ARCAD Biped Lab

The Agile Robot Control and Design (ARCaD) Lab advances legged robot agility by developing novel control algorithms and hardware. The work combines optimal control, mechatronic integration, and reinforcement learning to achieve agile motions on real platforms, bridging theory with practical implementation.

The goal was to develop a high torque density, low reflected inertia and high efficiency actuator for robot joints.

We implemented the Bilateral Gear Drive reducer, which is a variant of the Wolfrom Compound Planetary gearing system, coupled with a frameless BLDC motor.

The gearbox kinematics and dynamics were mathematically modelled using Python to select the ideal configuration.

Solidworks and Gearteq were used for CAD and gear design, respectively.

Schematic and CAD representation of the Bilateral Gear Drive, adapted from “A Bilateral Drive System for Robotics Applications” (IEEE, 2019)

Prototype & Exploded View of Wolfrom-Drive Actuator