4 ms·
I disagree on a couple points about actuators. First off brushless electric motors have pretty amazing power to weight ratios, problem is that they have really
by gene-h 11y ago
I disagree on a couple points about actuators. First off brushless electric motors have pretty amazing power to weight ratios, problem is that they have really low torque to weight ratios. We don't need moldability if we take what we learned from electrical engineering and standardize everything.
Cost is a huge issue though, but if we standardize and mass produce them then the problem could be solved. Series elastic actuators have solved some of the fragility problem.
- rebootthesystem 11y agoI am talking about the finished actuato rather than just the motor. This includes actuator electromics. Think of all the muscles required to operate a human arm, fromthe shoulder to the fingertip, again, including the electronics to drive them. And then build that into a robot. And then have that robot do gymnastics, MMA, compete in the American Ninja course, jog, trip and fall, in general, deal with, survive and adapt to impact and minor damage. In the context of actuators, not motors, we have a ways to go. It's not hopeless, of course, but we have to admit that the biological muscle is a really awesome machine. Series-elastic actuators don't really deal with fragilityy as much as they provide energy storage along one axis. Think of punching a boxing bag or tripping and falling. The actuators we use today are susceptible to damage from relatively minor impact from any direction outise of where they have compliance built in. I can punch you in the biceps and will not break it.