VARIABLE-STIFFNESS ACTUATOR WITH PASSIVE DISTURBANCE REJECTION

摘要

The actuator (10) comprises: a movable output member (18) mobile, motor means (12, 14) arranged to control the movement of the output member (18), first variable-stiffness elastic means (20) interposed between the motor means (12, 14) and the output member (18), in such a manner that the transmission of the motion between the motor means (12, 14) and the output member (18) occurs via the first elastic means (20), a body (11) supporting the motor means (12, 14) and the output member (18), and second elastic means (22) interposed between the body (11) and the motor means (12, 14) so as to apply on these latter an elastic reaction torque/force opposing the driving torque/force generated by them. According to an embodiment, the motor means (12, 14) comprise two motors (12), each of which is connected to the output member (18) through respective first variable-stiffness elastic elements (20), and respective second variable-stiffness elastic elements (22) are interposed between each motor (12) and the body (11), the two motors (12) and the first and second elastic means (20, 22) being configured with an agonist-antagonist configuration, whereby simultaneous activation of the two motors (12) leads to an increase in the stiffness of the first and second elastic elements (20, 22) and hence to an increase in the passive disturbance rejection capability of the actuator (10).