Tesla's humanoid robot's joint actuator solution has been streamlined to only six types, aiming to effectively reduce R&D and production costs. The rotary joint design incorporates an innovative dual encoder and torque sensor configuration for high and low speeds, with encoders on both the output side and the motor side in particular.
The integrated design of the humanoid robot joint cleverly connects the motor and the reducer in series, and the configuration of the dual encoders is particularly critical because the rotation of the motor may differ from the rotation of the reducer. It can capture the position information of the motor input and the output after deceleration at the same time, so as to accurately compensate for the possible inaccuracies of the transmission device and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the robot's joint movement.
According to KBV Research, the encoder market size was approximately $2.89 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand to $4.80 billion by 2028. Driven by the demand for industrial automation and various new robots, the global encoder market is expected to continue to maintain strong growth.
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An overview of the encoder industry
Encoders play an important role in robotics as a key feedback sensor.
As the core component of the servo control system, the improvement of encoder accuracy is directly related to the enhancement of servo control performance.
The encoder can accurately detect the angle of rotation and linear displacement, providing data support for the precise movement of the robot.
According to different technical principles, encoders can be divided into various types, including photoelectric encoders, magnetoelectric encoders, and inductive encoders.
According to Global Market Insights, optical and optical encoders will account for nearly half of the market share in 2022, while the market share of magnetic encoders will be close to 30%.
Optical encoders are known for their high resolution and accuracy, and are particularly suitable for robotic applications that require extremely precise movements. It also puts forward certain requirements for the working environment, such as avoiding the influence of dust, water vapor and other pollutants to maintain its stability and accuracy.
In contrast, magnetoelectric encoders show stronger environmental adaptability and can work stably under complex and changeable working conditions, although their accuracy is slightly inferior to that of photoelectric encoders.
In terms of cost, magnetoelectric encoder has more obvious advantages than photoelectric encoder, and the price can be reduced by more than 100 yuan. At the same time, the magnetic encoder is highly reliable and resistant to contaminants such as dust, dirt, liquids and grease, as well as adverse conditions such as vibration.
Considering the limitation of humanoid robots in size and their wide application needs in various outdoor environments, it is expected that magnetoelectric encoders will be more widely used in the field of humanoid robots. Its strong environmental adaptability and cost-effectiveness make it an ideal choice in humanoid robot joint actuator solutions.
Schematic diagram of magnetic encoded structure:
Source: China Transmission Network
Due to its small size, the magnetic encoder can easily adapt to the tight joint space of humanoid robots. For example, many of the life-size robots built by PALRobotics have up to 40 degrees of freedom of movement. To achieve this complex motion control, they turned to a compact and flexible magnetic encoder solution from Renishaw. This solution not only meets the requirements of the robot for the size of the encoder, but also ensures the accuracy and reliability of its motion control.
Magnetic encoders are more suitable for dual encoder solutions due to their size and immunity:
In addition, from the point of view of sensing technology, there is no physical contact between the magnetic encoder's sensor and the surface of the disc, which significantly reduces wear and maintenance requirements, resulting in a longer service life. Considering its more competitive cost factor, it is expected that the number of applications of magnetic encoders in CNC, semiconductor industrial manufacturing, robotics and other fields will show a gradual growth trend.
Overall, although optical encoders have advantages in terms of accuracy, magnetic encoders are more suitable for industrial production scenarios with harsh environments due to their excellent vibration, oil and dust resistance.
Encoder market landscape
In the global encoder market, there is still a certain gap between domestic products and imported products in terms of accuracy and comprehensive performance.
Compared with foreign products, there is still a certain gap between domestic encoders and foreign products. In terms of use, domestic encoders generally adopt a 360-degree (infinite rotation) design, while foreign encoders provide more 90 degrees, 180 degrees and other working angles.
In terms of market structure, the mid-to-high-end market is mainly occupied by overseas companies. According to MIR, in 2022, two overseas companies, Japan's Tamagawa and Germany's Heidenhain, accounted for a whopping 42% share of China's encoder market.
In terms of optical encoders, the leading domestic company is Yuheng Optics (a subsidiary of Optoelectronics), ranking third, with a market share of about 8%.
Yuheng Optics is a pioneer in the localization of optical encoders in China. Changchun No. 1 Optical Instrument Factory, the predecessor of Yuheng Optics, was established in 1965, and began to introduce Japanese manufacturing technology in 1986, established encoder products as the focus of development, and gradually formed its own intellectual property rights and brands;In 2013, Optoelectronics acquired Yuheng Optics and entered the grating sensor business, with a shareholding ratio of nearly 65% in 2019-2023H1. Today, Yuheng Optics has presided over the formulation of a number of optical encoder industry standards in mainland China and has become a benchmark enterprise in China.
In terms of magnetic encoders, foreign manufacturers include Omron, Baumer, Renishaw, Infineon and NXP. Although various domestic industrial control manufacturers have tried, they have not yet formed an obvious leadership position.
In China, in addition to Yuheng Optics, such as Huitong Optoelectronics (a subsidiary of Inovance Technology), Estun, Haozhi Electromechanical, HCFA Technology, Sanhua Intelligent Control, Flextron Electric, Mingzhi Electric, etc., also have related layout research and development. Zhenhua Fengguang focuses on the R&D and production of military magnetic encoders. In addition, there are some companies such as Ruiying, Aier, Teyike Electronics, Dongqi, Tianchuang Hengda, and Bejiafu are also making a difference in this field. #Robot##Humanoid Robot##Technology##Article Launch Challenge##财经#
Encoder Competitive Landscape in 2022:
Source: MIR
epilogue
As a key link in the servo system of humanoid robots, the encoder is of great importance. The servo system is responsible for the precise motion control of the robot, and the encoder is the core component of the system that provides precise feedback.
Humanoid robots require extremely high motion accuracy and stability, which poses a serious challenge to the performance of encoders. The high-performance encoder provides accurate position and velocity feedback, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the robot's movements.
The new optical and magnetic encoders offer significant performance improvements and reduced costs, which makes them even more promising in the field of humanoid robots.
With the continuous development of humanoid robot technology and the continuous growth of market demand, the encoder industry is expected to usher in development opportunities.
Pay attention to Leqing's industry observation and gain insight into the industrial pattern!