Insider Brief
- Quanten Technologies has introduced two new electric motor platforms for humanoid robots designed to improve the power, weight and efficiency of robotic joints and limbs.
- The new QJL linear actuator series and QJR rotary actuator series are built on the company’s multi-phase motor technology, which Quanten said reduces motor weight by 30% while increasing thrust by 50% compared with conventional alternatives.
- According to Quanten, the new motor architecture also boosts efficiency under heavy loads, cutting power loss and heat generation while delivering higher peak power and torque for advanced humanoid robots.
Quanten Technologies has introduced two new electric motor platforms for humanoid robots, expanding its lineup of motion systems for robotic joints and limbs. The new motor platforms are intended to address the power, weight and efficiency demands of humanoid robotics as developers work to improve robot performance and endurance, according to the company.
The company’s QJL series for linear actuators and the QJR series for rotary actuators are designed to meet the power, weight and efficiency requirements of advanced humanoid robots, according to the company. Quanten also presented the technology during a seminar at the event focused on its multi-phase motor architecture.
“The true bottleneck hindering the robotics revolution isn’t just software or AI, it is also physical actuation,” said product director for robotics Ted Mao. “Traditional motors are simply not efficient or lightweight enough to support industrial adoption. By leveraging multi-phase dynamic reconfiguration technology, we have unlocked significantly more actuation capability with up to a 50% decrease in motor weight and heat generation, all without increasing overall bill of materials costs. This is the hardware breakthrough required to transition robots out of the research lab and onto the factory floor.”
The QJL series is designed for linear movement in robotic limbs, while the QJR series provides high-torque rotary motion for high-power joints. Quanten said the combined system reduces motor weight by 30% and increases thrust by 50% compared with conventional alternatives.
The new products are built on Quanten’s Multi-phase Dynamically Reconfigurable Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor technology, which the company said differs from conventional three-phase brushless DC motor designs.
According to Quanten, the technology improves efficiency across a range of operating conditions. Under heavy loads, the company said its motors increase efficiency from about 50% to about 70% while cutting power loss and heat generation in half and providing higher peak power and torque.
At nominal operating loads, Quanten said the motors improve efficiency from about 80% to about 90%. The company said the higher efficiency reduces energy loss and thermal generation, helping extend the operating life of robots in real-world environments.
