A Hybrid Dynamic-regenerative Damping Scheme for Energy Regeneration in Variable Impedance Actuators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a hybrid damping module for variable impedance actuators that enables energy regeneration by combining regenerative and dynamic braking, improving energy efficiency without sacrificing damping range.

Contribution

A novel hybrid damping scheme that allows energy harvesting in VIAs using a four-switch configuration to combine regenerative and dynamic braking.

Findings

Demonstrates effective energy regeneration in simulations and experiments.

Achieves a balance between task performance and energy efficiency.

Provides a practical design for energy-efficient variable damping modules.

Abstract

Increasing research efforts have been made to improve the energy efficiency of variable impedance actuators (VIAs) through reduction of energy consumption. However, the harvesting of dissipated energy in such systems remains underexplored. This study proposes a novel variable damping module design enabling energy regeneration in VIAs by exploiting the regenerative braking effect of DC motors. The proposed damping module uses four switches to combine regenerative and dynamic braking, in a hybrid approach that enables energy regeneration without reduction in the range of damping achievable. Numerical simulations and a physical experiment are presented in which the proposed module shows an optimal trade-off between task performance and energy efficiency.