Mobile robots have found more practical uses over the years. In particular, they are used primarily in situations where human intervention is mostly if not completely impossible.
Examples of these situations would be for anti-terror solutions such as the disarming of a bomb and upholding the law. Because of how critical and dangerous these situations are in nature, these robots are required to have both precise movement and tool usage at all times. That’s not all – these machines have to be small enough to be able to fit in tiny openings and pathways. This is so that it can get to points of interest without much interference. Finally, there’s the quality and performance of the motors these robots use. They have to meet up with the standards required for optimum performance. As such, micro motors that both perform well and are specialized are the ideal choice when building these robots.
For instance, the specialized remote-controlled robotics company Tele robs recently developed “Teodor”, a robot designed to disarm devices. Its controls are accessible wirelessly through radio and it features specialized caterpillar treads, allowing for all-terrain movement. It also sports lead gel batteries, which power the entire machine. This allows the robot to work without a wired power source. Teodor is designed to have a low center of gravity, allowing its robotic arm to lift heavy objects without fail. Its maximum lifting weight comes in at 30kg or 66lbs.
The machine is highly flexible, capable of swiveling up to 360°. So as long as the item is within the range of the robotic arm, it can be picked up with no problem at all. Strength isn’t the only thing that’s needed from a robot of this nature, though. Precision is also an important factor to consider with these robots. The problem, however, is that it’s difficult to implement precision when the robotic arm has little to no space for components. Fortunately, Teodor is built with solutions for these problems in mind as well. It uses compact and lightweight motors to allow for as much precision as possible using the limited space available on the arm. The motors were designed with the help of FAULHABER, a specialist in micro motor technologies. If you want to check out the different parts of micro motors and how they’re built in into robots, you can check joints details of robotics companies or alternatively, you can also visit FAULHABER MICROMO’s Product Selector. You’ll learn more about their collection of different motor configurations.
The requirements for the gripper were clear – it had to be flexible enough to swivel anywhere. It also needed to be precise and strong enough for the different situations the robot will be in during field use. Finally, there’s the power usage and consumption of these motors to worry about, too. Wired machines generally have access to sufficient power at all times, provided that a reliable source can be found for it. On the other hand, wireless robots require battery power to function, and cannot make use of external power sources. Therefore, these motors also need to be able to run for long periods of time without using too much power.
To solve this issue, the companies ended up using DC micromotors. These motors came with both holding brakes and planetary gears and were also cordless. These motors were part of the 3557 series and had the capability of selecting the reduction ratio. It could be set between 1526:1 and 3.7:1, allowing for flexibility depending on the given situation the robot will be used in. This micro motor is compact enough for it to perfectly fit into the manipulator arm’s upper region. And in the event of a loss or failure of power, there’s a holding brake built into the motor. This holds the arm in place and keeps it in its final position. Aside from this, the motor is fitted onto the arm in such a way that it can be replaced quickly and efficiently. This is ideal for both the occasional maintenance services and replacements when needed. The DC motor is also relatively simple, only requiring basic controls over the motor’s current limit. Operators of the motor can measure the applied force found on both the wrist and grippers. This is done by sending information taken from the counter pressure located on the motor’s remote control lever.
DC precision motors, as well as their respective gears, are a vital component in many different drive units that require compact sizing. Not only are they strong and efficient, but also relatively cheap. The staged reductions and their easy-to-use mechanisms to control the whole monitor make it the ideal motors for use in wireless robotics. They respond to the reliability, precision, strength, and price efficiency needed by the situations these robots are used in.