TU Chemnitz
Researchers develop flexible robot joint
Chemnitz robotics researchers have invented a new robot joint that is designed to make human-robot interaction safer.
The joint is what is known as a flexible joint. There are exactly two patents in this field in Germany - a slightly older patent, filed by the German Aerospace Center, and one for this new joint, filed by Chemnitz University of Technology. In July 2020, the German Patent Office granted this patent to TU doctoral student Hongxi Zhu and Professor Ulrike Thomas, Head of the Chair of Robotics and Human-Technology Interaction and Deputy Spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center Hybrid Societies.
The inventors have been working on this robotic joint since 2016. Previous joints have been equipped with sensors, usually force sensors, to measure the contact forces in the event of a collision and take evasive action if necessary. Other techniques use external optical sensors to monitor the distance between the robot and human.
Schematic representation of the patented robot joint: The springs are connected using cam technology. A small linear motor adjusts the spring stiffness of the joint.
© Professorship of Robotics and Human-Technology InteractionThe new joint allows energy to be absorbed thanks to a spring. This allows collision energy to flow away and the robot can move faster in close proximity to a person without endangering them. Internationally, there are still some joints that use springs to absorb collision energy. The challenge lies in being able to adjust the spring hardness non-linearly so that the robot can adaptively adjust the spring hardness independently when performing work that requires a high force, for example to be able to hammer a nail into a wall. "With the joint, we have managed to cover a very large area and at the same time offer a compact design for the robot joint," says Ulrike Thomas.
Another advantage of the compliant joints is that the stored energy can also be used to accelerate movement, allowing a humanoid robot to throw balls or jump.
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