Design Study of the Spoke Structure for Joint Torque Sensor

The joint Torque Sensor is one of the important parts of robotic arm. It helps in measuring the torque experienced in each joint in a robotic arm. The torque on the joints creates tension and compression on the mechanical structure of the sensor. This develops a strain on the sensor structure, and we can measure it using strain gauges. Using the measured strain, we can find the torque applied on the joint. The torque sensor is having an inner hub and outer rim, both are joined using four spokes. Based on the structure of the spoke the strain will vary. If we use a simple cantilever beam as the spoke, the structure may not give higher strain values. So, while designing the sensor, we must make sure that the spoke structure gives maximum and uniform strain over the area where we fix the strain gauge. This paper is discussing the design study of the spoke using Solidworks software.