Polyurethane-based modular series elastic upgrade to a robotics actuator

Abstract

This article extends previous work, presenting a novel polyurethane based compliant spring system designed to be attached to a conventional robotics servo motor, turning it into a series elastic actuator (SEA). The new system is composed by only two mechanical parts: a torsional polyurethane spring and a round aluminum support for link attachment. The polyurethane spring, had its design derived from a iterative FEM-based optimization process. We present also some system identification and practical results using a PID controller for robust position holding.