협동로봇의 관절에 장착 가능한 모듈형 중력보상 장치

Counterbalance mechanisms (CBMs) are used in collaborative robots to reduce the load on motors by mechanically compensating for the gravitational torque due to the robot arm and its payload. However, it is difficult to apply them to pre-manufactured robots, because the installation of CBMs must be considered from the design stage. Although modular CBMs can solve this problem to an extent, they generally suffer from insufficient compensation torque due to their small volumes. In this study, we propose a modular CBM with a size and torque applicable to the joints of a collaborative robot using a gas spring and roller follower. A device with an outer diameter similar to that of the joint module of a collaborative robot was designed, mounted on a 1-degree-of-freedom robot arm, and tested to measure the compensation torque. It was experimentally shown that the proposed modular CBM can appropriately generate the target compensation torque.