Publication

Abstract : Springs have been employed in a wide range of mechanical systems. This work deals with the concept of an adaptable spring mechanism which can arbitrarily modulate its spring characteristics. The adaptable spring is desired for enhancing perforrnances of various mechanical systems employing springs. We demonstrate that such adaptable springs can be realized by adapting anthropomorphic musculoskeletal structures of the human upper-extremity, which possesses highly nonlinear kinematic-coupling among redundant muscles existing in its structures. This phenomenon has been explained by several human arrn models. Based on the analysis results, we propose multi-degree-of-freedom spring mechanisms resembling the musculoskeletal structure of the human upper-extremity, and verifiy the applicability of these mechanisms through simulation.