New Collision Force Suppression Mechanism and Base Control of Human-Friendly Robot

This paper describes a human-friendly robot capable of securing human safety in human-robot collisions. The upper body of the robot has 11 DOFs, including 3 DOFs in the waist, 2 DOFs in each shoulder, 1 DOF in each elbow and 1 DOF in each hand. The upper body is mounted on the base with four omnidirectional wheels. A new light-weight collision force suppression mechanism that is able to operate with very little Backlash was developed and was installed at the elbow of the human-friendly robot. The suppression mechanism consists a drum, a clutch gear, two release air Bag, two stopper linings, and four compression springs. Also, a base control method to secure human safety is discussed. Through collision experiments, the effectiveness of the collision force suppression mechanism and control method is verified.