Paper Title
Adjustably Designed Torque Controlled Humanoid Platform
Abstract
Since Darpa Robotics Challenge, the research topics for the humanoid operation which includes balancing, whole body motion, multi-contact control, human-robot interaction is getting more interested. Unfortunately, many high performance humanoid research platforms have difficulty in maintenance, modification, and operation because of its own system complexity and irrational price of the components. Several small platforms which have an affordable price are possible for the research. But the small platform itself cannot be a suitable platform for studying torque control because of its low sensor resolution and extremely low value of the physical effects. In this paper, we introduce ATHENa, an affordable, fully torque controlled full size humanoid platform. The proposed humanoid platform design is not only possible to adjust design, but also easy and safe to operate. The skeletal structure of the platform also supports the unconstrained cover design and any additional structure. We describe the mechanical structure and electrical system of the platform, and we present the design parameter guideline for easier modification of the design.
Index Terms- Robotics, Humanoid, torque controlled platform, adjustable design.