Horizontal Articulated Robot Wire Routing and Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Horizontal articulated robots face challenges in enhancing the durability of electric wires connected to angular velocity sensors due to increased folding chances and curvature issues, which affect the reliability of damping control systems.
Innovation Solution
The angular velocity sensor is installed inside the second arm, and electric wires are routed through a piping member from the second arm to the base, reducing folding chances and curvature, while maintaining the sensor above belts to prevent foreign matter adherence, and positioning the connection section to avoid obstructing arm rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the angular velocity sensor is mounted on the first arm, then the damping control can be performed on the first drive source, but the electric wire connected to the angular velocity sensor has increased folding chances and smaller curvature in folded portions
Solution Approach 1:
A piping member is introduced as an intermediary component to route the electric wire from the second arm to the base. This piping member acts as a protective conduit that maintains proper wire curvature and prevents direct folding of the electric wire, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining damping control functionality and protecting wire durability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting the angular velocity sensor on the first arm (which causes wire folding issues), the sensor is mounted on the second arm. This inversion of the mounting location changes the wire routing path from a high-curvature, high-folding-risk area to a more favorable location with better wire protection characteristics.
2Strength
If the angular velocity sensor is installed inside the second arm, then the electric wire durability is enhanced, but the sensor positioning becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The second arm is designed to serve multiple functions: it not only performs its primary robotic manipulation function but also houses the angular velocity sensor and serves as a routing path for electric wires through the piping member. This multi-functionality approach consolidates several system requirements into a single structural element, managing complexity rather than increasing it.
3Strength
If the piping member is disposed outside the first arm and outside the second arm, then the electric wire is protected from folding, but the piping member occupies additional space
Solution Approach 1:
The piping member is routed through three-dimensional space outside the planar paths of both arms, utilizing the vertical and radial dimensions around the robotic structure. This spatial arrangement allows the piping member to protect the electric wire without interfering with the two-dimensional motion paths of the arms, efficiently using available three-dimensional space.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
A robot includes an angular velocity sensor installed to a second horizontal arm and for obtaining the angular velocity of the first horizontal arm with respect to a base, and suppresses the vibration of the first horizontal arm by driving a first electric motor based on the angular velocity of the first horizontal arm. In the robot, an electric wire to be connected to a second electric motor incorporated in the second horizontal arm and electric wire to be connected to the angular velocity sensor are laid around through a wiring duct having end portions coupled respectively to the base and the second horizontal arm, disposed outside the first horizontal arm and outside the second horizontal arm, and having a passage leading to the inside of the base and the inside of the second horizontal arm.