GaN Talk Blog

Humanoid robots are designed to mimic human movement and are seeing strong market growth across a wide variety of applications. Motor control forms a key design aspect in robotics, and in this article, we summarize the basic power architecture and the requirements for the power electronics that form the core components, along with examples of solutions available from Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC).

Power Electronics News
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According to a research report by Goldman Sachs, global shipments of humanoid robots are projected to reach approximately 15,000 to 20,000 units by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 40% over the next decade. In this technological race from science fiction to reality, the high-frequency, miniaturized, and thermally managed capabilities of motor drives have become key factors for success. This article will outline the power architecture of humanoid robots and the technical requirements of their core power electronic components, illustrating this with GaN solutions provided by industry-leading Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) .

The original article is written in Simplified Chinese.
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With advancements in motor technology, power densities have increased; motors are built in smaller form factors and designed for higher speeds, and higher precision, which requires higher electrical frequencies.

3-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors are compact for their power ratings, can be precisely controlled, offer high electro-mechanical efficiency, and can operate with minimal vibration when properly controlled. These motors are increasingly or exclusively used in precision applications like servo drives, robotics, such as surgical robots, and drones, such as quadcopters. To keep current ripple within a reasonable range, these motors – given their low inductance – require switching frequencies up to 100kHz. A FET that can operate efficiently at high frequency is required to minimize losses and offset the torque ripple in the motor which creates vibrations, reduces drive precision and decreases efficiency.

Minimal invasive surgery using surgical robots gives unprecedented control to surgeons looking to achieve the next level of precision, thereby reducing risk and trauma to the patient and speeding recovery. Many motors are required to control the various robotic appendages, such as arms, joints, and tool control, that give the surgical robot the required degrees of freedom (DOF) and dexterity to perform extremely delicate tasks. Weight and size of motor control circuitry are thus important factors in the design of such robots as they directly impact the size of the motor that manipulates the robot’s appendages during surgery.

The motor of choice for robotic surgery is the 3-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motor These motors are compact for their power rating, can be precisely controlled, offer high electro-mechanical efficiency, and can operate with minimal vibration when properly controlled. The choice of motor voltage lies in the range of 24 V to 48 V with balancing power conductor thickness and weight with insulation thickness and stiffness for optimum performance and dexterity being the determining factors.