AUTHOR=Nipatphonsakun Kawinna , Kawasetsu Takumi , Hosoda Koh 

TITLE=The experimental investigation of foot slip-turning motion of the musculoskeletal robot on toe joints

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Robotics and AI

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2023.1187297

DOI=10.3389/frobt.2023.1187297

ISSN=2296-9144

ABSTRACT=Due to their complex structural design, musculoskeletal robots struggle to execute complicated tasks such as turning with their limited range of motion. Slip-turning motion is a turning maneuver that requires minimum movements to reach the desired angle. This study investigates the utilization of passive toe joints in the foot slip-turning motion of a musculoskeletal robot to turn on its toes to increase the turning angle and its mobility. This research also demonstrates the usage of the toe joint with the plantar intrinsic muscles to actively control the stiffness of the joints in different conditions, preventing over-dorsiflexion of toes and possibly improving postural stability.The results show changes in frictional torque, rotational angle, toe-lifting angle, and the pattern of ground reaction force, indicating that the toe joint and the plantar intrinsic muscles have some contributions to the slip-turning motion.