Coupled drive of the multi-DOF robot

Abstract

A design for the robot system to minimize the robot weight while producing multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) function is proposed. This method aims to couple mutually the degrees of freedom to be provided on the robot in a frequently actuated mode as much as possible, to make them jointly driven. The method is called coupled drive. As an evaluation function for the coupled drive, an actuation index, which is a ratio of the power for the actuation to the whole output power to be provided to the robot system, is introduced. A simulation experiment involving a quadruped walking robot ascending vertically on surface of a wall is carried out. The experiment deduces with linear programming a walk by which the actuation ratio of the robot is maximized when specific configurations or gaits of the walking robot are given.