腿足机器人等无人系统需要具备快速的运动响应能力从而适应复杂环境。因此这些系统需要关节在动态运动的不同时刻提供峰值速度或者峰值力矩的爆发输出。尽管液压驱动能够提供很大的输出力，但是其效率较低，并且体积和重量都较大。工业系统所用的电机驱动关节也难以提供瞬时的爆发输出。固定速比的减速器难以兼顾高转速和大力矩输出的矛盾。本文提出了一种适用于腿足机器人的高爆发电机驱动关节和其对应的控制方法。首先，设计了一种高功率密度可变速比减速器来动态调整速度和力矩输出。关节同时采用了一种基于复合相变材料的散热结构。其次，采用了力矩积分控制方法来实现关节周期性的爆发输出。本文采用了多种腿足机器人的跳跃运动来验证所提出的爆发关节和控制方法的有效性。单腿机器人、四足机器人和仿人机器人的跳跃高度分别达到1.5 m、0.8 m和0.5 m。这也是目前公开报道的电机驱动腿足机器人跳跃能力的领先水平。

Unmanned systems such as legged robots require fast-motion responses for operation in complex environments. These systems therefore require explosive actuators that can provide high peak speed or high peak torque at specific moments during dynamic motion. Although hydraulic actuators can provide a large force, they are relatively inefficient, large, and heavy. Industrial electric actuators are incapable of providing instant high power. In addition, the constant reduction ratio of the reducer makes it difficult to eliminate the tradeoff between high speed and high torque in a given system. This study proposes an explosive electric actuator and an associated control method for legged robots. First, a high-power-density variable transmission is designed to enable continuous adjustment of the output speed to torque ratio. A heat-dissipating structure based on a composite phase-change material (PCM) is used. An integral torque control method is used to achieve periodic and controllable explosive power output. Jumping experiments are conducted with typical legged robots to verify the effectiveness of the proposed actuator and control method. Single-legged, quadruped, and humanoid robots jumped to heights of 1.5, 0.8, and 0.5 m, respectively. These are the highest values reported to date for legged robots powered by electric actuators.