Development of high power multi-degree-of-freedom actuator for robot joints with torque-free mode

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26289023
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Design engineering/Machine functional elements/Tribology
• Research Institution: Muroran Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: AOYAGI Manabu 室蘭工業大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (80231786)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 梶原 秀一 室蘭工業大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (00280313) ; 田村 英樹 東北工業大学, 工学部, 准教授 (90396581)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 機械要素 / アクチュエータ / トルクフリー / 周期入力 / 多次元 / ヒューマノイド / ロボット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As the shoulder joint of a small humanoid, the high power sandwich-type spherical ultrasonic motor (SUSM) excited by multilayered piezoelectric actuators was devised and examined. The maximum torque and torque-weight ratio increased 25 times (approximately 2N.m) and 20% more than those of previous SUSM, respectively. The SUSMs using the spherical stator were also devised, and the operating principle was confirmed by some experiments. Possibility of realization of SUSM with torque-free state generated by the control of friction force between the rotor and stator was experimentally considered. An arm attached on the spherical rotor rotated by a servo motor and two stators jointed by piezoelectric clutches was used as a substitute for the shoulder joint using the SUSM. As a result, the natural swing of the arm was able to be realized by applying momentary friction driving force periodically to the arm while that was swinging in torque-free mode.

Free Research Field

超音波工学