Mechanical engineering challenges in humanoid robotics
Name
771554060-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
4.74 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
c9b0958587c63cd30801adbafb237255
Author(s)
Lu, Peter Guang Yi
Advisor(s)
John J. Leonard.
Date Issued
2011
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Humanoid robots are artificial constructs designed to emulate the human body in form and function. They are a unique class of robots whose anthropomorphic nature renders them particularly well-suited to interact with humans in a world designed for humans. The present work examines a subset of the plethora of engineering challenges that face modem developers of humanoid robots, with a focus on challenges that fall within the domain of mechanical engineering. The challenge of emulating human bipedal locomotion on a robotic platform is reviewed in the context of the evolutionary origins of human bipedalism and the biomechanics of walking and running. Precise joint angle control bipedal robots and passive-dynamic walkers, the two most prominent classes of modem bipedal robots, are found to have their own strengths and shortcomings. An integration of the strengths from both classes is likely to characterize the next generation of humanoid robots. The challenge of replicating human arm and hand dexterity with a robotic system is reviewed in the context of the evolutionary origins and kinematic structure of human forelimbs. Form-focused design and function-focused design, two distinct approaches to the design of modem robotic arms and hands, are found to have their own strengths and shortcomings. An integration of the strengths from both approaches is likely to characterize the next generation of humanoid robots.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-39).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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