Energy efficient actuators with adjustable stiffness: a review on AwAS, AwAS-II and CompACT VSA changing stiffness based on lever mechanism
Energy efficient actuators with adjustable stiffness: a review on AwAS, AwAS-II and CompACT VSA changing stiffness based on lever mechanism
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DOI：
10.1108/ir-12-2014-0433
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发表时间：
2015-05
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
A. Jafari;N. Tsagarakis;D. Caldwell
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Jafari;N. Tsagarakis;D. Caldwell
目的本文旨在讨论、分析和比较一组具有可调刚度的致动器的成员，即：AwAS、AwAS-II和意大利理工学院（IIT）开发的CompACT变刚度致动器（VSA）。设计/方法/方式这些致动器是其中一个主电机是专门用于链接定位和辅助电机，在与第一个串联，调节输出链接刚度的串联类型的VSA。调节这组致动器中的刚度是基于杠杆概念。最初，弹簧沿着杠杆移动以调节刚度，而在后来的版本中，刚度通过沿着杠杆重新定位枢轴点来调节。结果-本文讨论了如何采用不同的机制来实现杠杆的概念，在这些执行器和什么是每个实现的优点和缺点。实用意义-今天的机器人不应该是坚实的，孤立的和僵化的了，而是适应性，合作和兼容的实体在我们的日常生活中。新的态度要求新的技术大大不同于那些为工业领域开发的硬件和软件水平。这项工作提出了最新的三个国家的最先进的执行器，在IIT开发，这是未来的机器人的需求的伟大答案。独创性/价值-这些新型执行器是真正准备用于商业开发，因为它们是紧凑和可靠的。主要的新奇是基于采用的概念，杠杆机构的刚度调节。它们以非常专业和优化的方式设计和制造。
Purpose This paper aims to discuss, analyze and compare members of a group of actuators with adjustable stiffness, namely: AwAS, AwAS-II and CompACT variable stiffness actuator (VSA) developed at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). Design/methodology/approach These actuators are among series type of VSAs where one main motor is dedicated for link positioning and a secondary motor, in series with the first one, regulates the output link stiffness. Regulating the stiffness in this group of actuators is based on the lever concept. Initially, springs were moved along the lever to tune the stiffness while in the later versions stiffness was regulated through relocating pivot point along the lever. Findings This paper discusses how different mechanisms have been employed in realization of the lever concept in these actuators and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each realization. Practical implications Today’s robots are not supposed to be solid, isolated and rigid anymore but rather adaptive, cooperative and compliant entities in our daily life. The new attitudes demand for novel technologies substantially different from those developed for industrial domains both at the hardware and the software levels. This work presents latest three state-of-the-art actuators, developed at IIT, which are great answers to the needs of tomorrow’s robot. Originality/value These novel actuators are really ready for commercial exploitation, as they are compact and reliable. The main novelty is based on employing concept of lever mechanism for stiffness regulation. They have been designed and manufactured in a very professional and optimized way.