Humanoid Robot Shoulder Joint Assembly with Movable Base

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional humanoid robots have limited shoulder joint mobility, restricting their ability to naturally imitate human motions and gestures, and are confined to a fixed position, limiting their range of movement without moving the entire robot body.

Innovation Solution

A humanoid robot design featuring a first shoulder joint device that is entirely movable relative to the body, with a second shoulder joint device providing additional rotational and translational degrees of freedom, allowing the first shoulder joint device to move freely and achieve a wide range of motion without requiring the robot body to move.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the shoulder joint is fixed to the robot body, then the structural stability is improved, but the range of movement of the robot arm is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidrange of movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shoulder joint assembly is divided into two independent devices: a first shoulder joint device fixed to the robot body for structural stability, and a second shoulder joint device that is movable relative to the body to provide additional degrees of freedom. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first shoulder joint device is nested within the movable second shoulder joint device, allowing the inner device to remain stable while the outer device provides additional mobility. This nested configuration enables the robot arm to achieve extended range of motion while maintaining a stable base structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Device complexity

If the shoulder joint has only rotational DOF, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to imitate human motions is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidability to imitate human motions

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shoulder joint assembly transitions from a static, purely rotational joint to a dynamic system that combines rotational and translational degrees of freedom. The movable second shoulder joint device enables dynamic adjustment of the joint's position and orientation, allowing the robot to replicate the complex, multi-axis motions of human shoulders.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Use of energy by moving object

If the robot body remains stationary, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the robot arm cannot achieve wide range of movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidrange of movement of robot arm

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The mobility function is extracted from the robot body and transferred to a dedicated movable second shoulder joint device. This allows the robot arm to achieve wide range of motion through the localized movable joint rather than requiring movement of the entire robot body, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8322250B2Humanoid robot and shoulder joint assembly thereof

Publication Date: 2012.12.04 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A humanoid robot to naturally imitate various motions and gestures of humans and a shoulder joint assembly thereof is disclosed. The humanoid robot includes a first shoulder joint device disposed between a body and an arm of the robot, to move the arm. The entire first shoulder joint device is movable relative to the body. For this, a second shoulder joint device may be installed between the body and the first shoulder joint device to move the first shoulder joint device.