Research progress on variable stiffness technology of robot flexible joints

doi:10.16731/j.cnki.1671-3133.2025.07.018

Abstract

Abstract: With the deepening of the development plan of intelligent equipment in important fields such as national defense and medical care in China,the high precision,high flexibility,complex motion ability,and high human-machine integration ability of robots have become urgent needs in reality. The active and passive flexible adaptive ability of their joints has become the core technology of research. In response to this issue,taking the flexible implementation form of joints as the main line, systematically reviewed the research status of flexible joint variable stiffness technology for robots at home and abroad are from five aspects:using elastomers to achieve flexibility,viscoelastic materials to achieve flexibility,magnetic materials to achieve flexibility,driving technology to achieve flexibility,and hybrid technology to achieve flexibility.The principles,typical design structures,and characteristics of various types of flexible joint flexibility technology are summarized,providing reference and inspiration for further innovation of robot flexible joint technology.

Key words: robot technology, flexible joint, variable stiffness

CLC Number:

TP242

WANG Guoping, LIU Jixuan, JIA Qian, MEN Jing, ZHANG Xinyu, ZHANG Chen. Research progress on variable stiffness technology of robot flexible joints[J]. Modern Manufacturing Engineering, 2025, 538(7): 149-159.

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