Multi-Arm Robot Signal Line Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot systems with multiple arms and encoders face challenges due to a large number of signal lines, leading to increased thickness, difficulty in working in narrow spaces, and delayed control due to longer signal transmission times, as well as large control device sizes caused by numerous control units.
Innovation Solution
The robot system reduces the number of signal lines and control units by configuring L signal lines to be less than the number of arms (n) and control units (m) to be less than the number of drive units, allowing for thinner arms, faster signal transmission, and a smaller control device, with specific examples including 2 signal lines and 3 control units for 6 arms and drive units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the number of signal lines is increased to match the number of encoders, then each encoder can be connected with a dedicated signal line for reliable signal transmission, but the robot arm becomes thick and work in narrow spaces becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple encoder signal lines are merged into a single shared signal line. The control device time-division multiplexes signals from multiple encoders, allowing them to share the same physical transmission medium. This reduces the number of signal lines from n (matching encoder count) to 1, significantly thinning the robot arm while maintaining reliable signal transmission through coordinated time-division control
2Volume of moving object
If one common signal line is used for all encoders, then the number of signal lines is reduced and robot arm thickness is decreased, but the time required to transmit all encoder signals is lengthened causing wasted waiting time in control units
Solution Approach 1:
The control device dynamically assigns time slots to different encoders on the shared signal line. By implementing time-division multiplexing with optimized slot allocation, the system dynamically manages signal transmission to minimize total transmission time and eliminate wasted waiting time in control units, while maintaining the benefits of a reduced signal line count
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of control units is increased to match the number of motors, then each motor can be controlled independently with dedicated control logic, but the circuit board becomes large and the control device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single control unit is designed to universally control multiple motors through time-division multiplexing. The control unit can dynamically assign different control functions to different time slots, allowing one control unit to replace multiple dedicated control units. This multi-functional approach reduces the number of control units from n (matching motor count) to 1, significantly reducing circuit board area while maintaining independent control capability for each motor
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes n arms, n drive units that respectively drive the n arms, n position detecting units that respectively detect positions of the n arms, and L signal lines through which signals detected by the n position detecting units flow. When the number of control units that control the driving of the drive units based on the signals detected by the position detecting units is m, the robot satisfies the relations of 2≤L<n and 2≤m<n.