DDRA

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Revision as of 19:34, 5 January 2010 by Benoît Heintz (talk | contribs)

DDRA - Double Differential Rheological Actuator (patent pending)

Description

Robotic systems are increasingly moving out of factories, stepping into a dynamic world full of unknowns, where they must interact in a safe and versatile manner. Traditional actuation schemes, which rely on position control and stiff actuators, often fail in this new context. There have been many attempts to modify them by adding a full suite of force and position sensors and by using new control algorithms but, in most cases, the naturally high output inertia and the internal transmission nonlinearities such as friction and backlash remain quite burdensome.


The proposed actuation scheme addresses many of those limitations. The DDRA uses a differentials mechanism and two magnetorheological brakes coupled to, for example, an electromagnetic motor. This configuration enables the DDRA to act as a high bandwidth, very low inertia, very low friction and without backlash torque source that can be controlled to track any desired interaction dynamics. The advantages include safety and robustness due to extreme backdrivability and a lot of versatility in interactions. In a more traditional context, the actuator’s low inertia, eliminated backlash and reduced nonlinearities allow for greater accelerations and a more precise positioning, thus improving productivity and quality.


DDRA from proof-of-concept (Prototype 0) to first compact integration (Prototype 1)

Media:DDRA_Ressort.mpg

Videos[edit]

Download QuickTime for these videos.

Status[edit]

Prototype 1

DDRA

Nominal power

90W

Nominal torque

11 Nm

Maximum torque

20 Nm

Inertia

1.2e-4 kg.m^2

Power Rate

1025 kW/s

Torque bandwidth

>40 Hz (limit of test)

Maximum speed

160 RPM

Reduction ratio

33:1

Dimensions ratio

90 dia X 137 mm

Weight

2.4 kg


Force control:

Torque control bode plot
Torque command following
Torque step


Position control:

Position command following (0.084 kg.m.m load, 8 Nm nominal, PIDc)


Interaction control:

Simulation of a spring

Simulation of a wall

Publications

Fauteux, P., Lauria, M., Legault, M.-A., Heintz, B., Michaud, F. (2009), “Dual differential rheological actuator for robot interaction tasks,” IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics. Recipient of Best Student Paper Award. (pdf)

Team[edit]

  • Philippe Fauteux
  • Benoit Heintz
  • Marc-Antoine Legault
  • Matthieu Tanguay
  • Michel Lauria
  • Dominic Létourneau
  • François Michaud