Cobot architecture

We describe a new robot architecture: the collaborative robot, or cobot. Co bots are intended for direct physical interaction with a human operator. Th e cobot can create smooth, strong virtual surfaces and other haptic effects within a shared human/cobot workspace. The kinematic properties of cobots differ markedly from those of robots. Most significantly, cobots have only one mechanical degree of freedom, regardless of their taskspace dimensional ity. The instantaneous direction of motion associated with this single degr ee of freedom is actively servo-controlled, or steered, within the higher d imensional taskspace. This paper explains the kinematics of cobots and the continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) that are essential to them. Powe red cobots are introduced, made possible by a parallel interconnection of t he CVTs. We discuss the relation of cobots to conventionally actuated robot s and to nonholonomic robots. Several cobots in design, prototype, or indus trial testbed settings illustrate the concepts discussed.