Open AccessFlexible Shoulder in Quadruped Animals and Robots Guiding Science of Soft Robotics
Author(s) -
Akira Fukuhara,
Megu Gunji,
Yoichi Masuda,
Kenjiro Tadakuma,
Akio Ishiguro
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of robotics and mechatronics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1883-8049
pISSN - 0915-3942
DOI - 10.20965/jrm.2022.p0304
Subject(s) - cursorial , robotics , artificial intelligence , shoulders , forelimb , robot , computer science , hindlimb , anatomy , biology , medicine , surgery , predation , paleontology
Cursorial quadrupeds have different connections to the trunk for forelimbs and hindlimbs: a flexible connection through the muscles to the forelimb, and a secure connection through the hip joint to the hindlimb. Although anatomical and biological studies have described the structure and behavior of cursorial quadrupeds by focusing on flexible shoulders, the functionality of the flexible shoulder remains unclear. In this study, we first survey the anatomical and biological studies. Second, we introduce our robotics studies, which focus on flexible connections for proximal limb joints. Further, we discuss future directions for extracting a design principle based on complex animal body structures, and we suggest the potential for interdisciplinary research between anatomy and soft robotics.