An experimental study of flexible joint robots with harmonic gearing

Abstract

The control of robotic manipulators with joint flexibilities has become a much addressed problem as of late. The interest that has been stirred is mainly due to the wide use of harmonic drive gearing in robotic manipulators and the inherent joint compliance that they introduce. In this paper the authors present experimental results from a two degree of freedom robot with harmonic drive gearing. In addition, conclusions as to the major stumbling blocks preventing further advancement in this area are given.<>