Design of a biologically inspired humanoid neck

This paper presents the design of a novel anthropomorphic robotic neck. It mimics the range of movements found in the human neck, actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles. The proposed humanoid neck simulates the anatomical functionality and structure of a human neck. Specifications are made according to biological, anatomical and behavioural data. The preliminary results show that the proposed humanoid neck is able to deliver the range of movements and head velocities comparable to those observed in human necks. These results also demonstrate that biologically inspired musculoskeletal robotic systems represent a reliable and robust platform to investigate motion development.