Abstract

Robotic anthropomorphism has been the study area of many researchers, which led to the conclusion that perceiving similar human features allow robots to be more socially accepted and integrated. Anthropomorphism can be thought from both morphological and functional point of views, while the degree of integration of both aspects determines the social impact of their union. One key aspect to the embodiment of functional anthropomorphism in robots is the impedance modulation. In this work, we present the first prototype of a variable stiffness actuated, hybrid type, robotic shoulder joint. We leverage our work on the anthropomorphic approach presented in our previous works for humanoids and humans applications. We then formulate the computed torque control scheme for such systems, controlled in fully autonomous scenarios.