Robot Arm Design: Calculating Torque Needed

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter jmay
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Arm Design Robot
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
2 replies · 5K views
jmay
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I am design a three jointed robotic arm that can lift 40 pounds. A diagram of the arm is attached.
How can I calculate the torque needed at each motor to lift the 40 pounds?
 

Attachments

  • diagram.jpg
    diagram.jpg
    7.1 KB · Views: 484
Physics news on Phys.org
torque = distance times mass = e.g. Foot-Pounds

is that what you need?
 
That's how I've been doing the calculation. This finds the torque at the full extension of the arm. How can I find the torque need at half extension? Would I find the lifting angle and multiply by the sin of the angle?