Design and fabrication of a modularized humanoid arm with pneumatic artificial muscles
Date
2021-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
With increase investment in the development of humanoids, there offers a window of
opportunity to leverage the rapidly growing market of soft robotics in our strides towards more
accurate biomimetic motion and study of humanoids and their applicatory areas.
This project encompasses the systematic design, implementation and testing of a
lightweight low-cost humanoid arm that utilizes Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAM). These
muscles do not only exhibit twistable and bendable human-like muscle contractions but
modularized in design to stand as a complete controllable unit which may be dissociated and
mountable on a support frame on its own.
This project achieves the design of a mobile arm unit with total weight of less than 2kg
of which is distributed with one-third the weight being borne on the arm. The realized powerto-
weight ratio of near 5W per kilogram, under an approximate 13.5 litre per minute rate of
pressurization is of desired muscle force, and flex speeds. The McKibben tubing choice of
PAM is experimentally validated under a linear fit for its force-contraction performance.
This design makes considerable strides in cutting down weight, leveraging power, and being
much cheaper than existing solutions. Comparable lightweight arm designs of which some are
commercially available have weights of 38kg (Mitsubishi PA10arm), 14kg (KUKA
lightweight arm), etc., with power-to-weight ratios of near 1W/kg. However, this project
designs cuts down these weights drastically to about 2kg (without any sensory unit yet) and
more than doubles the power to weight ratios mentioned.
Description
Capstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, May 2021
item.page.type
Capstone project
item.page.format
Keywords
soft robotics, humanoid arm