Energy Efficiency in Humanoid Robots, A Preliminary Study on a Humanoid Torso

This work is about the energy analysis of a humanoid robotic arm, seen as complex energy chain. The problem of energy efficiency in robotics is becoming crucial in order to make robots achieve an increasing number of tasks in cooperation with humans or in substitution of them. Our approach consists in representing the humanoid robot as an isolated energy systems. We developed a simulation platform suitable for modelling the kinematics, dynamics, and energy balances of a real humanoid robotic arm. The model was validated by an accurate comparison with the real robot. Then, we performed a first compared study of the motion dynamics of the simulated robot arm and the energy flows which crossed its energy converters, with respect to a set of different motion control strategies. Moreover, we conducted a preliminary investigation on the possibility of saving and recovering energy during robot motion.