1.3 ACTUATORS
• There are a large number of power sources that may be used for robots.
• Typical actuators include,
• Pneumatics
- simple, low maintenance
- light, least expensive
- low payload
- easy to find fault
- hard to do continuous control
• Hydraulic
- large payload
- high power/weight ratio
- leakage
- noisy
• Electrical
- feedback compatible
- computer compatible
- EOAT compatible
- quiet, clean
- low power/weight ratio
• Actuators lead to various payload capabilities as shown in the following list.
1.3.1 Modeling the Robot
• If modeling only one link in motion, the model of the robot can treat all the links as a single moving rigid body,
• If multiple joints move at the same time, the model becomes non-linear, in this case there are two approaches taken,
1. Develop a full non-linear controller (can be very complicated).
2. Develop linear approximations of the model/control system in the middle of the normal workspace.
