What's the real-world efficiency loss through a harmonic drive stage?

Harmonic drives, quasi-direct drive, series elastic actuators, motor selection, gearing, and everything that makes joints move.
joseph_sing
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Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2025 2:29 am

Re: What's the real-world efficiency loss through a harmonic drive stage?

Post by joseph_sing »

@sarah.santos3 Appreciate the detailed answer. A lot of the per-joint cost in a modern actuator isn't the motor - it's the combination of a precision gearbox, integrated encoders, torque sensing, and the driver electronics, all of which have to fit inside a housing the size of a fist.
"The best actuator is the one that doesn't overheat."
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