HUMANOID ROBOT FOOT COMPRISING AN ACTIVE VARIABLE STIFFNESS MECHANISM

摘要

A humanoid robot foot (10) comprises: a foot base (12), at least one leaf spring (14) acting as a flexible toe of the foot, said at least one leaf spring (14) having a rear portion (14a) rigidly connected to a flat surface (12b) of the foot base (12), a front portion (14b) projecting from the foot base (12) and an intermediate portion (14c) which is not rigidly connected to the foot base (12) and is therefore freely deflectable, along with the front portion (14b), as a result of the application of an external force on the front portion (14b), and a stiffness adjustment device (26) for actively changing the stiffness (K) of said at least one leaf spring (14). The stiffness adjustment device (26) comprises a roller assembly (28), which is held in contact with the intermediate portion (14c) of said at least one leaf spring (14) and is movable relative to said at least one leaf spring (14) along a longitudinal axis (x) of said at least one leaf spring (14), and an actuation unit (34) arranged to move the roller assembly (28), and hence the point of contact (P) of the roller assembly (28) with said at least one leaf spring (14), thereby varying the length (l) of the cantilevered portion of said at least one leaf spring (14), and hence the stiffness (K) of said at least one leaf spring (14).