For robots to move in more diverse environments, perform more complex motions, and operate stably for longer periods, the roles of the core components inside them inevitably grow as well. Among them, the actuator is an element that cannot be left out when understanding the currents of the robot industry, since it is the drive component that actually generates a robot’s movement. As robots where many joints and drive units move together increase, such as humanoids, collaborative robots, quadruped robots, and logistics automation equipment, the importance of the actuator grows further. This article looks at the big currents of the robot industry, divided into the rise of the humanoid, the spread of collaborative robots and industrial automation, the expansion of joint modularization, changes in the component supply chain, and the role of domestic drive component companies such as Bonsystems.
Table of Contents
The Rise of the Humanoid and Changes in the Robot Industry
Key Summary The humanoid is drawing attention not as a simple new-product field but as an advanced system in which many joints and drive units are concentrated. As the humanoid rises, the importance of the actuators that move its joints grows together.
One of the fields drawing the most attention in the recent robot industry is the humanoid. Because a humanoid aims for a form similar to a human, it needs joints in many areas such as the arms, legs, torso, neck, and wrists. Each joint does not simply rotate; it must maintain posture, withstand loads, and adjust its movement to suit the external environment.
In this structure, the actuator becomes an important component that determines the robot’s motion quality. Many drive units go into a single humanoid, and each drive unit moves in a different position and under different conditions. Some joints must produce large force, some must respond quickly, and some must operate stably within a confined space.
That the humanoid is drawing attention does not simply mean the finished-product market is growing. It also means that the demand for, and technical level of, the core components inside it, such as reducers, motors, sensors, controllers, and actuators, are rising together. Because the actuator directly handles the robot’s movement, it is treated as one of the most important component groups within the humanoid current.
The Growing Role of Drive Components in Collaborative Robots and Industrial Automation
Key Summary The robot industry is expanding rapidly not only in humanoids but also in collaborative robots and industrial automation. The more a site needs repeated work, long-term operation, and stable movement, the more the actuator’s performance and structural design matter.
The expansion of the robot industry is not limited to humanoids. The use of robots and automation equipment is increasing across various industrial sites such as manufacturing floors, logistics facilities, inspection equipment, and assembly processes. Collaborative robots in particular are often operated at a close distance to workers, so reliability in stable movement and repeated operation is treated as important.
In collaborative robots and industrial automation equipment, the role of the joint drive unit is very large. For a robot arm to move along a set trajectory, pick up workpieces, and repeatedly move to set positions, the actuator must operate stably. What is needed here is not simply output. Installation space, load conditions, repeated motion, serviceability, and control method must all be considered together.
The more robot-related industries expand toward the field, the more component reliability and supply stability matter. To stably produce and operate finished robots, core components must be continuously secured. The actuator is therefore recognized, along with the growth of the robotics industry, not as a simple component but as a drive solution that governs system competitiveness.
The Expanding Need for Joint Modularization
Key Summary The more the robot industry develops, the more robots need many joints and drive structures. Configuring drive units individually each time can increase the development period and assembly burden, so configuring drive functions as robot modules centered on the actuator is drawing attention.
The more the robot industry develops, the more joints and drive structures a robot needs. In the past, it was common to select the motor, reducer, and controller individually and then design and assemble the robot joint directly. However, as robot structures become more complex and application fields diversify, configuring drive units individually each time can increase the development period and assembly burden.
For this reason, the approach of configuring a joint section or a specific drive function as a single robot module using an actuator is drawing attention. The module referred to here is a drive unit made by configuring, around the actuator, the link structure, mounting section, sensors, and control elements together so that it can be applied to a robot system. In other words, the actuator is the core drive component that makes up a robot module, and modularization is a design approach that makes it easier to apply within an actual robot structure.
For example, drive structures that are used repeatedly, such as the joint section of a robot arm, the drive wheel section of a mobile robot, or the leg joint of a walking robot, can make the development and assembly process simpler the more they are designed by module. Because a system designer can treat the drive structure including the actuator as a single unit, the role and layout of each module can be organized more clearly when designing the overall robot structure.
This robot modularization is especially meaningful in systems where many drive units operate together, such as humanoids, collaborative robots, logistics robots, and automation equipment. A robot module configured around the actuator provides advantages in terms of development speed, assembly convenience, and serviceability, and can be reviewed as more important the more the robot industry develops toward complex systems.
The Role of Robot Component Companies Such as Bonsystems
Key Summary The more the robot industry grows, the more the importance of the drive components inside it grows along with the finished robots. Bonsystems develops drive components based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology, with the BSR and BCSA at the center.
The more the robot industry grows, the more the importance of the drive components inside it grows along with the finished robots. For a robot to move stably, core components such as reducers and actuators must support it. Robot component companies such as Bonsystems take on the role of developing the drive solutions needed for robot joints and automation equipment within this industrial current.
Bonsystems develops robot drive components based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology. The BSR is a component-level lineup based on cycloidal reducers, which can be reviewed for applications that need strong power transmission and a stable reduction structure within a confined space. The BCSA is a lineup that develops cycloidal-reducer-based technology into an actuator.
The BCSA is designed to be applied to robot joints and automation equipment. Based on a cycloidal reduction structure, it reflects high-torque realization, a compact package, a Pinless structure, and a design direction that reduces the part count.
The currents of the robot industry are hard to explain by the competition among finished robots alone. For a robot to actually move, the reducers, actuators, sensors, and control elements inside it must develop together. Centered on the BSR and BCSA, Bonsystems reviews the drive solutions needed for robot joints and automation equipment in line with actual application environments.
FAQ
Q: Why is the actuator important in the robot industry?
A: The actuator is the drive component that actually generates a robot’s movement. As the industry expands and robots perform more complex motions across more joints, the actuator is recognized not as a simple part but as a core element that governs a robot’s motion quality and system competitiveness.
Q: How are changes in the robot industry connected to actuator demand?
A: As robots perform more complex motions and have more joints, the role of the drive unit grows accordingly. The rise of humanoids, the spread of collaborative robots and industrial automation, and the expansion of joint modularization all raise the demand for actuators and the technical level required of them.
Q: Why is joint modularization drawing attention?
A: The more complex a robot’s structure becomes, the more advantageous it can be, in terms of development period, assembly burden, and serviceability, to configure a joint section or drive function as a single module centered on the actuator, rather than assembling individual components each time.
Q: What role does Bonsystems play within the currents of the robot industry?
A: It develops robot drive components based on cycloidal reducer and actuator technology. Through the BSR, a component-level cycloidal reducer lineup, and the BCSA, which develops reducer-based technology into an actuator, Bonsystems supplies drive solutions for robot joints and automation equipment.
Q: Why is the component supply chain important in robot development?
A: A robot is a system in which several core components combine to move. Stably securing components such as reducers, actuators, sensors, and controllers is directly connected to the stable production and operation of finished robots, so supply stability and reliability matter as much as performance.
