DESIGN OF A WRIST USING NEW MECHANISM TECHNOLOGY INVENTED FOR WHOLE-ARM MANIPULATION

THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO DESIGN A MODULAR WRIST TO SUPPORT EVA ARM AND HAND GRASPING. THE WRIST DESIGN WILL BECONSISTENT WITH THE DURABILITY, LOW-BULK, AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF WHOLE-ARM MANIPULATION BY ADAPTING MECHANICAL-TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES NEWLY-INVENTED FOR THE WAM DEVELOPMENT AT MIT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE RESULTING WRIST DESIGN WILL FEATURE A CABLED DIFFERENTIAL DRIVEN BY REMOTELY LOCATED MOTORS VIA HIGH-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS. THE DIFFERENTIAL WILL ALLOW ACCESS THROUGH THE WRIST FOR HAND ACTUATION. THE WRIST WILL BE BUILT INTEGRALLY WITH THE FOREARM FOR MODULAR CONNECTION TO THE MIT WHOLE-ARM MANIPULATOR, ROBOTICS RESEARCH ARM (BOTH BEING EVALUATED BY NASA/JSC FOR EVA HELPER AND EVA RETRIEVER PROGRAMS), OR OTHER IN WHICH THE EXISTING FOREARM IS MODULAR. PHASE I CONSISTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DESIGN CONCEPT INCLUDING WRIST PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS, DETERMINATION OF THE KINEMATICS, AND IDENTIFICATION (THOUGH NOT DETAILED DESIGN) OF KEY ACTUATION-COMPONENT MECHANISMS. IN PHASE II, THE REQUIRED COMPONENT MECHANISMS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND INTEGRATED INTO A WORKING WRIST PROTOTYPE. THE ANTICIPATED RESULT IS A MODULAR WRIST FOR THE INTEGRATION OF ROBOTIC ARMS AND HANDS IN SUPPORT OF NASA'S EVA ROBOTIC PROGRAMS.