For centuries, people have dreamed of creating artificial human beings. Nowadays, modern technology is capable of realizing this dream in the form of the humanoid robot. They can be found providing information in places such as museums, airports or even offering service functions in hospitals or elderly care environments. Apart from the interaction of the many components used, the main challenge is the power supply and the space required for the various parts. FAULHABER micro drives represent an ideal solution for resolving key issues. Their considerable power density, combined with high efficiency and minimal space requirement, improves the power-to-weight ratio and allows robots to operate for long periods without having to recharge batteries.
Even in their basic movement, humanoid robots are at a decisive disadvantage compared to the specialists of their species: walking on two legs is far more complex than precisely controlled movement on wheels. Even humans need a good year before this seemingly trivial sequence of movements is mastered and the interplay between some 200 muscles, numerous complicated joints and various specialized regions of the brain works. Due to the unfavorable humanoid lever ratios, a motor must develop as much torque as possible with minimal dimensions to even remotely replicate human-like movement. For example, the FAULHABER DC-micromotors of the 2232 SR series achieve a continuous torque of 10 mNm with a motor diameter of just 22 millimetres. To accomplish this, they need very little power and due to the ironless winding technology, they start working even with a very low starting voltage. With an efficiency of up to 87 percent, they use the battery reserves with maximum efficiency.
FAULHABER micro drives typically offer better dynamics, higher output or greater efficiency, compared to competing products. In practice, this means that very high short-term overload capabilities are possible without affecting service life. This proves particularly advantageous when it comes to executing temporary actions necessary to mimic specific gestures. The fact that micromotors have for a long time already been in use in "robotized" aids such as motor-powered hand and leg prostheses shows that they meet the most stringent requirements not just for human robotics.
