A new class of robot-joint gearbox
ASDrive is a patent-pending single-stage compound planetary drive for humanoid robot joints — designed to be smaller and lighter than the planetary drives it replaces, and backdrivable for force-controlled robots.
Two classes carry the load-bearing joints of a working, full-size humanoid — fatigue-sized against a warehouse duty cycle carrying a 20 kg payload.
| Class | Joints | Ratio | Rated | Overload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ø50 | elbow · shoulder | 27:1 | 46 N·m | ≥58 N·m |
| Ø70 | knee · hip | 34:1 | 120 N·m | ≥200 N·m |
ALL FIGURES ARE DESIGN TARGETS FROM ANALYSIS. MEASURED DATA SHIPS WHEN THE DYNO DOES.
In a conventional planetary, the carrier and its pins set the size floor and a large share of the mass. ASDrive locates its planets without one.
No planet bearings, no support bearings. Fewer precision parts to buy, press, preload, and eventually replace.
Usually the most expensive component in a robot-joint gearbox. The output is fully supported without it — that part is patent-pending.
The prototype is being designed and built in the open — envelope CAD, analysis war stories, first parts, first spin, first measured numbers. The how stays under wraps until the patent allows; the journey doesn't.