Control and Experiments with Energy-Saving SCARA Robots

Abstract

In this paper, we consider the design and control of an energy saving robot utilizing springs and reaction wheels. Firstly, we refer to the simultaneous optimization problem of spring parameters and trajectories with respect to the energy consumption based on optimal control theory. In particular, we report on the practical design problem to realize the proposed energy saving manipulator concept. In order to verify the proposed method, a prototype 2DOF manipulator is developed by using linear springs and reaction wheels for actuation. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed energy saving manipulator concept.