A pneumatic musculoskeletal infant robot with the body size that corresponds to that of a seven-month-old infant.

The robot can teach itself to crawl, sit, and stand using pattern generators and learning algorithms. The target tasks of the robot are basic locomotion like rolling over and crawling, which are acquired at the age of around seven months. 

The skeletal structure, muscle alignment, and range of motion are designed on the basis of functional anatomy, biomechanics, and observation of real human babies. The robot is autonomous and contains a micro controller, air solenoid valves, battery, air source (CO2 cartridge bottle). If the robot is required to move for long hours, air is supplied by an external air compressor.

Pneuborn

The robot can teach itself to crawl, sit, and stand using pattern generators and learning algorithms. The target tasks of the robot are basic locomotion like rolling over and crawling, which are acquired at the age of around seven months.&nbsp;SkeletonThe skeletal structure, muscle alignment, and range of motion are designed on the basis of functional anatomy, biomechanics, and observation of real human babies. The robot is autonomous and contains a micro controller, air solenoid valves, battery, air source (CO2 cartridge bottle). If the robot is required to move for long hours, air is supplied by an external air compressor.The hand has ﬁve ﬁngers, each of that has three joints. A total of 15 joints of the hand are driven by a pair of muscles via polyethylene wires so that the hand movement is limited only to clench and unclench. The foot has ﬁve ﬁngers, all of which moves at the same time as well as those of the hand.McKibben muscleThe robot uses McKibben pneumatic muscles as actuators that make up the artiﬁcial musculoskeletal system. The McKibben pneumatic muscle consists of an inner rubber tube and an outer nylon sleeve, contracts when compressed air is supplied to the inner tube. Edges of some pneumatic muscles are connected to wires, which are guided by metal tube so that the directions of the tensions of the muscles are easily modulated. Artiﬁcial skin systemThe metal skeleton of the arm are covered by cylindrical wooden frames. This frame is covered by a skin unit, which is made of two layers of ﬂexible urethane gel and multiple strain gauges between the urethane layers.

 Design concept of an infant-sized musculoskeletal robots driven by McKibben pneumatic artificial muscles. You will also find examples that show how the musculoskeletal infant robot can be a good platform to investigate motion development.

Pneumatic Musculoskeletal Infant Robots

This study describes the development of infantrobot platform ”Pneuborn-7III” and focusses on the flexibility of the infant’s body, flexible musculoskeletal system and skin system which are implemented by utilizing McKibben pneumatic actuators and urethane gel.

2P2-M01 Development of Infant Robot with Musculoskeletal and Skin System

Height

Weight

Actuators

Power

Degrees of freedom

Muscles

Computing

Controller 

Air source

A pneumatic musculoskeletal infant robot with the body size that corresponds to that of a seven-month-old infant.