This paper analyses the tension characteristics of a muscular tendon mechanism driving an artificial robotic elbow used in an object handling task. For the purpose, we consider a simplified robotic arm mechanism considering the kinetic muscles of a human arm. Especially, one tendon is used for the driving of the robotic elbow as a prime mover, and it is an important issue to confirm the magnitude of the tensile force required for the elbow actuation in handling a load. Therefore, through the typical elbow joint motion simulations considering various loads, we show the available tension range for the given elbow motion and also address the shoulder joint torque caused by the lower arm motion in the viewpoint of comfortable rehabilitation. Finally, we conclude that this analysis can be useful in designing prosthetic arms or humanoid robot arm mechanisms driven by tendons.
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