Robot Arm Amplifier Unit Orientation for Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Articulated robots with multiple arms face a challenge in minimizing the transverse dimension due to the size of the drive circuit amplifier unit, which restricts the movable range and increases the moment of inertia when the amplifier unit is placed in the arm.
Innovation Solution
The configuration includes an arm with motors and amplifier units arranged along the longitudinal direction, where the amplifier unit is integrated with the motor and positioned closer to the rotation axis, reducing the transverse dimension by optimizing the placement and orientation of the amplifier substrate relative to the motor, and arranging multiple motors along the transverse direction to minimize the overall width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the amplifier unit is provided in the arm, then the motor can be driven, but the size of the arm increases and the movable range becomes narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The amplifier unit is rotated by 90 degrees around the motor shaft axis, changing its orientation from extending in the arm width direction to extending in the arm length direction. This dimensional reorientation allows the amplifier unit to fit within the arm's longitudinal space rather than increasing the transverse dimension, effectively resolving the contradiction between maintaining arm compactness and accommodating the amplifier unit.
2Speed
If the amplifier unit is provided in the arm, then the motor can be driven, but the moment of inertia increases
Solution Approach 1:
The amplifier unit is positioned as close as possible to the motor shaft along the arm length direction, concentrating the mass near the rotation axis. This local placement minimizes the moment of inertia while still accommodating the amplifier unit's functional requirements, thereby improving response speed without excessive inertial penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
By rotating the amplifier unit 90 degrees, its extension direction changes from the arm width direction to the arm length direction, allowing the mass to be distributed along the longitudinal axis where it has minimal impact on the moment of inertia about the motor shaft axis.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple motors are arranged along the transverse direction, then the drive functions are enhanced, but the arm width increases
Solution Approach 1:
The amplifier unit associated with each motor is oriented to extend in the arm length direction rather than the arm width direction. This allows multiple motors and their amplifier units to be arranged along the longitudinal axis of the arm without increasing the transverse dimension, maintaining compact arm width while supporting multiple drive functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes an arm that rotates about a rotation axis, a motor that is provided in the arm, and an amplifier unit that includes an amplifier substrate which drives the motor and that is provided in the motor, in which, when a longitudinal direction of the arm as seen from an axial direction that is parallel to the rotation axis is a first direction and a direction orthogonal to the first direction is a second direction, the amplifier unit and the motor are arranged in a direction different from the second direction.