research-article

Kinematically redundant actuators, a solution for conflicting torque–speed requirements

Authors:

Tom Verstraten,

Raphael Furnémont,

Pablo López-García,

David Rodriguez-Cianca,

Bram Vanderborght,

Dirk LefeberAuthors Info & Claims

The International Journal of Robotics Research, Volume 38, Issue 5

Pages 612 - 629

https://doi.org/10.1177/0278364919826382

Published: 01 April 2019 Publication History

Abstract

Robots often switch from highly dynamic motion to delivering high torques at low speeds. The actuation requirements for these two regimes are very different. As a consequence, the average efficiency of the actuators is typically much lower than the efficiency at the optimal working point. A potential solution is to use multiple motors for a single motor joint. This results in a redundant degree of freedom, which can be exploited to make the system more efficient overall. In this work, we explore the potential of kinematically redundant actuators in dynamic applications. The potential of a kinematically redundant actuator with two motors is evaluated against a single-motor equivalent in terms of operating range, maximum acceleration, and energy consumption. We discuss how the comparison is influenced by the design of the actuator and the way how the power is distributed over the input motors. Our results support the idea that kinematically redundant actuators can resolve the conflicting torque–speed requirements typical of robots.

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Cited By

Velasco-Guillen RFurnémont RVerstraten TBeckerle P(2022)A Stiffness-Fault-Tolerant Control Strategy for a Redundant Elastic Actuator2022 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)10.1109/AIM52237.2022.9863361(1360-1365)Online publication date: 11-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/AIM52237.2022.9863361

Index Terms

Kinematically redundant actuators, a solution for conflicting torque–speed requirements
1. Computer systems organization
  1. Embedded and cyber-physical systems
    1. Robotics
      1. Robotic autonomy
      2. Robotic components
2. Computing methodologies
  1. Artificial intelligence
    1. Control methods
      1. Motion path planning
      2. Robotic planning
    2. Planning and scheduling
      1. Robotic planning

Index terms have been assigned to the content through auto-classification.

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cover image International Journal of Robotics Research

International Journal of Robotics Research Volume 38, Issue 5

Apr 2019

123 pages

ISSN:0278-3649

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© The Author(s) 2019.

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Sage Publications, Inc.

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 April 2019

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Cited By

Velasco-Guillen RFurnémont RVerstraten TBeckerle P(2022)A Stiffness-Fault-Tolerant Control Strategy for a Redundant Elastic Actuator2022 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)10.1109/AIM52237.2022.9863361(1360-1365)Online publication date: 11-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/AIM52237.2022.9863361

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