Title :
Powertrain selection for a biologically-inspired miniature quadruped robot
Author :
Ozcan, Onur ; Baisch, Andrew T. ; Ithier, Daniel ; Wood, Robert J.
Author_Institution :
Sch. of Eng. & Appl. Sci., Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA, USA
fDate :
May 31 2014-June 7 2014
Abstract :
Transmission and actuator selection are crucial for robot locomotion at any scale. This is especially true at small scales where actuation choices are limited and locomotion is energetically expensive. These components control the payload capacity and determine the height of the obstacles the robot can navigate over. In this study, we analyze the drivetrain of the new Harvard Ambulatory MicroRobot (HAMR-V) to improve its walking performance. We modeled several transmission and actuator design concepts and investigated their force and displacement outputs. The results led to the selection of improved actuator and transmission designs. Using these new insights, we constructed a miniature quadruped with a payload capacity of 63% of its weight that can be used for on-board electronics for sensing, control, and power.
Keywords :
actuators; gait analysis; legged locomotion; microrobots; power transmission (mechanical); robot kinematics; HAMR-V; Harvard ambulatory microrobot; actuator design concepts; actuator selection; biologically-inspired miniature quadruped robot; displacement outputs; drivetrain; force outputs; miniature legged robot; on-board electronics; payload capacity; powertrain selection; robot locomotion; transmission selection; transverse plane kinematics; walking performance; Actuators; Carbon; Couplings; Force; Joints; Legged locomotion; Biologically Inspired Robots; Legged Locomotion; Miniature Robots; Mobile Robotics;
Conference_Titel :
Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2014 IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Hong Kong
DOI :
10.1109/ICRA.2014.6907192