Challenges in Mechanism Design for Robotics: Past, Present and Future
Prof. Marco Ceccarelli
LARM2: Laboratory of Robot Mechatronics, Dept of Industrial Engineering,
University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
Challenges in mechanism design for robotics and mechatronics can be considered from several viewpoints in technical, social, and financial ones as due to new designs and applications, mainly in service fields.
In this lecture the main issues are discussed in terms of Innovation aspects of robot design coming from Mechanism Design. The attention is focused on challenging aspects that are related to the mechanical structure of a modern system as for the structure and operation when considering assigned tasks either in substituting or helping human operators.
The lecture presents aspects emphasizing the role of mechanism design in developments of robotic systems as based on the fact that the action in performing tasks, either in coordination or not with human operators, is of mechanical nature due to motion and force transmission goals of the operation. The challenges of mechanism design are presented both in terms of technical solutions and community activity, since each of them depends, impacts, and generates each other, by surveying past, present, and future illustrative achievements.
Examples of past and current solutions are presented to show how a mechanism design can be determinant for novel successful achievements and community developments. In particular, the activities at LARM2 in Rome are outlined on topics and systems that can be available for collaborations both in research and joint student education.
