Design of a compact 2-DOF joint with belt driven actuators

摘要

This paper deals with the design of a new compact 2 degree of freedom joint as a key part of a hyper-redundant robotic manipulator used for nondestructive inspections. The compactness is reached using a genuine belt driven actuator together with special architecture based on the principle of universal joint. The placement of belt and pulleys is analytically solved to ensure highest torque for given joint dimensions and adequate belt tension in the whole range of joint tilt angles. The problem with belt loosening is minimized.