A robotics OEM developing an autonomous transport platform for high-value medical analysis systems faced a drive system engineering challenge that no catalog solution could solve off the shelf.
A robotics OEM developing an autonomous transport platform for high-value medical analysis systems faced a drive system engineering challenge that no catalog solution could solve off the shelf.
The application: an indoor autonomous mobile robot designed to transport laboratory analyzers valued at $80,000 to $300,000 per unit between laboratory stations in hospital and clinical lab environments. The platform needed to carry payloads of up to 400kg across a mixed floor environment that included polished vinyl tile, carpet transitions, and 5-degree ramp sections between building floors.
The drive system requirements were layered and in tension with each other. The platform needed differential drive precision sufficient for autonomous navigation with 2cm positioning accuracy in narrow laboratory corridors. It needed the torque reserve to climb 5-degree ramps under full payload without controller current limiting. It needed to transition smoothly across floor surface transitions without resonance or torque spike events that could cause an expensive payload to shift or be damaged. And it needed to do all of this at acoustic noise levels compatible with a clinical environment under 45 dBA in motion.
A secondary constraint drove the entire motor selection: the hospital customer required that the platform be capable of manual push-override in case of a system fault. With a 400kg payload, the drive motors needed to be back-drivable under manual force, meaning high-reduction gearmotors or worm-drive architectures were ruled out.
The OEM's previous prototype had used a commercial mobility scooter motor platform. It met the torque requirement on flat floor but exhibited unacceptable cogging on carpet transitions, generated 62 dBA in motion, and was not back-drivable.
One partner. One specification. Full accountability.
TelcoMotion's engineering team modeled the full operating envelope before specifying any components: traction force requirements at each floor transition, ramp-climb current profiles, steady-state corridor navigation torque, and the back-drive force requirement for a single-operator push-override.
Drive Motor Selection: A custom-wound Kyneks BLDC motor with a 2-stage helical inline gearbox was specified for each drive wheel. The helical gear reduction ratio was selected to provide the required traction torque at ramp while maintaining back-driveability at under 80N push force. The low gear ratio also delivered the responsiveness needed for precise differential steering in narrow corridors.
Cogging Torque Elimination: Motor slot and pole geometry was specified to minimize cogging torque to under 0.5% of rated torque. This eliminated the torque ripple that had caused payload-shift issues on the prototype platform during floor transition crossings.
Acoustic Performance: The helical gear mesh, combined with precision-balanced rotors and G2.5 dynamic balancing, delivered 38 dBA in motion at 1m, which is 24 dBA below the previous platform and well within the clinical environment requirement.
Smart Drive Integration: TelcoMotion provided FOC motor controller firmware tuned specifically for the platform's velocity and position loops. Custom current limiting profiles were programmed for ramp detection via IMU input to provide maximum torque during climbs without exceeding thermal ratings.
Ramp Climbing Validation: The complete drive system was validated on a physical test rig simulating the 5-degree ramp with 400kg payload at worst-case battery state. Peak ramp climb time: 8.2 seconds. No controller current limiting events recorded.
Results that compound
Motor technologies in this program
Engineered to your specification for this application.
Integrated motor-gearbox systems engineered for torque multiplication and compact installation.
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