This article describes a class of robots-"arthrobots"-inspired, in part, by the musculoskeletal system of arthropods (spiders and insects, inter alia). Arthrobots combine mechanical compliance, lightweight and simple construction, and inexpensive yet scalable design. An exoskeleton, constructed from thin organic polymeric tubes, provides lightweight structural support. Pneumatic joints modeled ...

Recently, progress has been made in the development of mechanical joints with variable intrinsic stiffness, opening up the search for application areas of such variable-stiffness joints. By varying the stiffness of its joints, the resonant frequency of a system can be tuned to perform cyclical tasks most energy-efficiently, making the variable-stiffness joint a candidate element for an advanced...

This paper attempts to develop a dynamic model and design a controller for a fully anthropomorphic, compliantly driven robot. To imitate muscles, the robot’s joints are actuated by DC motors antagonistically coupled through tendons. To ensure safe interaction with humans in a human-centered environment, the robot exploits passive mechanical compliance, in the form of elastic springs in the tend...

BACKGROUND The knee joint performs mechanical functions with various loading and unloading processes. Past studies have focused on the kinematics and elastic response of the joint with less understanding of the rate-dependent load response associated with viscoelastic and poromechanical behaviors. METHODS Forty-five fresh porcine knee joints were used in the present study to determine the loa...

To understand the effects of substrate materials on the fracture behavior of adhesive joints, experimental studies and finite element analyses have both been conducted for double-cantilever-beams (DCB) with aluminum and steel substrates at different bond thickness (h). Numerical results show that the region dominated by the crack singularity is much smaller than the bond thickness. Very small p...

An 18-year-old male presented with a nonhealing wound on left lower limb, pain and swelling over multiple joints, weight loss, and yellowish discoloration of eyes and urine for the past 4 years. On examination, the patient had pallor, icterus, and generalized lymphadenopathy with a nonhealing unhealthy ulcer over left medial malleolus. He had deformed joints with hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. ...

Tension tests of metal-plate connected (MPC) joints for Chinese larch (Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr.) were conducted in four orientations. Loaddeflection curves were obtained for each MPC jointed specimen. Ultimate tension load, translation stiffness, stiffness at large slip, and failure modes for each specimen were obtained. A Foschi 3-parameter model was found to fit the load-deflection curves...

Studies on motion control of robot manipulators with elastic joints are basically aimed at improving robot performance in tracking or regulation tasks. In the interaction between robots and environment, instead, the main objective of a control strategy should be the reduction of the vibrational and chattering phenomena that elasticity in the robot joints can cause. This work takes into account ...

The segmental joints are the weak parts of immersed tunnel structure, and their deformation characteristics closely correlated with waterproof behavior structural safety whole tunnel. In order to study in this paper, E13 pipe section natural foundation an Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is taken as research object, model test carried out. similarity ratio prototype determined according actual eng...

Many arthropods are known to achieve dynamic stability during rapid locomotion on rough terrains despite the absence of an elaborate nervous system. While muscle viscoelasticity and its inherent friction have been thought to cause this passive absorption of energy, the role of embedded microstructures in muscles and muscle joints has not yet been investigated. Inspired by the soft and flexible ...