TY - GEN
T1 - A spring-embedded planetary-geared parallel elastic actuator
AU - Chaichaowarat, Ronnapee
AU - Kinugawa, Jun
AU - Seino, Akira
AU - Kosuge, Kazuhiro
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - Parallel elastic actuation utilizing an elastic spring to reduce the required actuator torque is one energy-efficient strategy suitable for various mechatronic applications relating to asymmetric torque requirements. This paper presents a novel concentric drivetrain configuration of a parallel elastic actuator (PEA) embedding a torsion spring in the intermediate gearing stage of a planetary gear mechanism between the sun gear and the carrier, connected to the input shaft and the external load respectively. In addition to the input torque amplified by a gear ratio N, the output torque of the actuator is enhanced by the spring moment amplified by the ratio N-1. An alpha prototype was developed and tested with and without the controlled input torque in order to evaluate the output torque varying against the spring deformation. This proposed concept provides an alternative design solution of PEA using a low-inertia motor in combination with a low-stiffness spring. Connecting the spring arms to the carrier instead of the fixed ring gear not only allows the elastic component to support the load directly but also helps reduce the backlash between the sun gear and the planet gears through the loaded spring.
AB - Parallel elastic actuation utilizing an elastic spring to reduce the required actuator torque is one energy-efficient strategy suitable for various mechatronic applications relating to asymmetric torque requirements. This paper presents a novel concentric drivetrain configuration of a parallel elastic actuator (PEA) embedding a torsion spring in the intermediate gearing stage of a planetary gear mechanism between the sun gear and the carrier, connected to the input shaft and the external load respectively. In addition to the input torque amplified by a gear ratio N, the output torque of the actuator is enhanced by the spring moment amplified by the ratio N-1. An alpha prototype was developed and tested with and without the controlled input torque in order to evaluate the output torque varying against the spring deformation. This proposed concept provides an alternative design solution of PEA using a low-inertia motor in combination with a low-stiffness spring. Connecting the spring arms to the carrier instead of the fixed ring gear not only allows the elastic component to support the load directly but also helps reduce the backlash between the sun gear and the planet gears through the loaded spring.
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U2 - 10.1109/AIM43001.2020.9158998
DO - 10.1109/AIM43001.2020.9158998
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85090393700
T3 - IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, AIM
SP - 952
EP - 959
BT - 2020 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, AIM 2020
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 2020 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, AIM 2020
Y2 - 6 July 2020 through 9 July 2020
ER -