Humanoid robots want the suitable movement parts to satisfy efficiency necessities, says IKO. Supply: Adobe Inventory
Humanoid robots are anticipated to remodel a broad spectrum of actions, due to superior neural networks that command joints, appendages and finish effectors to offer just about human abilities. Nonetheless, the rising adoption of humanoids wouldn’t be attainable with out superior movement parts designed to suit their duties and environments.
Among the rising markets embody healthcare, retail and hospitality, manufacturing, materials dealing with and logistics, to call a number of. Actually, the humanoid market potential is projected to achieve as much as $38 billion in gross sales by 2035, based on Goldman Sachs analysis.
Let’s have a look at a few of the design parts you might want to kind by way of to specify the suitable movement part and optimize it for a robotic’s supposed duties and environments.
Humanoid duties require exact, managed movement
Though mechanical techniques in humanoids will doubtless want optimized parts to carry out duties of their deliberate environments, it’s necessary to search out out what normal merchandise can do on your movement system earlier than committing to a {custom} part.
From there, you possibly can take your particular necessities to a movement part specialist with confirmed expertise modifying normal merchandise to deal with utility challenges. Listed here are some widespread humanoid movement parts together with some normal parts which can be well-suited for the duty, utilizing IKO merchandise as examples:
Hip, joint, elbow, or wrist movement. There’s no extra necessary part in humanoids than crossed curler bearings (CRBs). With rollers alternately crossed at proper angles to at least one one other between their internal and outer rings, CRBs can deal with radial, thrust, and second masses on the identical time. This association permits the rollers to make better contact with the raceway so robotic actuators in elbows, hips, and different joints can manipulate heavy masses with better stability and rotational accuracy — all in a compact dimension. Not surprisingly, a typical humanoid has between 14 and 20 CRBs to carry out varied capabilities.
The CRBT and CRBTF crossed curler bearings measure simply 5.5 mm excessive and 5 mm vast. Supply: IKO
Managed linear movement. Linear movement rolling guides are available in a variety of sizes, making them appropriate for various components of a humanoid physique. For instance, grippers and finish effectors that mimic fingers are sometimes used to understand objects and, subsequently, should open and shut with precision. Linear movement rolling guides are vital in choosing and inserting duties by giving robotic fingers simply the suitable clamping drive to govern the item whereas additionally permitting them to be sufficiently nimble to keep away from damaging the item.
One such information, IKO’s ML Collectionis available in a few of the business’s smallest sizes, whereas the LWL is on the market with a width of simply 1 mm (0.03 in.). A lot of its bearings boast a recirculating ball-type design to offer exact, managed movement.
ML Collection linear movement rolling guides are available in a few of the business’s smallest sizes, IKO claims. Supply IKO
IKO guides are additionally out there in normal and extremely inflexible lengthy variations that may be designed right into a robotic’s torso, arms or legs to increase its attain to, for instance, entry excessive shelving. These guides may even be utilized in a robotic’s neck to permit the pinnacle to see above or round obstacles to higher “see” its environment.
Spherical plain bearings — also referred to as bushings — stabilize humanoid limbs as they pivot and simulate human actions. For instance, many humanoids have a rod on the rear of the foot that connects to the baseplate. With spherical plain bearings in the sort of design, ft and ankles can flip, rotate, or lean ahead or backward.
Gripping and turning objects. Cam followers are fascinating in lots of inside designs that want a component to experience onto a cam and may be mounted above a round arc to offer extra levels of freedom.
IKO stated it presents a few of the smallest cam followers out there, together with models with stud diameters as small as 1.4 mm (0/05 in.). These parts even have an inside design that handles thrust masses with out vital degradation to the product.
Linear guides can assist a humanoid robotic prolong its attain. Supply: IKO
Efficiency enhancements contain movement trade-offs
Since humanoid robots are designed to occupy the identical environments as folks and manipulate uniformly sized objects reminiscent of warehouse totes, it may be straightforward to suppose that normal movement parts are requisite. However after you have selected the kind of part you want, the one restrict to bettering your system’s efficiency is your capacity to optimize your movement targets.
In relation to efficiency enhancements, it’s necessary to keep in mind that humanoid designs include trade-offs that usually pose tough questions. Have a trusted movement part provider assess your wants, advise you of your choices and assist present solutions. Due to this fact, it pays to work intently along with your part producer, particularly when your humanoid design goals embody:
Movement management. Any joint that should pivot, flip, rotate, or oscillate would require movement parts. However to imitate human actions, varied joints and actuators might want to work with efficient movement management. For instance, right here’s how your movement part producer can assist you’re employed by way of the problems concerned in attaining excessive precision and clean rotation in a conventional robotic joint:
Though two skinny part bearings can do the job, they are going to eat a considerable amount of house and include a excessive value. IKO CRBs can get rid of the two-bearing system. They combine two bearings into one platform by way of rollers organized in an “X” sample, permitting them to deal with massive axial, radial, and second masses concurrently to carry out advanced duties whereas saving house. Customizations might embody further flanges or totally different bolt patterns to simplify set up.
Upkeep-free parts hold humanoids on the transfer
In humanoids, as with all gadget with movement techniques, preserving bearings and different parts correctly lubricated is a key concern. Many humanoids are anticipated to repeat duties many 1000’s of instances with no deterioration of shifting components. And, these components are usually built-in into tight areas.
IKO solves this downside with C-Lube — a lubricating factor constructed into many merchandise together with linear guides and cam followers. In linear guides, C-Lube provides the lubricating oil to the surfaces of its rolling parts with out contacting the observe rail. This built-in lubrication system can run maintenance-free for 5 years or 12,500 mi. (20,116.8 km) and past. Taken collectively, C-Lube parts ship long-lasting, maintenance-free efficiency so your humanoid robots will keep on the transfer.
Match the present work surroundings. Superior motion-control methods are additionally generally essential to get a humanoid to carry out in a definite work surroundings. Suppose a robotic should deal with an object at a shelf top or depth that an individual might not be capable to attain. The best movement part producer can add linear extending mechanisms to arms or legs, or modify a torso to create a bodily construction that may overcome a human’s bodily limitations and adapt to a extra advanced work surroundings.
Reduce upkeep necessities. Lowering and predicting upkeep wants are necessary features when designing movement techniques that will likely be anticipated to constantly carry out tens of 1000’s of instances with out degradation. Whereas some parts with built-in sensors can, for instance, alert operators to mechanical injury, IKO strives to fabricate merchandise which can be maintenance-free over the lifetime of the applying.
C-Lube is a built-in lubrication system for linear guides. Supply: IKO
Customized parts give humanoids free vary of movement
Since humanoid robots are supposed to maneuver freely as they tackle their duties and environments, {custom} movement parts are vital to facilitating motion in addition to optimizing productiveness and reliability. When growing a {custom} resolution on your humanoid robotic, hold a few of these finest practices – utilizing crossed curler bearings for example – in thoughts. Keep in mind that humanoids can comprise as many as two-dozen CRBs.
Guarantee movement accuracy. As is the case with stationary robots, exact movement is crucial. Crossed curler bearings are constructed to offer excessive rigidity and positioning accuracy. This accuracy may be optimized additional and backlash may be eradicated, for instance, by including a light-weight preload or minimizing clearance in robotic joints, which additionally permits clean movement.
Reduce energy consumption. The much less energy the humanoid wants to satisfy its mission, the longer the battery life. Crossed curler bearings may be custom-designed to distribute masses extra successfully, exhibit decrease rotational torque, decrease friction by way of separators, get rid of backlash, or use lighter-weight supplies which might all assist scale back energy consumption.
Think about set up and meeting. CRBs give robotic joints their capacity to pivot, and correct mounting is essential to making sure accuracy and stopping misalignment in addition to the related injury to the bearings themselves. Customized choices can embody particular housings, plates, flanges, and mounting holes.
Specify parts to face as much as harsh circumstances. In most functions, Alloy 52100 supplies good energy and anti-fatigue traits. Nonetheless, some humanoids will likely be deployed in harsh environments, requiring corrosion-resistant stainless development or particular seals to repel mud and filth in addition to stop grease leakage. Black chrome and skinny dense chrome floor remedies additionally present efficient safety in lots of harsh environments.
Don’t neglect upkeep. For conditions through which a conventional lubricating grease isn’t attainable, IKO recommends options reminiscent of a dry movie lubricant to scale back friction or perhaps a liquid crystal lubricant for clear environments.
Collaborate early along with your movement part provider
As you specify {custom} movement parts for humanoid robotic functions, it’s necessary to get in contact along with your provider early within the design course of to keep away from the additional work that may come up over time. IKO makes use of its in depth experience on CRBs, linear movement parts, spherical bushings and cam followers in {custom} options that embody all of the circumstances and eventualities you count on your humanoid to come across.
We work with clients each step of the best way, together with testing and validating the {custom} half to make sure it performs as anticipated when the humanoid goes to work. Whether or not the movement part is meant for manufacturing, caregiving, dwelling upkeep, or fulfilling orders, IKO stands prepared that can assist you create a {custom} movement product that may function reliably and supply a protracted, productive lifetime.
Concerning the creator
Karl Wickenheisser is vice chairman of gross sales and advertising and marketing at Parsippany, N.J.-based IKO Worldwide Inc. He’s a licensed skilled engineer and bearings business veteran with over 38 years of worldwide expertise at IKO, The Torrington Co., FAG Bearings and RBC Bearings.
An lively member of each the Bearing Specialist Affiliation (BSA) and Energy Transmission Distributors Affiliation (PTDA), Wickenheisser is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Expertise with a bachelor’s diploma in mechanical engineering (BEME). He additionally has an MBA from Fairfield College.
IKO has 50 years of expertise in movement management. The firm‘s merchandise embody needle curler bearings, linear movement rolling guides, precision positioning tables, the C-Lube expertise, and machine parts.
Editor’s notice: Be taught extra about humanoid robotic growth at RoboBusiness 2025, which will likely be on Oct. 15 and 16 in Santa Clara, Calif.
