Background:

For the past couple of years students in the Mechanical Engineering Department have been working with walking robots in the Advanced Robotics laboratory in the Crosby Hall. There now exists a very good infra structure for the design development, fabrication and control of a life-size humanoid robot. This project focuses initially on the design of life-size walking humanoid robots capable of making facial expressions to express its feelings and emotions. We have been developing technologies towards making such facial expressions as well as servo-controlled movements of various joints in the body, hands and legs and feet of the humanoid robot which is now name HuMaine-1. One key aspect of the project is the control aspect in connection with stability in motion, walking and moving around using gyros and accelerometers. We also do have access to electrically controllable polymeric artificial muscles to make the HuMaine-1 more biomimetic. The students should learn the inverse kinematics and some robot dynamics in order to understand the robot kinematics and how to control the robot motions. Certainly, computer graphic simulation of the robot motion will be essential in modeling, design construction and control of HuMaine-1

Deliverables/Milestones

1. An initial state-of-the-art review on existing humanoid robots and the associated issues in in connection with their dynamics performance and capabilities.

2. Modeling of HuMaine-1 using SolidWorks and its animation capabilities

3. Electromechanical Design of HuMaine-1

4. Acquiring all the necessary parts to fabricate various parts of HuMaine-1 such as torso, head, animated face, hands, waist, hip, legs and feet

5. Construction of HuMaine-1 and equipping it with an array of sensors, gyros and accelerometers

6. Documentation of the efforts in the form of a design report and presentation for class.

Draft Milestones

# Project Team Selection Complete: September 3, 2008

# First Revised Milestones Submitted: September 10, 2007

# Design Notebook Initial sign-off: September 15, 2007

# Initiation of the literature review: September 17, 2007

# Completion of the literature review: October 1^st

# Initiation of modeling efforts for HuMaine-1: October 2^nd

# First web page goes live with introductory page and menu on left. Page must include resumes, individual photos and milestones: October 13, 2009, 2 pm.

# Completion of modeling efforts for HuMaine-1: October 15^th

# Initiation of Electromechanical Design of HuMaine-1: October 16^th

# Completion of Electromechanical Design of HuMaine-1: November 3^rd

# Milestones review: November 3^rd , 2009

# Initiation of acquiring all necessary parts to fabricate various parts of HuMaine-1 such as torso, head, animated face, hands, waist, hip, legs and feet: November: November 4^th

# Partial Completion of acquiring all necessary parts to fabricate various parts of HuMaine-1 such as torso, head, animated face, hands, waist, hip, legs and feet: November: November 26^th

# Initiation of fabrication of HuMaine-1 torso, head, animated face, hands, waist, hip, legs and feet : December 1^st.

# Initial testing of HuMaine-1 humanoid robot: December 8^th (snow permitting)

# Draft Midterm Report: December 10th , 2008

# Midterm Report due as a PDF posted as a completed web page: December 11th, 11:30 am

# Will list Spring 2010 activities shortly.