The Improvement in Design and Control of a Massage Robot on Human Back

A back massage robot is designed, which has the characteristics of small size and diversified massage techniques compared with other massage instruments. To design the massage robot, the motor position, spring and connecting parts were analyzed to achieve appropriate massage head structure. The robot collects data via a variety of miniature sensors to improve the stability of the massage. Based on the characteristics of back massage, an improved round-trip path planning algorithm model was established to improve the massage coverage of the robot. The physical model and experimental platform of the robot were built, and the influence of signal duty cycle on the massaging effect of the massage head was discussed by testing the values of acceleration. Meanwhile, the influence of steering and speed on the massage manipulation of the massage wheel was analyzed to obtain six best massage techniques.