One Motor, Two Degrees of Freedom Through Dynamic Response Switching

To minimize weight and cost, it is sometimes desirable to power multiple functions with a single actuator. In this letter, we present a new mechanism for powering two degrees of freedom with a single motor. We introduce a method, termed dynamic response switching (DRS), in which the actuator can drive either of two outputs, forward or backward. Switching is accomplished by briefly dropping the speed below a threshold at a particular orientation. Hence, a wide range of speeds above the threshold is available for both degrees of freedom. We demonstrate the performance available with this device in a proof-of-concept prototype.