Motional control fundamentals for humanoids

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With the rapid advancements in robotics technology, labor shortages, and the aging population, the demand for humanoids and exoskeletons with enhanced efficiency and performance has grown. Humanoids and exoskeletons are increasingly used in diverse applications, including healthcare, manufacturing, construction, and customer service sectors. This necessitates highly efficient, precise, and powerful electric motors to help replicate human-like movements accurately and enhance human movements.

Prioritizing performance, robotics startups often defer cost and scalability considerations. Maintaining the cost aspect of SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) poses challenges. To meet evolving requirements, selecting the right motor solution becomes crucial.

In the session, “Motion Control Fundamentals for Humanoids & Exoskeletons” at RoboBusiness, which takes place in Santa Clara on October 18-19, speakers will address three critical questions to help engineers select the optimal motor design and size for their robots:

1. What are the challenges associated with developing humanoids and exoskeletons for mobile applications?
2. How does choosing the right motion solutions address these challenges, especially when scaling to commercialization while maintaining cost viability?
3. How do I specify the proper permanent magnet motor to improve efficiency and operating time?

The session will feature Tom S. Wood, a Frameless Motor Specialist at Kollmorgen, and Kyle Hanley, a Field Sales Engineer at Kollmorgen. 

Wood is a 35+ year veteran in high-performance motion, and has integrated motion control solutions as a machine designer, manufacturer’s representative, High-Tech distributor, and as a Kollmorgen Motion Control Product Specialist. He has extensive experience designing next-generation motion systems for the aerospace and defense industry as well as for robotics applications that improve everything from workplace safety to patient mobility. Wood enjoys helping engineers understand how to enhance their projects through frameless technology that delivers high performance in a compact form.

Hanley is the West Coast Area Sales Manager for Kollmorgen, a Regal Rexnord Brand, specializing in the Robotics, Medical, and Aerospace and Defense industries. He holds a degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Chico State, and his career background is focused on motor integration into a variety of technologies.

RoboBusiness is the leading event focused on developing commercial robots. There will be 60-plus speakers, 100-plus exhibitors and demos on the expo floor, networking receptions, the Pitchfire Robotics Startup Competition and more. You can check out the current list of speakers, to which more will be added.

RoboBusiness will be co-located with the Field Robotics Engineering Forum, an event focused on how to successfully develop robots that operate in wide-ranging, outdoor, dynamic environments. Also co-located with RoboBusiness is DeviceTalks West, the premier industry event for medical technology professionals, currently in its ninth year. Both events attract engineering and business professionals from a broad range of healthcare and medical technology backgrounds.