ROBOTIC ACTUATOR OPTIMIZATION

UNIQUE MOBILITY HAS INVENTED A NOVEL MEANS OF CONSTRUCTING A LIGHTWEIGHT BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR WHICH OPERATES WITH HIGH EFFICIENCY, HIGH POWER OUTPUT, AND LOW TORQUE RIPPLE. THIS MOTOR CAN BE CONFIGURED FOR DIRECT DRIVE, OR COMBINED WITH A HIGH EFFICIENCY, HIGH RIGIDITY, ZERO BACKLASH REDUCER SUCH AS A CYCLOIDAL REDUCER TO PROVIDE AN IDEAL ACTUATOR FORTELEOPERATORS, ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS, OR SPACE MECHANISMS. SUCH AN ACTUATOR IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO ALLOW ADVANCED MANIPULATOR CONTROL TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS OUTPUT DECOUPLING OF ROBOT ARM DYNAMICS, REMOTE CENTER OF COMPLIANCE CONTROL, OR DISTURBANCE DECOUPLING OF REACTION FORCES AND MOMENTS. THE SPECIFIC PHASE I TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE IS TO DESIGN AN OPTIMIZED ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATOR FOR PRECISE INCREMENTAL MOTION CONTROL FOR TELEOPERATED AND ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS IN AN OUTER-SPACE ENVIRONMENT, AND TO ASSESS ITS MERIT WITH RESPECT TO OTHER EXISTING ACTUATORS FOR USE IN ADVANCED CONTROL SYSTEMS.