Design of a Brushless Servomotor for a Low-cost Compliant Robotic Manipulator

Allan Zhao

EECS Department
University of California, Berkeley
Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2018-86
May 23, 2018

http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2018/EECS-2018-86.pdf

The design of a brushless servomotor as well as its application in a low-cost, compliant 7-DOF robot arm are presented. The recent popularity of consumer drones has led to a significant reduction in the cost of high-torque brushless gimbal motors. These motors offer a unique set of advantages for robotic manipulation, but are not typically used for this purpose. A servomotor based on brushless gimbal motors is designed and implemented, including custom electronics and firmware. Cost reduction is achieved by using commodity components and taking system-level considerations into account. The servo achieves active compliance using velocity sensing and high bandwidth field oriented control. Design decisions and tradeoffs are discussed.

Advisor: Pieter Abbeel


BibTeX citation:

@mastersthesis{Zhao:EECS-2018-86,
    Author = {Zhao, Allan},
    Title = {Design of a Brushless Servomotor for a Low-cost Compliant Robotic Manipulator},
    School = {EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley},
    Year = {2018},
    Month = {May},
    URL = {http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2018/EECS-2018-86.html},
    Number = {UCB/EECS-2018-86},
    Abstract = {The design of a brushless servomotor as well as its application in a low-cost, compliant 7-DOF robot arm are presented. The recent popularity of consumer drones has led to a significant reduction in the cost of high-torque brushless gimbal motors. These motors offer a unique set of advantages for robotic manipulation, but are not typically used for this purpose. A servomotor based on brushless gimbal motors is designed and implemented, including custom electronics and firmware. Cost reduction is achieved by using commodity components and taking system-level considerations into account. The servo achieves active compliance using velocity sensing and high bandwidth field oriented control. Design decisions and tradeoffs are discussed.}
}

EndNote citation:

%0 Thesis
%A Zhao, Allan
%T Design of a Brushless Servomotor for a Low-cost Compliant Robotic Manipulator
%I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley
%D 2018
%8 May 23
%@ UCB/EECS-2018-86
%U http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2018/EECS-2018-86.html
%F Zhao:EECS-2018-86