Valcor Engineering Corporation, a world-class designer and manufacturer of custom precision fluid and motion controls for space, aircraft, nuclear, and scientific/industrial industries, has just released a new white paper entitled "Putting the Brakes on Mobile and Autonomous Robots."
This paper discusses the history of mobile and autonomous robots and how bi-stable brakes can play a role in conserving battery power. "Valcor's patented Bi-Stable Brake affords robotics designers the ability to control rotary motion in a compact, lightweight, and power-saving device.
The brake requires no power to hold or release a rotating shaft," stated Steve DiGerolamo, Business Unit Manager, Motion Control. "With the rapidly growing use of battery-powered mobile and autonomous robots, prolonging battery life is crucial to their successful implementation. Depending on the duty cycle, use of the Bi-Stable Brake can typically prolong battery life by up to 15-20%, compared to conventional electromagnetic power off brakes, allowing the robot to remain in service for longer periods of time between charges."
The full paper can be found here: https://www.valcor.com/putting-brakes-mobile-autonomous-robots/
Source: http://www.valcor.com