@article {2904, title = {Variable Stiffness Actuators: Review on Design and Components}, journal = { IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics }, volume = {21}, year = {2016}, month = {10/2016}, pages = {2418 - 2430}, abstract = {

Variable stiffness actuators (VSAs) are complex mechatronic devices that are developed to build passively compliant, robust, and dexterous robots. Numerous different hardware designs have been developed in the past two decades to address various demands on their functionality. This review paper gives a guide to the design process from the analysis of the desired tasks identifying the relevant attributes and their influence on the selection of different components such as motors, sensors, and springs. The influence on the performance of different principles to generate the passive compliance and the variation of the stiffness are investigated. Furthermore, the design contradictions during the engineering process are explained in order to find the best suiting solution for the given purpose. With this in mind, the topics of output power, potential energy capacity, stiffness range, efficiency, and accuracy are discussed. Finally, the dependencies of control, models, sensor setup, and sensor quality are addressed.

}, keywords = {Robotics}, doi = {10.1109/TMECH.2015.2501019}, url = {http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=7330025}, author = {S. Wolf and G. Grioli and O. Eiberger and W. Friedl and M. Grebenstein and H. Hoppner and E. Burdet and D. G. Caldwell and R. Carloni and M. G. Catalano and D. Lefeber and S. Stramigioli and N. G. Tsagarakis and M. Van Damme and R. Van Ham and B. Vanderborght and L. C. Visser and A. Bicchi and A Albu-Schaeffer} } @article {1698, title = {Variable Impedance Actuators: a Review}, journal = {Robotics and Autonomous Systems}, volume = {61}, year = {2013}, note = {

Available online 6 August 2013

}, month = {12/2013}, pages = {1601{\textendash}1614}, abstract = {

Variable Impedance Actuators (VIA) have received increasing attention in recent years as many novel applications involving interactions with an unknown and dynamic environment including humans require actuators with dynamics that are not well-achieved by classical stiff actuators. This paper presents an overview of the different VIAs developed and proposes a classification based on the principles through which the variable stiffness and damping are achieved. The main classes are active impedance by control, inherent compliance and damping actuators, inertial actuators, and combinations of them, which are then further divided into subclasses. This classification allows for designers of new devices to orientate and take inspiration and users of VIA{\textquoteright}s to be guided in the design and implementation process for their targeted application.

}, keywords = {Robotics, Soft robotics, Variable Impedance Actuators}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889013001188}, author = {B. Vanderborght and A Albu-Schaeffer and A. Bicchi and E. Burdet and D. G. Caldwell and R. Carloni and M. G. Catalano and O. Eiberger and W. Friedl and G. Ganesh and M. Garabini and M. Grebenstein and G. Grioli and S. Haddadin and H. Hoppner and A. Jafari and M. Laffranchi and D. Lefeber and F. Petit and S. Stramigioli and N G Tsagarakis and M. Van Damme and R. Van Ham and L. C. Visser and S. Wolf} }