四脚動物の柔軟な肩部の運動機能の理解に向けた膜様筋骨格ロボットの開発

抄録

Cursorial quadrupeds have flexible connectivity between the forelimbs and the trunk. Although the complex muscular network in the shoulder allows the basement of the forelimb (i.e., scapula) to exhibit three-dimensional movement, it is unclear how the complex movement of the scapula affects locomotor tasks. To elucidate the functionality of the animal’s flexible shoulder region, we developed a legged robot that mimics complex anatomical features of the musculoskeletal system of house cats by using elastic sheet elements. In the experiment, the robot’s shoulder unit moves upward-and-downward depending on the body supporting as cursorial quadruped does, suggesting that the passive flexible sheet in the robot’s shoulder region would implement the essential interference between body parts in the animal’s shoulder region.