Actuators

One of the most critical components of every robot are the joints, which enable the robot to move. The joints of robots need to be precisely controlled by electric, hydraulic, pneumatic or other actuation technologies. Highly integrated electric robotic actuators that can control position, velocity and torque with high precision, have been and still are a major topic of the research at Robotic Systems Lab. In the past the lab focused on the development of series elastic actuators such as ANYdrives, while in recent years the focus has shifted towards quasi-direct-drive actuation, such as DynaDrives. The four-legged robot ANYmal currently uses series-elastic actuation technology on its leg joints, while its arms and wheels are driven with quasi-direct-drive actuators.