Robotic Arm Screw Rod Drive Mechanism Reduces Motor Count
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robotic arms face challenges in reducing the size and cost of motors and gearboxes while maintaining performance, particularly due to higher torque requirements at joints like the wrist, which consume more power and are expensive.
Innovation Solution
The robotic arm design incorporates a system of pivotally connected arm units with screw rods, guiders, and drive plates, where linear motion of the guiders drives transmission components to rotate the arm units, reducing the need for multiple motors and gearboxes by utilizing a single gear reducer and multiple motors to drive each arm unit independently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If independent motors and gear boxes are equipped at each joint to provide different degrees of freedom, then the robotic arm achieves required motion freedom and torque, but the cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is divided into multiple arm units (first arm unit, second arm unit, third arm unit) that are pivotally connected to each other. Each arm unit can rotate independently around a common axis, providing the required degrees of freedom through spatial segmentation rather than through separate motors at each joint. This segmentation allows the system to achieve multi-axis motion capability while using fewer motor-gearbox assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
A single motor and gear box assembly is designed to drive multiple arm units simultaneously. The motor rotates a screw rod that drives multiple guiders, which in turn drive multiple drive plates connected to different arm units. This multi-functional design allows one motor-gearbox system to provide the motion control for multiple joints, reducing the total amount of motors and gear boxes while maintaining the required degrees of freedom.
2Device complexity
If motors and gear boxes are reduced in amount, then cost decreases, but the torque and power requirements at joints like the wrist become more challenging to meet
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple arm units are combined onto a single rotation axis, with their drive mechanisms merged into one integrated system. The screw rod and guider mechanism is shared across multiple arm units, allowing the torque generated by a single motor to be distributed and amplified across multiple joints. This merging allows the system to meet the torque requirements at the wrist and other joints while using fewer motors and gear boxes overall.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw rod and guider act as intermediary mechanical elements between the motor and the arm units. The motor rotates the screw rod, which converts rotational motion into linear motion of the guider. This linear motion is then transmitted through drive plates to rotate multiple arm units. The intermediary screw-glider mechanism provides mechanical advantage, allowing a single motor to generate sufficient torque at multiple joints including the high-torque wrist joint.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design allows for efficient power distribution and reduced costs by enabling the same performance with fewer and less expensive motor and gearbox components, while maintaining the necessary degrees of freedom and torque requirements across the robotic arm.
Implementation Method 1
a first screw rod rotatably arranged within the first arm unit and extending from the first end of the first arm unit and along a lengthwise direction of the first arm unit, a first guider screwed at the first screw rod
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a robotic arm comprising a first arm unit, a second arm unit, a third arm unit, a first drive system, a second drive system and a third drive system. The first arm unit is connected to the second arm unit, and the second arm unit is connected to the third arm unit. The first, second and third drive systems cause the second arm unit to move relative to the first arm unit and cause the third arm unit to move relative to the second arm unit.