title: Design of a biped robot actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles.
abstract: High compliant legs are essential for the efficient versatile locomotion and shock absorbency of humans. This study proposes a biped robot actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles to mimic human locomotion. On the basis of the musculoskeletal architecture of human lower limbs, each leg of the biped robot is modeled as a system of three segments, namely, hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint, and eleven muscles, including both monoarticular and biarticular muscles. Each rotational joint is driven by a pair of antagonistic muscles, enabling joint compliance to be tuned by operating the pressure inside the muscles. Biarticular muscles play an important role in transferring power between joints. Walking simulations verify that biarticular muscles contribute to joint compliance and can absorb impact energy when the robot makes an impact upon ground contact.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yixiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Xizhe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001187:Artificial Organs; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: Biped robot; biarticular muscles; compliance; pneumatic artificial muscles