WAVE通过蜗轮实现力解耦，让机械臂更安全地应对外部冲击。
WAVE: Worm Gear-based Adaptive Variable Elasticity for Decoupling Actuators from External Forces
- 用不可逆蜗轮将电机与外力分离，实现精准力传递。
- 外力转为弹簧储能，静止时电机负载趋近于零。
- 可调预压缩长度，连续调节关节刚度，适合复杂任务。
具备可调柔顺性和刚性的机器人机械臂能提升操作安全性和灵活性。本文提出基于蜗轮的可变弹性自适应执行器（WAVE），该执行器利用不可逆蜗轮将驱动电机与外部作用力解耦，实现关节处精确的力传输，同时通过柔性结构吸收位置偏差。当受到冲击时，系统将过载力转化为弹簧存储的弹性能量，从而保护执行器。通过调节弹簧预压缩长度，实现关节刚度的连续调节。实验验证了提出的刚度模型，结果表明在无外部激励状态下，电机负载接近零——即使存在外部载荷亦如此。进一步展示了集成WAVE的机械臂在实际应用中的表现。该设计成功实现了外部力的有效解耦，其保护机制使执行器能够在高接触任务中持续运行，并适用于恶劣环境下的鲁棒机器人应用。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Robotic manipulators capable of regulating both compliance and stiffness offer enhanced operational safety and versatility. Here, we introduce Worm Gear-based Adaptive Variable Elasticity (WAVE), a variable stiffness actuator (VSA) that integrates a non-backdrivable worm gear. By decoupling the driving motor from external forces using this gear, WAVE enables precise force transmission to the joint, while absorbing positional discrepancies through compliance. WAVE is protected from excessive loads by converting impact forces into elastic energy stored in a spring. In addition, the actuator achieves continuous joint stiffness modulation by changing the spring's precompression length. We demonstrate these capabilities, experimentally validate the proposed stiffness model, show that motor loads approach zero at rest--even under external loading--and present applications using a manipulator with WAVE. This outcome showcases the successful decoupling of external forces. The protective attributes of this actuator allow for extended operation in contact-intensive tasks, and for robust robotic applications in challenging environments.
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