start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=113 end-page=118 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2004 dt-pub=20040920 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A mechanical intelligence in assisting the navigation by a force feedback steering wheel for a snake rescue robot en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=

We developed a snake rescue robot basing on the proposed mechanical intelligence. The mechanical intelligence is designed to avoid obstacles and to realize desired motions when the robot is navigated by a remote force feedback steering wheel interface. We use free joints to connect modules of the snake robot. Modules can freely turn according to their neighbors. An obstacle-avoiding wheel is mounted on the head of the snake robot. When the head encounters an obstacle, the wheel touches it first to transfer the sliding friction between the wheel and the obstacle into rolling friction, so that the head avoid the obstacle easily. A metal wire is used to link gears mounted on both sides of each module. When any part of the snake robot's body encounters an obstacle, the wire length of each side varies automatically to change the robot's body shape, so that the snake robot avoids the obstacle. The wire length of each side can also be adjusted by a motor. By adjusting the wire length of each side, the snake robot can move in the desired direction. The mechanical intelligence based snake rescue robot has light body, low cost and low computation cost. Experiment results show that the designed mechanical intelligence is effective in realizing desired robot motions together with the force feedback steering wheel interface.

en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YangZhixiao en-aut-sei=Yang en-aut-mei=Zhixiao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirotsuneKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Hirotsune en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SaijoKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Saijo en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=GofukuAkio en-aut-sei=Gofuku en-aut-mei=Akio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsunoFumitoshi en-aut-sei=Matsuno en-aut-mei=Fumitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=5 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=6 en-affil= kn-affil=University of Electro-Communications en-keyword=Human Interface kn-keyword=Human Interface en-keyword=Mechancial Intelligence kn-keyword=Mechancial Intelligence en-keyword=Navigation kn-keyword=Navigation en-keyword=Force Feedback Steering Wheel kn-keyword=Force Feedback Steering Wheel en-keyword=Rescue Robot kn-keyword=Rescue Robot en-keyword= Snake Robot. kn-keyword= Snake Robot. END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=655 end-page=660 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2004 dt-pub=20040804 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Wearable power assist device for hand grasping using pneumatic artificial rubber muscle en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=

The purpose of this study is to develop a wearable power assist device for hand grasping in order to support activity of daily living (ADL) safely and easily. In this paper, the mechanism of the developed power assist device is described, and then the effectiveness of this device is discussed experimentally.

en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NoritsuguToshiro en-aut-sei=Noritsugu en-aut-mei=Toshiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoHiroshi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SasakiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Sasaki en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaiwaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Takaiwa en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil=Okayama University en-keyword=Power assist kn-keyword=Power assist en-keyword=Rubbet Artificial Muscle kn-keyword=Rubbet Artificial Muscle en-keyword=Pneumatics kn-keyword=Pneumatics END