A systematic graph-based method for the kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots for the lower limbs

doi:10.1007/s11465-011-0206-2

Front Mech Eng

2011, Vol. 6

Issue (1) : 61-70 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11465-011-0206-2

RESEARCH ARTICLE

A systematic graph-based method for the kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots for the lower limbs

Fabrizio SERGI(

), Dino ACCOTO, Nevio L. TAGLIAMONTE, Giorgio CARPINO, Eugenio GUGLIELMELLI

Center for Integrated Research, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy

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Abstract

The choice of non-anthropomorphic kinematic solutions for wearable robots is motivated both by the necessity of improving the ergonomics of physical Human-Robot Interaction and by the chance of exploiting the intrinsic dynamical properties of the robotic structure so to improve its performances. Under these aspects, this new class of robotic solutions is potentially advantageous over the one of anthropomorphic robotic orthoses. However, the process of kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots can be too complex to be solved uniquely by relying on conventional synthesis methods, due to the large number of open design parameters. A systematic approach can be useful for this purpose, since it allows to obtain the complete list of independent kinematic solutions with desired properties. In this perspective, this paper presents a method, which allows to generalize the problem of kinematic synthesis of a non-anthropomorphic wearable robot for the assistance of a specified set of contiguous body segments. The methodology also includes two novel tests, specifically devised to solve the problem of enumeration of kinematic structures of wearable robots: the HR-isomorphism and the HR-degeneracy tests. This method has been implemented to derive the atlas of independent kinematic solutions suitable to be used for the kinematic design of a planar wearable robot for the lower limbs.

Keywords assistive robotics non-anthropomorphic wearable robots topology kinematic synthesis HR-isomorphism test HR-degeneracy test

Corresponding Author(s): SERGI Fabrizio,Email:fabrizio.sergi@unicampus.it

Issue Date: 05 March 2011

Cite this article:

Giorgio CARPINO,Eugenio GUGLIELMELLI,Fabrizio SERGI, et al. A systematic graph-based method for the kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots for the lower limbs[J]. Front Mech Eng, 2011, 6(1): 61-70.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fme/EN/10.1007/s11465-011-0206-2
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fme/EN/Y2011/V6/I1/61

Fig.1 (a) Example of an anthropomorphic wearable robot for the lower limbs []; (b) concept of a non-anthropomorphic wearable robot for the lower limbs

Fig.2 Structural representation (a), graph representation (b) and TAM (c) of a six links kinematic chain (link 1 is filled in black since it is mechanical ground)

Fig.3 Structural representation (a), generalized TAM (b) and graph representation (c) of the problem of structural synthesis of robotic orthoses for a planar wearable robot for the lower limbs. Human articulations and segments are in blue, while robot links and joints are in red. In the adjacency matrix, the blue color is used to represent entries which describe the connectivity of human limbs (condition (1) in paragraph IIIA), while the red color represents fixed entries provided by condition (2), paragraph IIIA

Tab.1 Parameters of the enumeration algorithm.

Fig.4 HR-degenerate topologies. In (a), two adjacent human segments are constrained in a 1-DOF subchain. In (b), three adjacent human segments are constrained in a 2-DOF subchain. In (c) all possible independent assortments of two adjacent human joints involved in a 6 links, 1 DOF subchain are shown

Fig.5 Two isomorphic but not HR-isomorphic solutions. The permutation mapping into is given by the permutation vector [1 2 3 7 5 6 4 9 8]. This permutation maps link 4 (i.e. foot) into robot link 7. It can be noticed that local kinematic properties around each human joint (for example DOFs of the subchain including the hip, the knee and the ankle joints) are different

Fig.6 Flow chart of the HR-isomorphism test algorithm. The set contains the ! permutations which only act on subgraphs including robot links. They are all defined by a permutation vector of the form () = [1 2 3 4 (5∶)], where the function provides the th element of the set of permutations of the elements in the input array. These permutations are needed so to verify if one of the permutations in is responsible for mapping into thus assessing the HR-isomorphism between and

Tab.2 Enumeration of kinematic structures for a planar orthosis assisting a 1-DOF human joint.

Fig.7 Two possible topologies with four robot links.

Fig.8 Possible topologies including five robot links. In (c) and (d) two isomorphic but not HR-isomorphic solutions are shown. The corresponding permutation is defined by the permutation vector [4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 9], which basically implies wearing the same robot structure bottom-up. However the two structures are independent from the wearer’s standpoint since they impose different kinematic constraints on human joints

Tab.3 Enumeration of independent topologies for wearable robots for the lower limbs

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