Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators
Series elastic actuators (SEAs) and variable elastic actuators (VSAs) provide shock resistance, energy storage, and stable force control. However, they usually require extra springs, mechanical parts, and transmissions, increasing size, weight, number of moving parts, and reducing the mechanical eff...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Advanced Intelligent Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202100282 |
| _version_ | 1818468933547589632 |
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| author | Frederic H. Giraud Mustafa Mete Jamie Paik |
| author_facet | Frederic H. Giraud Mustafa Mete Jamie Paik |
| author_sort | Frederic H. Giraud |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Series elastic actuators (SEAs) and variable elastic actuators (VSAs) provide shock resistance, energy storage, and stable force control. However, they usually require extra springs, mechanical parts, and transmissions, increasing size, weight, number of moving parts, and reducing the mechanical efficiency. In particular, this mechanical complexity is one of the significant challenges in the design of wearable and scalable force feedback devices. In this article, flexure variable stiffness actuators (F‐VSAs), which combine kinematic transmission, elasticity, and stiffness modulation via a network of folding patterns using flexure hinges, are presented. Thus, F‐VSAs allow the creation of robots benefiting from the advantages of SEAs and VSAs without hindering form factor or mechanical efficiency. To illustrate the design strategy of F‐VSAs, a 4‐design‐of‐freedom (DoF) robot that provides stiffness and force output is presented. An analytical model that estimates the inherent stiffness and the end‐effector force output for any given configuration of the folding pattern is proposed. Finally, stiffness modulation and force control of the robot are implemented and good agreement with the predictions from the model is observed. Thus, this novel design strategy allows the creation of compact and scalable robots with stiffness and force output for wearable, rehabilitation, and haptic applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:18:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff7751a8d782402391e1417e5298c1f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2640-4567 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:18:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Intelligent Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff7751a8d782402391e1417e5298c1f72022-12-22T02:29:37ZengWileyAdvanced Intelligent Systems2640-45672022-07-0147n/an/a10.1002/aisy.202100282Flexure Variable Stiffness ActuatorsFrederic H. Giraud0Mustafa Mete1Jamie Paik2Reconfigurable Robotics Laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) 1015 Lausanne SwitzerlandReconfigurable Robotics Laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) 1015 Lausanne SwitzerlandReconfigurable Robotics Laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) 1015 Lausanne SwitzerlandSeries elastic actuators (SEAs) and variable elastic actuators (VSAs) provide shock resistance, energy storage, and stable force control. However, they usually require extra springs, mechanical parts, and transmissions, increasing size, weight, number of moving parts, and reducing the mechanical efficiency. In particular, this mechanical complexity is one of the significant challenges in the design of wearable and scalable force feedback devices. In this article, flexure variable stiffness actuators (F‐VSAs), which combine kinematic transmission, elasticity, and stiffness modulation via a network of folding patterns using flexure hinges, are presented. Thus, F‐VSAs allow the creation of robots benefiting from the advantages of SEAs and VSAs without hindering form factor or mechanical efficiency. To illustrate the design strategy of F‐VSAs, a 4‐design‐of‐freedom (DoF) robot that provides stiffness and force output is presented. An analytical model that estimates the inherent stiffness and the end‐effector force output for any given configuration of the folding pattern is proposed. Finally, stiffness modulation and force control of the robot are implemented and good agreement with the predictions from the model is observed. Thus, this novel design strategy allows the creation of compact and scalable robots with stiffness and force output for wearable, rehabilitation, and haptic applications.https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202100282flexure mechanismsforce controlsseries elastic actuatorsstiffness modulationsvariable stiffness actuators |
| spellingShingle | Frederic H. Giraud Mustafa Mete Jamie Paik Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators Advanced Intelligent Systems flexure mechanisms force controls series elastic actuators stiffness modulations variable stiffness actuators |
| title | Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators |
| title_full | Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators |
| title_fullStr | Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators |
| title_short | Flexure Variable Stiffness Actuators |
| title_sort | flexure variable stiffness actuators |
| topic | flexure mechanisms force controls series elastic actuators stiffness modulations variable stiffness actuators |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202100282 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT frederichgiraud flexurevariablestiffnessactuators AT mustafamete flexurevariablestiffnessactuators AT jamiepaik flexurevariablestiffnessactuators |