Development of a Spherical Induction Motor With Two Degrees of Freedom

This paper reports on the development of a spherical actuator with two actuated degrees of freedom (DOFs). The electromechanical conversion principle is that of an induction motor. The paper first discusses possibilities of adapting the actuator to a spherical rotor actuated with an unlimited angular range along two DOFs. These concepts are then characterized and compared by analytical and numerical modeling, and the final shape of the actuator, composed of a two-layer rotor with teeth surrounded by five inductors, is described. A prototype has been built, and its performance, in terms of characteristic torque-speed and efficiency, has been measured.