Sign in Subscribe
Robotics

Innovative Planetary Gearbox for Robotic Applications Presents Breakthrough in Transmission Ratios and Compact Shape

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at the University of Bologna have developed an innovative planetary gearbox for robotic applications, named 'Omni', which combines the Wolfrom planetary architecture with beveloid gears to achieve small transmission ratios in a compact shape. The Omni gearbox has been designed to ensure minimal torsional backlash and has been validated through endurance and characterization tests, confirming its target performances. Funded by the NextGenerationEU programme and Company Bonfiglioli SpA, the research aims to improve the efficiency and performance of robotic applications.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Omni gearbox combines the Wolfrom planetary architecture with beveloid gears to achieve small transmission ratios (up to 1:160) in a compact shape, ensuring minimal torsional backlash (under 0.6 arcmin) over the entire lifespan of the gearbox.
  • The key advantage of beveloid gears lies in their ability to adjust their contact position through axial movements, thus ensuring minimal torsional backlash and high stiffness.
  • The Omni gearbox has been validated through endurance and characterization tests, confirming its target performances, such as very low backlash, high stiffness, smooth motion transmission, long lifespan, and low transmission error.
  • The research has reported a comparison of the technologies for robot gearboxes, highlighting the advantages of the proposed solution.
  • Two designs of the Omni gearbox have been proposed, one with solid and coaxial input and output shafts, and another with hollow and parallel shafts to accommodate data and supply cables.
  • The research has been funded by the NextGenerationEU programme and Company Bonfiglioli SpA within the project "Innovative gearboxes for robotic applications".
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Mechanism and Machine Theory journal.

Statistics:

  • The Omni gearbox achieves small transmission ratios of up to 1:160.
  • The beveloid gears used in the Omni gearbox have a minimal torsional backlash of under 0.6 arcmin.
  • The endurance and characterization tests confirm the target performances of the Omni gearbox, including very low backlash, high stiffness, smooth motion transmission, long lifespan, and low transmission error.
  • The NextGenerationEU programme has funded the research, with a total budget allocated for the project.
  • The project "Innovative gearboxes for robotic applications" has been implemented by the University of Bologna in collaboration with Company Bonfiglioli SpA.

Sources:

  • Omni: a Low-backlash Planetary Wolfrom Gearbox With Beveloid Gears for Robotic Applications. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 2025;214.
  • Mechanism and Machine Theory can be contacted at: Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Mechanism and Machine Theory - www.journals.elsevier.com/mechanism-and-machine-theory/)
  • University of Bologna Reports Findings in Robotics (Omni: a Low-backlash Planetary Wolfrom Gearbox With Beveloid Gears for Robotic Applications). Journal of Engineering. October 20, 2025; p 4593.

Read more