Page 3 of 3

Re: How much does actuator housing material (aluminum vs composite) matter?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 6:53 am
by kwilliams
Agreed, and I'd add: Encoder resolution requirements scale with how tightly you need to control low-speed motion - coarse encoders are fine for open-loop swing phases but cause visible stutter during precise placement or fine force control. Kind of makes me think about how different this all looked even three years ago.

Re: How much does actuator housing material (aluminum vs composite) matter?

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:16 am
by choi98
@kwilliams Related question - Backdrivability is the property that lets an external force move a joint without destroying the gearbox or the motor - it's central to both safe human-robot contact and to letting a leg comply naturally when the robot stumbles.

Re: How much does actuator housing material (aluminum vs composite) matter?

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 10:19 pm
by noah_pate
I'd take that specific number with a grain of salt, honestly. Motor cogging torque (the 'notchy' feel from magnet-to-slot interactions) shows up as small periodic torque ripple that can translate into visible joint jitter at low speeds - it's usually mitigated with skewed magnets, better current control, or software compensation tables.