Voice Coil Actuators for Percussion Robotics

Percussion robots have successfully used a variety of actuator technologies to activate a wide array of striking mechanisms. Popular types of actuators include solenoids and DC motors. However, the use of industrial strength voice coil actuators provides a compelling alternative given a desirable set of heterogeneous features and requirements that span traditional devices. Their characteristics such as high acceleration and accurate positioning enable the exploration of rendering highly accurate and expressive percussion performances.