Design of anthropomorphic 4-DOF tactile interaction manipulator with passive joints

In this paper, we describe the design method of an anthropomorphic 4-DOF tactile interaction manipulator with mechanically passive joints allowing robots to accomplish high performance force-following and tactile-based contact state recognition despite physical interference and contact with humans occurring at links and at joints. The shape and appearance of this manipulator was based on statistical data on the Japanese male physique to allow for human-like contact interaction recognition. Joint are passively compliant, consisting of a mechanical leaf spring and rotary damper giving the manipulator high passivity. Cylindrical or spherical surfaces of the body including the elbow and wrist are overlaid with distributed tactile sensors acquiring accurate contact information. Evaluation experiments indicate that the manipulator provides high performance of force-following and tactile stimulation measurement during physical interference and contact with humans and confirmed its effectiveness in improving human/robot symbiosis.