Mechanical Model of an Anthropoid on a Plane

The challenges in modeling anthropoids are pertinent due to their numerous practical applications in creating exoskeletons, bionic prostheses, anthropomorphic robots, trainers, and spacesuits. Hence, there is a practical necessity to build mechanical models of anthropoids. An analysis of publication activity indicates a significant surge in interest in this field over the past decade. This study has developed a mechanical-mathematical model of a mechanism with five links that vary their positions on a plane but do not change their shape, resembling an anthropoid. The created anthropoid model differs from previous ones by using angles measured between coordinate axes aligned with the longitudinal axes of the links. This approach is more closely aligned with the biomechanics of the human musculoskeletal system. However, this method of modeling angles between sequentially connected discrete links complicates the mechanical-mathematical model of the two-dimensional anthropoid. As a result, the system of ordinary differential equations describing the motion of the anthropoid increases in complexity and size. A local movable coordinate system is introduced for each link, as all links of the anthropoid, except the first, move in a plane-parallel manner. Consequently, accurately calculating the kinetic energy becomes complex and cumbersome. In the future, this model can be used for modeling the dynamics of biomechanical parameters of human movement and mechanical devices such as exoskeletons. There are prospects for investigating various methods of controlling purposeful movement of the anthropoid model, for instance, using empirical information about movements or intentions of the person during visual motion capture, or by using devices that detect signals from muscles and the user's brain to implement planned movements. All of these advancements will facilitate the creation of models of useful anthropoid-type devices. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.