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Human-Like Toe Joint Mechanism

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Humanoid Robotics: A Reference

Abstract

The human foot has evolved over many years into a specialized mechanism for biped walking. It has a complicated mechanism with a number of bones and ligaments. In particular, the arch structure and the toe joints have important roles in walking. The arch structure acts as a shock absorber that enhances the adaptability of the foot with respect to the ground, and the toe joints move dynamically during walking. Although most humanoid robots have a simple foot mechanism, a humanlike foot mechanism is key to the foot adaptability. This chapter reviews previous research on the humanlike foot mechanism, with special focus on the toe joint.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Ko Yamamoto

Authors
  1. Ko Yamamoto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ko Yamamoto .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA

    Ambarish Goswami

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Prahlad Vadakkepat

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Yamamoto, K. (2019). Human-Like Toe Joint Mechanism. In: Goswami, A., Vadakkepat, P. (eds) Humanoid Robotics: A Reference. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6046-2_82

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