Development of very small high output motor driver for realizing forceful musculoskeletal humanoids

Abstract

Forceful and soft humanoid robots are expected to live with human and assist high load tasks. For realizing that, we need large motors and mechanisms. However, they occupy large spaces of humanoid's body. Therefore, smallness and high output ability are required for motor driver. We focus on cables of motors or sensors, and reduce them by placing daisy-chained motor driver boards at near site of corresponded motors. In this paper, we describe design considerations and developed motor driver boards. Furthermore, we present validation experiment of high output ability and examples of driving actual motors.