Humanoid robots want the fitting movement elements to fulfill 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 supply nearly human abilities. Nonetheless, the rising adoption of humanoids wouldn’t be doable with out superior movement elements 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. In truth, the humanoid market potential is projected to succeed in as much as $38 billion in gross sales by 2035, in accordance with Goldman Sachs analysis.
Let’s take a look at among the design parts it’s worthwhile to kind by way of to specify the fitting movement element and optimize it for a robotic’s supposed duties and environments.
Humanoid duties require exact, managed movement
Though mechanical programs in humanoids will possible want optimized elements to carry out duties of their deliberate environments, it’s vital to search out out what normal merchandise can do on your movement system earlier than committing to a {custom} element.
From there, you may take your particular necessities to a movement element specialist with confirmed expertise modifying normal merchandise to handle software challenges. Listed below are some frequent humanoid movement parts together with some normal elements which might be well-suited for the duty, utilizing IKO merchandise as examples:
- Hip, joint, elbow, or wrist movement. There’s no extra vital element in humanoids than crossed curler bearings (CRBs). With rollers alternately crossed at proper angles to 1 one other between their interior and outer rings, CRBs can deal with radial, thrust, and second hundreds on the identical time. This association permits the rollers to make higher contact with the raceway so robotic actuators in elbows, hips, and different joints can manipulate heavy hundreds with higher 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 broad. Supply: IKO
- Managed linear movement. Linear movement rolling guides are available 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, due to this fact, should open and shut with precision. Linear movement rolling guides are vital in selecting and inserting duties by giving robotic fingers simply the fitting clamping pressure to govern the thing whereas additionally permitting them to be sufficiently nimble to keep away from damaging the thing.
One such information, IKO’s ML Sequence, is available in among the trade’s smallest sizes, whereas the LWL is accessible with a width of simply 1 mm (0.03 in.). Lots of its bearings boast a recirculating ball-type design to supply exact, managed movement.
ML Sequence linear movement rolling guides are available among the trade’s smallest sizes, IKO claims. Supply IKO
IKO guides are additionally obtainable 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 top to see above or round obstacles to higher “see” its environment.
- Spherical plain bearings — often known 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 one of these 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 could be mounted above a round arc to supply extra levels of freedom.
IKO stated it gives among the smallest cam followers out there, together with models with stud diameters as small as 1.4 mm (0/05 in.). These elements even have an inside design that handles thrust hundreds with out vital degradation to the product.
Linear guides may help a humanoid robotic lengthen its attain. Supply: IKO
Efficiency enhancements contain movement trade-offs
Since humanoid robots are designed to occupy the identical environments as individuals and manipulate uniformly sized objects reminiscent of warehouse totes, it may be simple to suppose that normal movement elements are requisite. However after you have selected the kind of element you want, the one restrict to bettering your system’s efficiency is your potential to optimize your movement targets.
On the subject of efficiency enhancements, it’s vital to do not forget that humanoid designs include trade-offs that usually pose troublesome questions. Have a trusted movement element 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 element producer, particularly when your humanoid design goals embody:
- Movement management. Any joint that should pivot, flip, rotate, or oscillate would require movement elements. 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 element producer may help you’re employed by way of the problems concerned in attaining excessive precision and easy rotation in a standard robotic joint:
Though two skinny part bearings can do the job, they’ll eat a considerable amount of house and include a excessive value. IKO CRBs can remove the two-bearing system. They combine two bearings into one platform through rollers organized in an “X” sample, permitting them to deal with massive axial, radial, and second hundreds concurrently to carry out complicated duties whereas saving house. Customizations might embody further flanges or totally different bolt patterns to simplify set up.
Upkeep-free elements maintain humanoids on the transfer
In humanoids, as with every system with movement programs, retaining bearings and different elements correctly lubricated is a key concern. Many humanoids are anticipated to repeat duties many hundreds of instances with no deterioration of transferring components. And, these components are usually built-in into tight areas.
IKO solves this downside with C-Lube — a lubricating ingredient 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 elements ship long-lasting, maintenance-free efficiency so your humanoid robots will keep on the transfer.
- Match the present work atmosphere. Superior motion-control methods are additionally typically essential to get a humanoid to carry out in a definite work atmosphere. Suppose a robotic should deal with an object at a shelf peak or depth that an individual might not have the ability to attain. The fitting movement element 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 complicated work atmosphere.
- Reduce upkeep necessities. Decreasing and predicting upkeep wants are vital elements when designing movement programs that can be anticipated to constantly carry out tens of hundreds of instances with out degradation. Whereas some elements with built-in sensors can, for instance, alert operators to mechanical injury, IKO strives to fabricate merchandise which might be maintenance-free over the lifetime of the applying.
C-Lube is a built-in lubrication system for linear guides. Supply: IKO
Customized elements give humanoids free vary of movement
Since humanoid robots are supposed to maneuver freely as they tackle their duties and environments, {custom} movement elements are vital to facilitating motion in addition to optimizing productiveness and reliability. When growing a {custom} answer on your humanoid robotic, maintain a few of these greatest practices – utilizing crossed curler bearings for instance – in thoughts. Do not forget 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 supply excessive rigidity and positioning accuracy. This accuracy could be optimized additional and backlash could be eradicated, for instance, by including a lightweight preload or minimizing clearance in robotic joints, which additionally permits easy movement.
- Reduce energy consumption. The much less energy the humanoid wants to meet its mission, the longer the battery life. Crossed curler bearings could be custom-designed to distribute hundreds extra successfully, exhibit decrease rotational torque, reduce friction through separators, remove backlash, or use lighter-weight supplies which may all assist cut back energy consumption.
- Take into account set up and meeting. CRBs give robotic joints their potential to pivot, and correct mounting is vital 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 elements to face as much as harsh circumstances. In most purposes, Alloy 52100 offers good power and anti-fatigue traits. Nonetheless, some humanoids can be deployed in harsh environments, requiring corrosion-resistant stainless building 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 overlook upkeep. For conditions by which a standard lubricating grease is just not doable, 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 element provider
As you specify {custom} movement elements for humanoid robotic purposes, it’s vital 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 intensive experience on CRBs, linear movement elements, 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 way in which, 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 element is meant for manufacturing, caregiving, residence upkeep, or fulfilling orders, IKO stands prepared that will help you create a {custom} movement product that may function reliably and supply an extended, productive lifetime.
In regards to 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 trade veteran with over 38 years of worldwide expertise at IKO, The Torrington Co., FAG Bearings and RBC Bearings.
An energetic member of each the Bearing Specialist Affiliation (BSA) and Energy Transmission Distributors Affiliation (PTDA), Wickenheisser is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Know-how 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 know-how, and machine elements.
Editor’s word: Study extra about humanoid robotic growth at RoboBusiness 2025, which can be on Oct. 15 and 16 in Santa Clara, Calif.
