Factors influencing actuator's backdrivability in human-centered robotics

Human-Centered Robotics aims to use robotic devices to improve our life. In Europe alone, around 650.000 people live with limb amputations, 40 Mio. have jobs with high of lumbar injuries, and 40 Mio. are 80+ years. Worldwide, active prostheses, exoskeletons, and service robots could help improve these people's lives. However, their adoption is unfortunately strongly hindered by technological limitations in the actuators powering these devices.
Backdrivability characterizes an actuator's ability to be driven from the load side, and it is a crucial property to enabling capable human-centered robotic devices. In robotics, backdrivability is traditionally seen as a limiting factor to using high-ratio transmissions to build lightweight robots. In this paper, we analyze the underlying principles of actuator backdrivability in robotics and how these are conditioned by the motor and gearbox selection and the specific operational cycle of a robotic device

Jaar van publicatie:2022

Trefwoorden:Backdrivability, Human-centered robotics, actuators

Toegankelijkheid:Open