Abstract
Practical realization of service robots is in demand to compensate for the shrinking workforce due to aging populations. Robotics technologies can help support our aging populations in both social and work environments. We developed a manual control link mechanism using magnetic particle brakes at each joint in place of servo motors. This mechanism can be used to support a positioning action passively. It meets the requirements of safety, low acoustic noise, and high efficiency. In this paper, we describe the design and the dynamics analysis of a prototype mechanism, including the self-weight compensation, which is realized by appropriate driving of the magnetic particle brakes, and the resistance torque display to hold tilted position of the link.
