Quadrupedal Human-Assistive Robotic Platform (Q-HARP): Design, Control, and Preliminary Testing

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Shen ◽  
Md Rayhan Afsar ◽  
Md Rejwanul Haque ◽  
Eric McClain ◽  
Sanford Meek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legged Locomotion ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Mobility Impairment ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Walking Gait ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Walking Aids ◽  
Robotic Leg ◽  
Assistive Robotic

Abstract With the rapid expansion of older adult populations around the world, mobility impairment is becoming an increasingly challenging issue. For the assistance of individuals with mobility impairments, there are two major types of tools in the current practice, including the passive (unpowered) walking aids (canes, walkers, rollators, etc.) and wheelchairs (powered and unpowered). Despite their extensive use, there are significant weaknesses that affect their effectiveness in daily use, especially when challenging uneven terrains are encountered. To address these issues, the authors developed a novel robotic platform intended for the assistance of mobility-challenged individuals. Unlike the existing assistive robots serving similar purposes, the proposed robot, namely, quadrupedal human-assistive robotic platform (Q-HARP), utilizes legged locomotion to provide an unprecedented potential to adapt to a wide variety of challenging terrains, many of which are common in people’s daily life (e.g., roadside curbs and the few steps leading to a front door). In this paper, the design of the robot is presented, including the overall structure of the robot and the design details of the actuated robotic leg joints. For the motion control of the robot, a joint trajectory generator is formulated, with the purpose of generating a stable walking gait to provide reliable support to its human user in the robot’s future application. The Q-HARP robot and its control system were experimentally tested, and the results demonstrated that the robot was able to provide a smooth gait during walking.

scholarly journals Soft Biometrics for a Socially Assistive Robotic Platform

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierluigi Carcagnì ◽  
Dario Cazzato ◽  
Marco Del Coco ◽  
Pier Luigi Mazzeo ◽  
Marco Leo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Humanoid Robot ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Time System ◽  
Real Time System ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Assistive Robotic

AbstractIn thiswork, a real-time system able to automatically recognize soft-biometric traits is introduced and used to improve the capability of a humanoid robot to interact with humans. In particular the proposed system is able to estimate gender and age of humans in images acquired from the embedded camera of the robot. This knowledge allows the robot to properly react with customized behaviors related to the gender/age of the interacting individuals. The system is able to handle multiple persons in the same acquired image, recognizing the age and gender of each person in the robot’s field of view. These features make the robot particularly suitable to be used in socially assistive applications.

User-centered Implementation of Rehabilitation Exercising on an Assistive Robotic Platform

2020 ◽  
pp. 689-698
Author(s):  
Xanthi S. Papageorgiou ◽  
George Tsampounaris ◽  
Alexandra Karavasili ◽  
Eleni Efthimiou ◽  
Stavroula-Evita Fotinea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Assistive Robotic ◽  
User Centered

Design and Kinematic Simulation of a Novel Leg Mechanism for Multi-Legged Robots

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Asci ◽  
Ketao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Legged Locomotion ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Original Model ◽  
Legged Robots ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Complex Control System ◽  
Robotic Leg ◽  
Novel Design ◽  
Original Configuration

Abstract Among mobile robotic research field, legged locomotion is largely applied for advanced robotic systems due to the higher degree of versatility compared to wheeled robots, which allows them to successfully move and interact in unstructured environments; nevertheless, legged robots present several designing problems and require a much more complex control system. Based on an effective robotic leg, this paper presents a novel design, which integrates a cam joint, aimed to improve the versatility performances minimizing changes in the original model and without increasing the control complexity. Furthermore, the design strategy aims to exploit the coupled action of two actuators, which are disposed in a novel configuration so to gain versatility advantage while maintaining velocity performances of legs equipped with a single actuator. The model is presented through a kinematic analysis, followed by the simulation of the leg mechanism trajectory and a comparison with the original configuration.

A Socially Assistive Robotic Platform for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation: A Longitudinal Study With Pediatric Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Carlos Pulido ◽  
Cristina Suarez-Mejias ◽  
Jose Carlos Gonzalez ◽  
Alvaro Duenas Ruiz ◽  
Patricia Ferrand Ferri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Upper Limb ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Upper Limb Rehabilitation ◽  
Limb Rehabilitation ◽  
Assistive Robotic

scholarly journals Assistive Robotic Technology: A Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Anton Satria Prabuwono ◽  
Khalid Hammed S. Allehaibi ◽  
Kurnianingsih Kurnianingsih
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Robotic Technology ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Assistive Robot ◽  
Assistive Robotic ◽  
At Home

Older people with chronic conditions even lead to some disabilities face many challenges in performing daily life. Assistive robot is considered as a tool to provide companionship and assist daily life of older people and disabled people. This paper presents a review of assistive robotic technology, particularly for older people and disabled people. The result of this review constitutes a step towards the development of assistive robots capable of helping some problems of older people and disabled people. Hence, they may remain in at home and live independently.

scholarly journals Embedding ROS and AI-Based Perception Capabilities in a Novel Low-Cost Assistive Robotic Platform

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Jaime Mas-Santillán ◽  
Francisco Javier Acevedo-Rodríguez ◽  
Roberto Javier López-Sastre
Keyword(s):  
Operating System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Robot Operating System ◽  
Wheeled Robot ◽  
Assistive Robotic

This paper describes how we developed a novel low-cost assistive robotic platform, with AI-based perception capabilities, able to navigate autonomously using Robot Operating System (ROS). The platform is a differential wheeled robot, equipped with two motors and encoders, which are controlled with an Arduino board. It also includes a Jetson Xavier processing board on which we deploy all AI processes, and the ROS architecture. As a result of the work, we have a fully functional platform, able to recognize actions online, and navigate autonomously through environments whose map has been preloaded.

scholarly journals Design and Preliminary Testing of a Continuum Assistive Robotic Manipulator

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Coulson ◽  
Megan Robinson ◽  
Max Kirkpatrick ◽  
Devin R. Berg
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
User Testing ◽  
Multiple Control ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Percent Improvement ◽  
Control Schemes ◽  
Continuum Manipulators ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative ◽  
Opening And Closing ◽  
Assistive Robotic

The application of continuum manipulators as assistive robots is discussed and tested through the use of Bendy ARM, a simple tendon driven continuum manipulator prototype. Two rounds of user testing were performed to evaluate the potential of this arm to aid people living with disabilities in completing activities of daily living. In the first round of user testing, 14 able-bodied subjects successfully completed the prescribed task (pick-and-place) using multiple control schemes after being given a brief introduction and one minute of practice with each scheme. In the second round of user testing, subjects (n=3) demonstrated between 29.5 and 48.9 percent improvement in completion time across twelve trials of a peg-in-hole task, and between 8.4 and 33.8 percent improvement across six trials of a task involving opening and closing a drawer. Based on these results, it is posited that continuum manipulators merit further consideration as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to existing commercially available assistive robotic manipulators.

Synthesizing reconfigurable foot traces using a Klann mechanism

Robotica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaichandar Kulandaidaasan Sheba ◽  
Mohan Rajesh Elara ◽  
Edgar Martínez-García ◽  
Le Tan-Phuc
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Legged Locomotion ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Original Design ◽  
Analysis Problem ◽  
Gait Patterns ◽  
Position Analysis ◽  
New Research ◽  
Robotic Missions

SUMMARYLegged locomotion systems have been effective in numerous robotic missions, and such locomotion is especially useful for providing better mobility over irregular landscapes. However, locomotion capabilities of robots are often constrained by a limited range of gaits and the associated energy efficiency. This paper presents the design of a novel reconfigurable Klann mechanism capable of producing a variety of useful gait cycles. Such an approach opens up new research avenues, opportunities and applications. The position analysis problem that arises when dealing with reconfigurable Klann mechanisms was solved here using a bilateration method, which is a distance-based formulation. By changing the linkage configurations, our aim was to generate a set of useful gaits for a legged robotic platform. In this study, five gait patterns of interest were identified, analysed and discussed that validate the feasibility of our approach and considerably extend the capabilities of the original design.

scholarly journals Geometric optimization of a self-adaptive robotic leg

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitri Fedorov ◽  
Lionel Birglen
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Design ◽  
Legged Locomotion ◽  
Geometric Optimization ◽  
Width Ratio ◽  
Phase Duration ◽  
Adaptive Capabilities ◽  
Conflicting Objectives ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Robotic Leg ◽  
Self Adaptive

This paper demonstrates the self-adaptive capabilities of a two-degree-of-freedom Hoeckens-pantograph robotic leg (inspired by underactuated mechanical fingers) as well as its optimization, allowing it to overcome unexpected obstacles during its swing phase. A multi-objective optimization of the mechanism’s geometric parameters is performed using a genetic algorithm to highlight the trade-off between two conflicting objectives and select an appropriate compromise. The first of those objective functions measures the leg’s passive adaptation capability through a calculation of the input torque required to initiate the desired sliding motion along an obstacle. The second objective function evaluates the free-space trajectory followed by the leg endpoint using three criteria: linearity, stance ratio, and height-to-width ratio. In comparison with the initial geometry based on the Hoecken’s linkage, the selected final mechanism chosen from the Pareto front shows an important improvement of the adaptation capabilities, at the cost of a slight decrease in the stance phase duration. This paper expands on mechanical self-adaptive design philosophy, which has recently attracted a lot of attention in the field of grasping, to legged locomotion and paves the way for subsequent experimental validation of this approach.

scholarly journals Design and Preliminary Testing of a Continuum Assistive Robotic Manipulator

Robotics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Coulson ◽  
Megan Robinson ◽  
Max Kirkpatrick ◽  
Devin R. Berg
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
User Testing ◽  
Multiple Control ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Percent Improvement ◽  
Control Schemes ◽  
Continuum Manipulators ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative ◽  
Opening And Closing ◽  
Assistive Robotic

Background: The application of continuum manipulators as assistive robots is discussed and tested through the use of Bendy ARM, a simple manually teleoperated tendon driven continuum manipulator prototype. Methods: Two rounds of user testing were performed to evaluate the potential of this arm to aid people living with disabilities in completing activities of daily living. Results: In the first round of user testing, 14 able-bodied subjects successfully completed the prescribed task (pick-and-place) using multiple control schemes after being given a brief introduction and one minute of practice with each scheme. In the second round of user testing, subjects ( n = 3 ) demonstrated between 29.5 and 48.9 percent improvement in completion time across twelve trials of a peg-in-hole task, and between 8.4 and 33.8 percent improvement across six trials of a task involving opening and closing a drawer. Conclusion: Based on these results, it is posited that continuum manipulators merit further consideration as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to existing commercially available assistive robotic manipulators.

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