Mechatronic concepts in the design of new multisensory light-weight-robots

Abstract

The paper outlines DLR's mechatronic development in the robotics area over the last five years. They aim at designing a new multisensory light weight robot generation in a unified and integral way. All sensors for the multisensory gripper concept are based on a fully modular hard- and software-concept. Sensors and actuators as well show up miniaturized integration of mechanics, electronics and of course microprocessor control. Joint torque based on inductive sensing is combined with different type of gearings: translational ones originally developed for grippers only as well as compact, highly reducing rotational ones. In combination with optimized carbon fibre grid structures and optical information transfer between the joints a new, extremely light-weight type of robot arises. The paper finally proposes a hybrid control concept adding neural net learning features to classical inverse dynamics control.