Table of Contents
- BONSYSTEMS · CYCLOIDAL TECHNOLOGY
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- References
- Bonsystems
- 🔗 Explore Bonsystems solutions → www.bonsystems.com
Physical AI refers to systems in which artificial intelligence extends beyond digital environments to perceive the physical world, interact with objects, and perform real-world tasks. As more robots, including humanoids, collaborative robots, mobile robots, and quadruped robots, are designed to interact with their surroundings, the hardware that translates AI-driven decisions into physical motion is becoming increasingly important.
For a physical AI robot to perceive its surroundings, pick up or move objects, and maintain its posture, components such as reducers, actuators, sensors, controllers, and power systems must work together seamlessly. The advancement of these systems therefore requires improvements not only in AI performance but also in the structure and design of the components that physically drive the robot.
The Changes Physical AI Brings to the Robot Component Industry
Key Summary Traditional industrial robots have typically been used to perform predefined tasks repeatedly at fixed positions. A physical AI robot, by contrast, must adjust its movement path and joint motion in response to changes in its surroundings and the objects it handles.
Traditional industrial robots have typically been used to perform predefined tasks repeatedly at fixed positions. A physical AI robot, by contrast, must adjust its movement path and joint motion in response to changes in its surroundings and task requirements.
As robot movements become more diverse, the loads applied to joints and drive units also change continuously. Even within the same humanoid robot, the shoulder, elbow, wrist, waist, and knee require different levels of torque and ranges of motion. Mobile robots and quadruped robots can also face different drive-unit operating conditions depending on the payload, terrain conditions, and direction of movement.
Robot components must therefore be capable of handling changing loads and a wider range of motions rather than operating only under predefined conditions. In addition, as robots incorporate increasing numbers of joints and sensors, the size, weight, and placement of individual components have a greater impact on the overall robot design.
The expansion of Physical AI therefore involves more than simply increasing demand for robot components. The ability to design and integrate components according to the robot’s form, function, and actual operating environment is becoming increasingly important.
Component Requirements for Physical AI Robots
Key Summary A physical AI robot must perform a wide range of movements, including walking, maintaining posture, manipulating objects, and moving through its environment. To enable these movements, reducers convert motor output into the torque and speed required at each joint or mobility system.
A physical AI robot must perform a wide range of movements, including walking, maintaining posture, manipulating objects, and moving through its environment. To enable these movements, reducers convert motor output into the torque and speed required at each joint or mobility system.
A reducer lowers the motor’s rotational speed while increasing the torque available at the joint. Because drive units are also subjected to impacts and changing loads during operation, they must maintain stable performance under repetitive and variable loading conditions.
The size and thickness of the reducer are also important design considerations. In robots with many joints integrated within compact structures, such as humanoids, larger drive units can increase the size of the surrounding frame and external structure. They can also reduce the space available for sensors, cables, and control components. Output performance and space efficiency therefore need to be considered together.
An actuator integrates a motor and reducer to generate and control the robot’s movement. Because encoders, brakes, wiring, sensors, and control devices may also need to be installed around the joint, the overall structure of the drive unit can be just as important as the performance of its individual components.
As the number of drive units increases, consistent integration of component interfaces, wiring paths, and installation space becomes increasingly important. In AI-driven robots, reducers and actuators should therefore be considered as part of an integrated joint and drive system rather than simply as individual components.
What Robot Component Suppliers Need to Provide
Key Summary The structure of an Physical AI robot varies significantly depending on its application and the tasks it performs. Even within the same type of robot, drive-unit requirements differ depending on the location and function of each joint.
The structure of an AI-driven robot varies significantly depending on its application and the tasks it performs. A humanoid robot must accommodate many joints within a human-like form factor, while a mobile robot must integrate its drive units while leaving sufficient space for batteries, sensors, and payloads. In a quadruped robot, each leg joint must support the body load while performing repetitive movement.
Even within the same type of robot, requirements differ depending on the position and function of each joint. Smaller joints, such as those in the wrist or fingers, require compact drive units that can fit within confined spaces. High-load joints, such as those in the waist and legs, require power-transmission structures capable of handling greater torque.
A single product specification therefore cannot meet the requirements of every joint or application. During robot development, designers must consider factors such as joint size, required torque, range of motion, wiring layout, installation space, and mounting structure when selecting suitable reducers and actuators.
Component suppliers also need the technical expertise and application support capabilities to recommend products based on these requirements. Product dimensions, outer diameter, mounting methods, hollow structures, and other drive-unit characteristics must be evaluated together with the robot’s actual design conditions.
Bonsystems Drive Solutions for Physical AI Robots
Key Summary Bonsystems develops drive solutions for robot joints and automation equipment based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology. The BSR is suited to applications in which the drive system is designed around a standalone reducer, while the BCSA is designed for applications requiring an integrated motor-and-reducer drive unit.
Bonsystems develops drive solutions for robot joints and automation equipment based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology. The BSR is suited to development environments in which the drive system is designed around a standalone reducer, while the BCSA is intended for applications requiring an integrated drive unit that combines a motor and reducer.
The BSR is a reducer lineup based on cycloidal reduction technology. Its structure distributes loads across multiple contact points during operation and is designed for robot joints and automation equipment that experience repetitive motion and changing loads.
Some BSR products use a Pinless structure. This design reduces certain coupling elements used in conventional pin-based configurations and simplifies the reducer’s internal structure. A simplified component structure can make assembly more straightforward and help reduce design complexity when integrating the drive unit within a confined space.
The BCSA is an actuator that combines a frameless motor and cycloidal reducer in a thin, compact structure. In robots that incorporate many joints within a compact form factor, or in automation equipment with limited internal space, actuator size and thickness can significantly affect the placement of the frame, sensors, wiring, and other components.
The BCSA is designed to minimize the space required by the drive unit while delivering the torque needed for joint and equipment operation. Because the motor and reducer are integrated into a single structure, the design can also simplify the layout of surrounding components based on the drive unit’s profile and installation position.
For AI-driven robotic systems to expand into industrial and everyday environments, they must be supported by hardware capable of reliably translating AI-driven decisions into physical motion. Based on the BSR and BCSA lineups, Bonsystems offers drive solutions that can be selected according to the robot’s size, joint structure, required torque, and application environment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What changes occur in the robot component industry when Physical AI advances?
A. AI-driven robots use multiple joints, sensors, and drive units to move and manipulate objects in response to changes in their surroundings. As these systems advance, component design must account not only for performance requirements but also for size, weight, system integration, and repetitive operating conditions.
Q2. What role does the reducer play in an Physical AI robot?
A. A reducer lowers the motor’s rotational speed while increasing the torque available at a robot joint or mobility system. It enables the robot to lift objects, maintain its posture, and perform repetitive movements reliably.
Q3. What should be looked at when selecting a reducer and actuator for a robot?
A. Factors such as required torque, range of motion, installation space, product dimensions, wiring layout, and mounting structure should be considered together. Because requirements vary depending on the application and joint location, components should be selected according to the robot’s actual design and operating conditions.
Q4. Why does the technical response capability of a robot component company matter?
A. Even within the same type of robot, required torque, installation space, and operating conditions can vary significantly depending on the joint. A supplier that understands the actual application environment and can recommend suitable product configurations and mounting methods can help reduce design complexity during robot development.
References
• [1] Bonsystems Official Website — https://www.bonsystems.com
• [2] International Federation of Robotics (IFR) — https://ifr.org
• [3] Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA) — https://www.kiria.org
• [4] Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy – Materials, Components and Equipment Policy — https://www.motie.go.kr
