DESCRIPTION

The research project involves designing, manufacturing and controlling a collaborative robotic arm using an innovative technology, magnetorheological (MR) clutch. This project idea comes from the low performance of collaborative robots on the market and the great potential of this industry. Performance are limited by the strength and speed limits to avoid major impacts with the user. The strategy is to reduce the inertia of the actuators and shift the mass close to the base of the robot to reduce its inertia. By reducing total inertia, we can have a lower reaction time and operate with higher speeds while being totally safe.

The main mandate is to build a dynamics simulation and develop control architectures. The simulation will allow to compare the future prototype with other products on the market, measure the impact of design choices and develop many kinds of controller.