The Counterbalance Design of the Articulated Robot Arms
S. C. Li, J. X. Qiu, J. Y. Zhu (1); Nanjing Aeronautical Institute, NanjingKhina
Received on January 9,1990
This payer sutninerizes the significance, difficulties and mebhods o f the counterbalance of
the articulated industrial robot arms. By using the Virtual Work Principle, the necessary balance
conditions suitable for whole working space of robots are given. The paper also provides a general
mathematical model for designing differenl s p r i n g balarice of the robot forearm and uporm.
KEY WORDS
Counterbalance design, articulated robot, spring, virtual work principle, optimization.
1. Introduction
There exists a serious unbalance in articulated
robot arms. The counterbalance i s an important and
difficult subject in the robot system design, while a
well-balanced robot has a number of advantages. At
first, owing t o the balance of the gravity on the
arms, the load acting on the driving and transmissing
systems i s reduced greatly. Secondly, the interrerence
effect for a robot controlled by PID will be reduced
and, so, the dynamical model of the robot can be given
more simply and precisely. The third i s that it i s
good for the stability of precision and the life o f
the transmissing components. Lastly, the robot arm
playback motion can be easily operated and its pre-
cision would be increased.
However, a series of difficulties exists in t h e
design of robot arm balancing. The unbalance moments
o n the articulation are non-linaer functions of two or
more articular parameters. Fig. 1 shows a simple
example, in which the wrist i s reglected. The unba-
lance moments of the elbow C and the shoulder B
are:
M,==G3 * I , , * S h ( ~ , , + ~ , )
M,=M,+G, ~ I , ~ S i n B , , + G , ~ I , ~ S i n B , , (2)
The robot arm balancing must be considered in
the whole working space o f the robot. But the more
the operating range of a robot is, the more diffi-
cultly the complete balance i s obtained, herice
the size of the working space o f a robot i s contra-
dictory with the balance. In gravity balancing
design, we must make both the m a s s and the moment of
inertia of the robot arms a s small a s possible,
because there i s a limit of the motion speed and t h e
respond speed in each driving and transmissing system.
Moreover, the unbalance moment o f the forejoint i s
always contained in that of the rearjoint. So, t h e
balancing must be considered in every joints at the
same time in order t o simplify the problem.
4:
Yl
YZ
x3
Y3
\1
Fig.1
2. The Disadvantages o f Current Balancing Methods
( 1 ) Counterbalance with counterweighs
This i s one of methods f o r precisely counterba-
lancing the gravity on t h e arms, and based o n the
principle that t h e change of gravity potential of arm
can be compensated by t h e change of gravity potential
of counterweight. If the counterweights M 2 and M 3
are (as shown in Fig.2):
Annals of the ClRP Vd. 39/l/lSXl
ABSTRACT
(3)
1
M, =T * I 3 m, (4)
13
then, the forearm and the upper arm can be completely
balanced.
Fig2
(1) T h i s mehtod can eliminate the unbalance moments
on arLiculaLions caused by gravity a s well a s inertia
force and guarantee the precise balance in any po-
sition. But, it i s known from the Eq. ( 5 ) and (6)
chat the moments of inertia of articulations will be
increased greatly.
'3
J,, =m3 1; + m , - 1 , - 1 ,
(6)
T h i s must be considered in the design o f driving
and controlling system.
( 2 ) Counterbalance with springs.
Springs can be used for balancing in different
ways. T h e principle o f chis method i s that the
change of gravity potential of arms can be compen-
sated by t h e change o f elastic potential o f elastic
bodies. By using t h i s method, the moment o f inertia
and che mass of the mechanical system of a robot
only increased slightly. The metal or air springs
can be installed conveniently and variously.
However, it i s must be pointed out that the
effect o f balancing with springs mainly depends o n
the installing positions and parameters o f springs.
Up t o now no reliable way o f design has been put
foreward. The springs are selected and installed by
experience and experiments or by calculating only in
one position.
The static deflection of robot arms i s usually
\ improved by using springs, and the change of t h e
natural frequency can not be decided directly. T h e
major disadvantage o f this method i s that t h e more
precise counterbalance can hardly be performed in
the whole working space o f an articulated robot. In
this paper a design model i s established which can
be used to calculate the installing position
and the parameters of spring for balancing in whole
working space. An example given at the end of t h i s
paper shows the precision and practicality of the way
deduced in this paper.
3. Forearm Balance with Springs
I n an articulated robot, the balance of the
forearm i s more difficult than that o f the upper
arm. On the other hand, the more precisely the
forearm balance, the more easily t h e upper arm
balance. The key points of the design for balan-
cing are,firstly,how t o fix the spring and, secondly,
455
how t o decide the position and parameters of the
spring. The balance must be a s precise a s possible
in whole working spacc of the robot.
Three different ways of the forearm balancing
are shown respectively in Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 ,
In all these ways, not only extension springs but
also s o m e linkages such a s ?arallelogram linkage BCFG
and BHIJ (see Fig. 5(a) or 5(b)) are installed in the
robot. The advantage of using the parallelogram
linkage i s that the unbalance moment of the upper arm
is only the function of the shoulder parameter if the
forearm has been balanced.
Fig.3
or: 6e,, + 6 0 , = 60, (71
Where 0, and 0s are angle positions in the
coordinational system XiOYl of link 3 and link 8 respec-
tively. leglectlng the m a s s in the upper arm and the
friction in the articulations and replaci% the spring
6 by the active force moment M8J on link 8, the "iff"
condition of t h e forcarm balance at o n e position, by
the virtual work principle, can be expresed as:
M ,.( 6 0 , ~+ 60,) + M , ae, = o (8)
Eq. ( 8 ) can be simplified by considering Eq. ( 7 ) as:
M,+M,=O (9)
So, the equation of the forearm balance in whole
working space is:
+
.follM, M,IdO, - 0 (10)
It i s not easy to solve Cq. (10). We make use o f
optimization technique for solving equation ( 1 0 ) :
(101
Eq. (10') shows that Eq. ( 1 0 ) will be solved under
condition of t h e minimum error. However, i:. is also
difficult t o solve the Eq.(lO'). By further analysis,
we find Lhat the force moments Mc and M83 , being
the functions o f elbow and shoulder parameters, d o
not vary repidly and sharply with t h e arms moving
under the conditions o f balance shown in the figure.
So,Eq.(lO) c a n be replaced by she following equation:
I

{ZIM,(O,)+M,(O,)I )+min (1 1)
1- I

where 1.5 .
This replacemeni not only simplifies t h e process
of the solution, but also gives a satisfied result o f
the forearm balance. Thus, the mathematic model o f
the forearm balance design can be expressed as:
Design varible: X =[ X , , X ~ , * * . , X ~ ] ~
I
Objective fincrion: F ( m - Z IM,(O,)+ M,(O,)l+mln (12)
1-1

1= 5
Fig.4

Constrain: xi, d x, d X I 2 i= 1,2,*-6

where X i , (i=1,2,3,4) , the parameters showing
t h e posiLiorr or spring 6.
X 4 and X 5 , the stiffness and t h e relaxed
length of spring 6
Xi1 and X i ~ ( i = 1 , 2 , ...
6 ) are given by
mechanical structure of t h e robot.
The force moment MJ can be deduced by means o f
t h e balancing position energy criterion of the
mechanical systemr

where, v i s t h e total potential energy of the

s y stem.
4. Upper Arm Balance with Sprins
After the forearm balance i s performed by the way
expressed in above section, t h e mechanical model o f
the unbalance o f upper arm becomes very simple as
shown in Fig.6. The unbalance moment o n the shoulder
is:
M , = (G, L , + G, * L , ) SinO,, (14)

Fig.5( b)

The principle o f the forearm balance may be con-

cluded through analysing a robot shown in Fig. 5 .
Because four links in BCFG and BHIJ are always
in the form o f parallelogram ai; any position, the
relaLiori of virlual displacumrL bat,weerr and 0,
( 81=0,2+023 , S e e Fig. 1) i s a s follow?
-1
Fig.6

Fig.7
Fig. 7 gives the balancing way o f the upper arm.
In the figure, t h e extension spring 1 i s fixed in the
robot. K4 is the stiffness o f spring 4 and L4 is
the relaxed length. Supposing the Point B a n d L4 are
the datum positions of the potential energy of the
gravity on the upper arm and the elastic potential
energy o f spring 4 seperately, when the upper arm i s
in balance, the following relation can be deduced
from the energy criterion of balance position:
Fig.10
The numerical results of the unbalanced moment
o f gravity and the moment o f spring f o r the forearm
based on the parameters listed in Table I are shown
in Fig.11 and Fig.12, in which Fig.11 i s related t o
Fig.3 and Fig.5 (a),(b), while Fig.12 i s related to
Fig.4. (It i s must be pointed out that if neglecting
the gravity of spring 6 and links 4,5,7,8,the balance
results beLween Fig.3 and Fig.5 (a),(b) are caapletely
same.) The balance effect f o r the upper arm i s shown
in Fig.13. I n these figures, curve I represents the
unbalanced moment on the articulation and curve I1
represents the spring force moment on t h e s a m e arti-
culation. T h e better agreement between curve I and
I1 means the better counterbalance in the robot by
using above design method.
. x lOOOkgf * m m

a,b,c, d shown in Fig. 7.

Thus., the mathematical model f o r the balance
design of the upper arm can be expressed a s the same
form a s the forearms, in which the objective
lot I
function is: e,( )
-SO -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 SO
1-1 I(AX)}co,l,l+min (1 6)
Fig. 1 1

5. Design Example
Fig.8 shows the constructure and the size of ail
induskrial robot. Where, G 2 = 4 O k g f , G 3 = 8kgf
and G il2Okgof .
The forearm pitches up and down
within 100 and the upper arm oscilares foreward
and backward within 45Oand 30respectively.

-50 -40 -30 -20 -10

I
0 10 20 30 40
I
so
Fig.12

Fig.8
By means of the Complex Method - a n optimization
Cechnique, ihe models of Che forearm balance and the
upper arm balance expressed in Eq. ( 1 2 ) and Eq.(16)
are solved seperately. The results o f resolved
parameters are shown in Table 1. T h e meaning of each
paramether in T a b l e 1 would be seen in Fig.9, Fig.10
and Fig.7.
I
Fig.13

6. Conclusions and Remarks

( 1 ) Using springs seperately in the forearm and the
upper arm i s an effective means for designing the
articulated robot arm balance. This method i s siinple
and practical and various ways in installing springs
can be studied and used.
Fig.9

467
(2) By using thc model presented in t h i s paper, we 7. References
can decide the optimum ,.)ositiori of springs and the ( 1 ) Francois Lhote, Kauffmann J.M., Pierre Andre and
optimum spring paramete-s with minimum residual Taillard J. P., 1983, Robot Components and Systems,
unbalanced moments in whole working space of the kolan Page Led., Lodon.
robot. T h e curves, shown in Fig.11, Fig.12 and ( 2 ) Subbian M., Sharan A. M., 1986, The Optimal
Fig.13, indicate that the precision of the balance Balancing of the Robotic Manipulators, IEEB
can meet the need of dcsigning a n industrial robot in International Conference on Robotic and Automation
engineering. P.828 - 835, IEEE CompuLer Society Press.
( 3 ) it is known from the example that springs used ( 3 ) Shigley J. B., Uicker J. J., 1960, Theory of
f o r balance must have the characteristics of great Mechines and Mechanisms, Tr.McGraw-Hill Book Company.
deformation, good stiffness and great initial tension. ( 4 ) Xichard P. Paul, 1981, Kobot hanipulators:
Mathematics, Propramling
- arid Control, ClIT Press,
( 3 ) We also have t o consider the weight of s9rings in Massachusetts.
designing the balance o f a robot. Otherwise, it i s ( 5 ) Lu T. G., 1987, The Balancing Problelll of the
diffucult to g c t a prccisc balancc of robot arms. Articulated Robot Arms, Journal of Hnrbin Tnst,it.iit.e
o f Technoloav.(Suaolent),Harbia Institute o f Technolopv
Table 1 ( 6 ) Chcn L.2:; Zhing Y. ti., 1982, Optimal Design o?
Mechanisms, Shanhai Science and Technology Publishing
House, China.
Upper Arm ( 7 ) Zhang T.H., 1982, Springs, Mechanical Industrial
(Forearm i s Publishing tlouse, Beijing.
Fig.3 or Fig.5 d;;:;;; to J ( 8 ) Huang A. J., 1981, Theoretic Mechanics, People's
Fig.4
Enduca.Liona1 Publishing Honse, Beijing.
595.15 IMI 318.16 nun 0.20 nun
42.64 IMI 36.15 INII
51.47 ma 51 .07 mia
-11.40' 5.100
3.15kgf/mm 2.55kgf/mr
308.0 mm 205.34 inm
901 kgf. nun 2274 kgf.mm
I
2 * 94% 7.435 2.19%
I