Human-robot interaction poses great challenges to
disabled people who must be able to control the robot via a limited physical ability. A novel semi-autonomous humanrobot system where the robot requires only the commands from the human to perform its tasks as proposed. In this system a relatively more flexible and robust communication technique generates commands from Electromyogram (EMG) signals. Such an autonomous mobile humanoid robot will be able to assist in a workshop environment and interact with a human. Three aspects to reach this target are considered. First, how the brain (embedded system technologies) of the exoskeleton robot is constructed to be able to manipulate objects like humans do. Second, exploration of appropriate biosignals that can be used as an actuating quantity to move the Robotic Arm; and finally how programming of manipulation tasks are realized.

(далее…)

Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »

This paper describes the design, control, and testing of a Human Muscle Enhancer (HME) system that will augment the muscle capabilities of subjects requiring partial lower-limb weight-bearing gait support. The HME described in this paper is a pneumatically actuated quick connec-ting exoskeleton system that attaches to the foot and hip area of the body, thus “closing the lower body kinematic chain. Control of the system is achieved by using encoders at the knee joints and Myo-Pneumatic (MP) Sensors implanted into the shoes and outer garments of the human. To test this design concept, a lower body exoskeleton test fixture has been fabricated. The test fixture mimics the human leg with the top cylinder providing the body weight on the leg. Another cylinder acts as leg muscles to provide the adjustable human reaction of the leg. Preliminary open and closed loop control tests have been performed that demonstate the capability of controlling the HME using the MP sensors.

(далее…)

Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »

With the continuing gain in computing power, bandwidth, and Internet popularity there is a growing interest in Internet communities. To participate in these communities,people need virtual representations of their bodies, called avatars. Creation and rendering of realistic perso-nalized avatars for use as virtual body representations is often too complex for realtime applications such as networked virtual environments (VE). Virtual Environment (VE) designers have had to settle for unbelievable, simplistic avatars and constrain avatar motion to a few discrete positions. The approach taken in this thesis is to use a full-body laser-scanning process to capture human body surface anatomical information accurate to the scale of millimeters. Using this 3D data, virtual representations of the original human model can be simplified, constructed and placed in a networked virtual environment. The result of this work is to provide photo realistic avatars that are efficiently rendered in real-time networked virtual environments. The avatar is built in the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML). Ava-tar motion can be controlled either with scripted behaviors using the H-Anim specification or via wire-less body tracking sensors developed at the Naval Postgraduate School. Live 3D visualization of animated humanoids is viewed in freely available web browsers.

(далее…)

Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »

This paper describes the design, control, and testing of a Human Muscle Enhancer (HME) system that will augment the muscle capa-bilities of subjects requiring partial lower-limb weight-bearing gait support. The HME described in this paper is a pneumatically actuated quick connecting exoskeleton system that attaches to the foot and hip area of the body, thus closing the lower body kine-matic chain. Control of the system is achieved by using encoders at the knee joints and Myo-Pneumatic (MP) Sensors implanted into the shoes and outer garments of the human. To test this design concept, a lower body exoskeleton test fixture has been fabricated. The test fixture mimics the human leg with the top cylinder providing the body weight on the leg. Another cylinder acts as leg musc-les to provide the adjustable human reaction of the leg. Preliminary open and closed loop control tests have been performed that de-monstate the capability of controlling the HME using the MP sensors.

(далее…)

Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »

A new concept of the * exoskeleton-type masterarm, composed of serial links, is iniroduced in this paper. To provide maximum range o j human motion, seiiera1 redundant joints are added to the serial links. In order to reduce the number of ,joints to be measured, kinematics of serial links was taken into consideration in design. Three measurable, controllable joints and three redundant free joints are used for the upper arm (shoulder), similarly to the forearm (wrist) while one measurable, controllable joint is used for the elbow. In particular, a torque sensor beam is de-signed for fine force reflection using the strain gauge. It detects the torque as well as its airection applied by the human operator, which allows ,!he electric brake to be used as an actuator for force reflec-tion. The electric brake constrains the joint movement so that the operator can feel the force. This elec-tric brake outperforms the motor in terms of torque/weight ratio and makes the device light and compact. This masterarm me(isures the movement of the opwator’s arm precisely, and it can be used for teleoperation with a slave robot, or as a motion planner for an industrial robot.

(далее…)

Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »