Bio-mechanical Analysis of Human Joints and Extension of the Study to Robot

In this paper, the bio-mechanical analysis of human joints is carried out and the study is extended to the robot manipulator. This study will first focus on the kinematics of human arm which include the movement of each joint in shoulder, wrist, elbow and finger complexes. Those analyses are then extended to the design of a human robot manipulator. A simulator is built for Direct Kinematics and Inverse Kinematics of human arm. In the simulation of Direct Kinematics, the human joint angles can be inserted, while the position and orientation of each finger tips (end-effector) are shown. Inverse Kinematics does the reverse of the Direct Kinematics. Based on previous materials obtained from kinematics analysis, the human manipulator joints can be designed to follow prescribed position trajectories.

• S. Parasuraman
• Ler Shiaw Pei

• Kinematics
• Human Joints
• Robotics
• Robot Dynamics
• Manipulators.

[1] John J.Craig. Introduction to Robotics. 2nd ed. Pearson Education
International.
[2] V.Kumar. Introduction to Robot Geometry and Kinematics.(online).
Available from:
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~meam520/notes02/IntroRobotKinematics5.
pdf
[3] Manipulator Kinematics (online). Available from:
http://users.rsise.anu.edu.au/~chen/teaching/Robotics_ENGN4627_2005
/lectureNotes/engn4627-Part03.pdf.
[4] National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering,
"Wearable Robots Help with Stroke Rehabilitation", last accessed on 22
Novemeber 2007,
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/nibib/File/Health%20and%20Education/Eadva
nces/PDFs/Wearable%20Robots%20Help%20with%20Stroke%20Reha
bilitation.pdf http://www.immersion.com/
[5] Bouzit M., Popescu G., Burdea G., and Boian R, "The Rutgers Master
II-ND Force Feedback Glove", IEEE VR 2002 Haptics Symposium,
March 2002.
[6] Johnson M. J., "Recent Trends in Robot-Assisted Therapy Environments
to Improve Real-Life Functional Performance After Stroke", Journal of
NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 18 December 2006.
[7] Lum P. S., Burgar C. G. Shor P. C. Majmundar M., Van der Loos M.,
"Robot-Assisted Movement Training Compared with Conventional
Therapy Techniques for the Rehabilitation of Upper-Limb Motor
Function After Stroke" American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
2002.
[8] Loureiro R. C. V., Collin C. F., and Harwin W. S., "Robot Aided
Therapy: Challenges Ahead for Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation",
International Conference Disability, Virtual Reality & Assoc. Tech,
2004.
[9] Tognetti A., Lorussi F., Bartalesi R., Quaglini S., Tesconi M., Zupone
G., and De Rossi D., "Wearable Kinesthetic System for Capturing and
Classifying Upper Limb Gesture in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation", Journal
of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2 March 2005.