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An Actuator with Mechanically Adjustable Series Compliance

This actuator is designed for use in the BiMASC,a highly dynamic legged robot. It has fiberglass springs with a large energy storage capacity. The mechanism has two motors, one for moving the position of the knee and the other for controlling the stiffness felt at the knee. These two parameters, along with the hip angle, are used for control of a running gait.

Pictures
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AMASC in motion
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Closeup of cabling
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Entire AMASC
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Spiral pulleys
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Fiberglass springs

Movies

 Changing the stiffness of the AMASC 7.5MB
Zero stiffness (zero force) 5.8MB

Publications
  • Physically Variable Compliance in Running
    J.W. Hurst, A. A. Rizzi
    7th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots, September, 2004.

  • An Actuator with Physically Variable Stiffness for Highly Dynamic Legged Locomotion
    J.W. Hurst, J. Chestnutt, and A. Rizzi
    Proceedings of the 2004 International Conference on Robotics and Automation, May, 2004.

  • An Actuator with Mechanically Adjustable Series Compliance
    J.W. Hurst, J. Chestnutt, and A. Rizzi
    tech. report CMU-RI-TR-04-24, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, April, 2004.

     


    The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University was established in 1979
    to conduct basic and applied research in robotics technologies. It is part of the School of Computer Science.