A New Force Limitation Mechanism for Risk Reduction in Human / Robot Contact

摘要

In this paper, a new mechanism to reduce the risk of service robots negatively contacting with their human users is proposed. The device is composed of a force limitation mechanism, a spring and a damper with anisotropic viscosity. A prototype was developed, and its basic features were experimentally evaluated. The new mechanism could avoid applying an external force stronger than the predetermined threshold. The anisotropic damper realized a quick response to excessive forces and allowed for slow restoration for safe movement. It could not respond to impulsive forces produced by collisions with metallic objects, however, it could work effectively for any contacts with a human.