Optimal design and fabrication of frame structure for dual-arm service robots: An effective approach for human–robot interaction

Abstract

Rapid advancement in robotics technology has paved the way for developing mobile service robots capable of human interaction and assistance. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive approach to design, fabricate, and optimize the overall structure of a dual-arm service robot. The conceptual design phase focuses on both critical components, the mobile platform and the manipulation system, essential for seamless navigation and effective task execution. In the proposed system, the distribution of the robot payload in terms of region, maximum stress, and displacement is examined, comprehensively analyzed, and compared with the relevant works. In addition, to enhance the system’s efficiency while minimizing its weight, we introduce a lightweight design approach in which Finite Element Analysis is utilized to optimize the frame structure. Subsequently, we fabricate a physical prototype based on the derived model. Finally, we provide a kinematic model for our dual-arm service robot and demonstrate its efficacy in both control and human–robot interaction (HRI) tasks. Experimental results indicate that the proposed dual arm design can achieve a significant weight reduction of 25% from the original design while still performing actions smoothly for HRI tasks.

Keywords

• Optimal design
• Service robot
• Dual-arm robot
• Fabrication
• Human–robot interaction