable platform for the realization and test of variable stiffness robotic structures with many degrees of freedom. We present solutions relative to the variable stiffness mechanism, embedded electronics, mechanical and electrical interconnections. Characteristics, both theoretic and experimental, of the single actuator are reported and, finally, five units are interconnected to form a single arm, to give an example of the many possible applications of this modular VSA actuation unit.
Physical Human-Robot Interaction Performance Variable Stiffness Mechanisms Actuators Robot multi degree of freedoms robots Modular Robots Humanoid
Manuel G. Catalano Giorgio Grioli Manolo Garabini Fabio Bonomo Michele Mancini Nikolaos Tsagarakis Antonio Bicchi
Centro Int. di Ricerca E. Piaggio,Univ. of Pisa,56126 Pisa,Italy Italian Inst. of Technologies,Adv Centro Int. di Ricerca E. Piaggio,Univ. of Pisa,56126 Pisa,Italy Italian Inst. of Technologies,Adv. Robotics,16163 Genova,Italy
国际会议
2011 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation(2011年IEEE世界机器人与自动化大会 ICRA 2011)
上海
英文
5090-5095
2011-05-09（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）