• attuatore armonico
• gearbox
• harmonic drive gear
• mechanical design
• mechatronics
• motion control
• reducer
• robot
• robotics
• strain wave gear

This thesis focuses on the design and experimental validation of a novel actuator based on the principle of harmonic gear drive (strain wave gear). Conventional harmonic gear drives are widely used in robotics due to their compact size and high transmission ratio; however, their adoption is limited by difficulties in manufacturing and high production costs.
The main innovation consists of replacing the flexspline of a traditional strain wave gear with a timing belt, to maintain a flexible element within the mechanism, while simplifying its production.
The final version of the prototype was physically tested by means of a PID controller to verify its working principle: the actuator was operated under position control to study its dynamic performance and confirm the achievement of the desired transmission ratio of 31, while velocity control provided the required starting torque and the torque necessary to maintain a steady-state velocity. Finally, torque control was used to determine the maximum transmissible torque.
The tests demonstrate that the actuator maintains the key properties of the traditional one, such as high torque density, non-backdrivability and compactness. These results confirm the feasibility of the proposed design and suggest its application in low-cost robotic systems, where space efficiency and reliability are essential. Future work will focus on the optimization of components’ material to increase overall precision and on long-term durability tests.