With the rapid development of intelligent manufacturing and robotics, the dexterous hand of humanoid robots is becoming increasingly important as a tool for interaction with the outside world. The dexterous hand is inspired by the complex structure and function of the human hand, which enables robots to perform diverse tasks such as grasping, manipulating, and even sensing. With the continuous progress of industrial automation and artificial intelligence technology, dexterous hands are gradually transforming from a single repetitive task performer to an intelligent body capable of performing complex and variable tasks. In this transformation process, the competitiveness of domestic dexterous hand gradually appeared, especially in the drive device, transmission device, sensor device, etc., the localization process is rapid, the cost advantage is obvious.
Planetary roller screws are the centerpiece of a humanoid robot's “limbs” and can be used in a variety of applications including arms, legs, and dexterous hands to provide precise linear motion control. Tesla's Optimus torso uses 14 rotary joints, 14 linear joints, and 12 hollow cup joints in the hand. The linear joints use 14 reversed planetary roller screws (2 in the elbow, 4 in the wrist, and 8 in the leg), which are categorized into three sizes: 500N, 3,900N, and 8,000N, in order to adapt to the load-bearing needs of different joints.
Tesla's use of inverted planetary roller screws in its humanoid robot Optimus may be based on their advantages in performance, especially in terms of load carrying capacity and stiffness. However, it cannot be ruled out that humanoid robots with lower load carrying capacity requirements use lower cost ball screws.
Ball screws in different industries in a wide range of applications and market demand:
At the 2024 Beijing Robotics Exhibition, KGG exhibited 4mm diameter planetary roller screws and 1.5mm diameter ball screws; in addition, KGG also exhibited dexterous hands with integrated planetary roller screw solutions.
4mm diameter planetary roller screws
1.Applications in new energy automobiles: With the development of electrification and intelligentization of automobiles, the application of ball screws in the automotive field has been deepening, such as automotive edge-of-wheel wire braking system (EMB), rear-wheel steering system (iRWS), steering-by-wire system (SBW), suspension system, etc., as well as regulating and controlling devices for automotive components.
2.The application of machine tool industry: ball screw is one of the standard core components of machine tools, machine tools contain rotary axes and linear axes, linear axes are composed of screws and guide rails to achieve precise positioning and movement of the workpiece. Traditional machine tools mainly use trapezoidal screws / sliding screws, CNC machine tools are based on traditional machine tools, adding digital control systems, the drive workpiece precision requirements are higher, and more ball screws are currently used. Global machine tool factory supply chain in the spindle, pendulum head, rotary table and other functional components of most machine tool factories for customization or differentiation considerations tend to be self-produced and self-produced, but the rolling functional components are basically all outsourcing, along with the machine tool industry upgrading the rolling functional components of the demand for sustained growth in the certainty of a strong.
1.5mm diameter ball screws
3.humanoid robot applications: humanoid robot actuators are divided into hydraulic and motorized mechanisms of the two programs. Hydraulic mechanism, although the performance is better, but the cost and maintenance costs are higher, and is currently used less. The motor solution is the current mainstream choice, the planetary roller screw has a strong load bearing capacity, and is the core component of the linear actuator of the humanoid robot, which is used to realize the precise control of the robot joints. Overseas Tesla, Germany's LOLA robot at the University of Munich, the domestic Polytechnic Huahui, Kepler used this technology route.
For planetary roller screws, the current domestic planetary roller screw market is mainly occupied by foreign manufacturers, the leading foreign manufacturers of Switzerland Rollvis, Switzerland GSA and Sweden Ewellix's market share accounted for 26%, 26%, 14%.
Domestic enterprises in the core technology of planetary roller screws and foreign enterprises there is a certain gap, but in the lead accuracy, maximum dynamic load, maximum static load and other performance aspects are gradually catching up, the domestic planetary roller screw manufacturers combined market share of 19%.
Post time: Feb-28-2025
