Self-feeding assistive 7-DOF robotic arm simulator using solving method of inverse kinematics

Abstract

In order to help people with disabilities of the upper extremities drink and eat, a simulator for self-feeding assistive robotic arm using solving method of inverse kinematics has been developed in this paper. Using inverse kinematics equations of 7 degrees of freedom (DOF) with an arm angle parameter, the robotic arm model was implemented in the simulator and its controller with mouse device was also designed. The arm angle parameter defined the angle between the arm plane and a reference plane was used to resolve the robotic arm redundancy. Three able-bodied persons participated in simulation experiments. They manipulated the robotic arm model in a virtual space using mouse device. It was found from the simulation results they successfully performed the drinking and eating tasks in our simulator.