Design of the automatic actuation system of a hexapod robot for medical applications

Abstract

The initial objective of this end-of-grade work was the development of the TL-Hex hexapod robot automatic actuation system, designed for medical applications at the "Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children" (TSRHC) in Dallas, Texas, US. However, due to the health crisis suffered due to the global pandemic by the COVID-19, the objectives of this project were modified, being diverted towards a work that would provide the necessary information to continue with the development of the action system in future works. The initial work plan consisted of analysing the requirements of the actuators, and then studying the different possible forms of automation; motorising the existing ones while respecting the current structure of the system, looking for complete adaptable actuators or any other solution that has the least possible impact from a mechanical point of view. For this automation, the previous developments made in the end of degree work "Sensorization of a parallel robot for medical applications", carried out by Laura Valdez Vidal in 2018, would be used. Once the different possibilities had been studied, experimental tests would be carried out in order to check that the studies carried out were valid and thus draw conclusions that could meet the objective of this work. However, after the declaration of the state of alarm that prevented the university from conducting experimental tests, and the closing of borders that caused the components acquired for the project not to be received, the project was reoriented in order to be able to add value to the project that was established with the available material. These subsequent contributions are based on the energy dimensioning of the system based on the analysis carried out prior to the state of alarm and available information, the study in terms of regulations because it is a medical product, and the study of the control system of the motors used in the actuation system.