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JRM Vol.34 No.3 pp. 599-606
doi: 10.20965/jrm.2022.p0599
(2022)

Paper:

An Innovative Spiral Pulley that Optimizes Cable Tension Variation for Superior Balancing Performance

Tian Shen and Ken’ichi Yano

Intelligent Robotics Lab, Mie University
1577 Kurimamachiya-cho, Tsu city, Mie 514-8507, Japan

Received:
July 27, 2021
Accepted:
January 26, 2022
Published:
June 20, 2022
Keywords:
spiral pulley, gravity compensation, passive mechanism, constant exert torque, assistive robots
Abstract

In modern manufacturing, the long-term handling of heavy objects is a main factor leading to muscle pain in the waist and lower back. Robots play an important role in reducing the burden on workers by compensating for the gravitational force. Energy-conserving passive mechanisms are commonly used in assistive robots because of their reliability and durability. One such mechanism is a spiral pulley and spring couple, which is a compact and reliable solution to provide a constant assistive force. A spiral pulley has a predesigned changing radius to balance the increasing restoring force of the spring as it extends. This allows the mechanism to exert a constant torque within the designed range. A crucial aspect of such a mechanism is the calculation of the shape of the spiral pulley. Accurate calculations enable the mechanism to provide a more optimal balancing ability. In this study, an innovative spiral pulley was designed by considering the cable tension variation along the cable attached to the pulley. The balancing performance of the proposed pulley was evaluated based on its accuracy in providing a balanced torque and an effective range. A comparative experiment using a conventional spiral pulley confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed pulley.

Spiral pulley optimization with an innovative method

Spiral pulley optimization with an innovative method

Cite this article as:
T. Shen and K. Yano, “An Innovative Spiral Pulley that Optimizes Cable Tension Variation for Superior Balancing Performance,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.34 No.3, pp. 599-606, 2022.
Data files:
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