High-Speed Reversal Control of One-Degree-of-Freedom Manipulator by Energy Dissipation Effect of ER Clutches

In this study, we aim to improve the safety during collisions between a robot and a person by controlling the electric field applied to the ER clutch built into the joint of the robot after a collision. We add energy dissipation to the robot arm by increasing the friction in the ER clutch. Moreover, we examine recoil of a robot arm just after a collision by reversing a motor. In this article, we report on several reversal experiments conducted on a one-link arm that does not undergo collision, and we investigate the energy dissipation effect that can be generated by an ER clutch.