Title: Testing of harmonic drive degrading under radiation environment

Authors: Shimeng Li; Jie Qiu; Yuan F. Zheng; Lei Cao

Addresses: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2015 Neil Ave., Columbus OH, 43210, USA ' Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH, 43210, USA ' Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2015 Neil Ave., Columbus OH, 43210, USA ' Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH, 43210, USA

Abstract: Humanoid robot has great potential in rescue task in extreme environments. However, robot may lose functionality under radiation environments because of the radiation induced damage and degrading of robot components, particularly the potential damage on harmonic drives is not yet well studied. We started by modelling the transmission and nonlinear features of harmonic drive dynamically, made analysis and assumptions on how the harmonic drive could probably degrade in the assumed radiation environments, and used a new 'elastic-slide-free-motion' testing method on the harmonic drive gearhead by characterising its elastic-slide behaviour before and after X-ray irradiation experiment. The testing results indicated that harmonic drives are resistant to environment irradiation in short-period operations.

Keywords: harmonic drives; radiation induced damage; humanoid robots; testing methods; component degradation; robot components; dynamic modelling; elastic slide behaviour; environmental irradiation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMA.2015.075944

International Journal of Mechatronics and Automation, 2015 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.69 - 79

Received: 08 Aug 2014
Accepted: 18 Nov 2014

Published online: 18 Apr 2016 *

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