DDRA

From IntRoLab
Revision as of 19:33, 8 December 2008 by Philippe Fauteux (talk | contribs) (Status)

DR2 - Double Differential Rheological Actuator (patent pending)

Team

  • Philippe Fauteux
  • Benoit Heintz
  • Marc-Antoine Legault
  • Mathieu Tanguay
  • Michel Lauria

Description

Robotic systems are increasingly moving out of factories, stepping into a dynamic world full of unknowns, where they must interact in a safe, robust and versatile manner.

Traditional actuation schemes, which usually rely on position control and stiff actuators, often fail in this new context. There has bean many attempts to modify classic actuators 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 all of those limitations. By using two mechanical differentials and two magnetorheological brakes, it transforms some speed source into an open loop controlled force source which can track any desired interaction dynamics.

The advantages include safety and robustness due to extreme backdrivability and versatility because of the ability to track any interaction dynamics. In a more traditional context, the actuator’s low inertia, eliminated backlash and reduced nonlinearities allow for greater accelerations/decelerations and possibly a more precise positioning. In all cases, the ability to control the overall interaction dynamics (force-position) opens a set of new possibilities.


ADDR.jpg

Status

Ongoing project. A compact and integrated prototype will be tested in January 2009.

Videos

Téléchargez QuickTime pour visionner ce vidéo.