If the links which can be used as the components of a robot are organized in a manner of ""modularized units"" equipped with an actuator, a sensory device, and even a servo-mechanism, respectively, many kinds of robots can be easily constructed and their flexibility will be greatly improved. For this purpose, we developed a modularized link unit comprised of a DC servo motor, a position sensor, and a reduction gear set. This unit has a number of characteristics such as having large torque and small backlash, making the direction of the robot hand independent of its position, and so on. Using these units, we constructed a ""personal robot"" and developed its control system. In this paper, we introduce the composition and characteristics of our link unit, and illustrate the hardware and software system of a robot made from the modularized link units in this study.
A Personal Robot as an Improvement to the Customers’ In- Store Experience
