Design and control of a voice coil actuated robot arm for human-robot interaction

Abstract

The growing field of human-robot interaction (HRI) demands robots that move fluidly, gracefully, compliantly and safely. This thesis describes recent work in the design and evaluation of long-travel voice coil actuators (VCAs) for use in robots intended for interacting with people. The basic advantages and shortcomings of electromagnetic actuators are discussed and evaluated in the context of human-robot interaction, and are compared to alternative actuation technologies. Voice coil actuators have been chosen for their controllability, ease of implementation, geometry, compliance, biomimetic actuation characteristics, safety, quietness, and high power density. Several VCAs were designed, constructed, and tested, and a 4 Degree of Freedom (DOF) robotic arm was built as a test platform for the actuators themselves, and the control systems used to drive them. Several control systems were developed and implemented that, when used with the actuators, enable smooth, fast, life-like motion.