Low-Cost Air Hockey Robot Using a Five-Bar Linkage Mechanism Driven by Position-Control Servomotors

In human-robot interaction (HRI) research, ball games pose significant challenges that demand robotic solutions that are both cost-effective and user-friendly for non-experts. Air hockey, characterized by safe, non-direct-contact play and a simplified state-action space, emerges as an ideal platform for such research. Despite the availability of various air hockey robots, their high cost and complexity have limited widespread use among researchers requiring robotics expertise. Addressing this gap, we introduce a low-cost, accessible air hockey robot designed to facilitate HRI studies. Featuring a lightweight five-bar linkage mechanism powered by low-cost servomotors for position control, this robot combines efficiency with ease of use. The complete robot’s cost is estimated at $346.8, with the arm weighing a mere 19 grams. The robot precisely returns the puck by intermittently adjusting its target joint positions, achieving a play with an average return error of 42.6 mm. These characteristics affirm the robot’s potential as a valuable tool for advancing HRI research.