13 Inch High Torque Hub Motor

The application of 13 inch electric hub motors in robot chassis lies in their integration and direct drive characteristics. It is a drive unit that integrates the power system, transmission device, and braking function into the wheel and amplifies torque through reduction gears. It is particularly suitable for autonomous mobile robot platforms with high requirements for space, efficiency, and motion control accuracy.

Parameter Table

Technical Features:  

Highly Integrated and Direct Drive: By directly arranging the motor windings and magnets inside the hub, the rotor is directly connected to the wheel rim or axle, eliminating multiple components in the traditional drivetrain, such as the gearbox, drive shaft, and differential.

1. Significantly reduces the overall volume of the drive system, freeing up valuable space within the chassis for batteries, sensors, controllers, or payload.  

2. As an independent modular unit, installation and removal processes are simpler, reducing maintenance costs.

3. Eliminates external drive shafts, couplings, differentials, and other components, reducing system complexity and potential failure points.

High Efficiency and Low Energy Loss: Traditional mechanical transmission chains (such as gears, belts, and chains) generate friction and heat during energy transfer, resulting in energy loss. Our 13 inch hub motors are designed for direct drive, significantly reducing these mechanical losses and improving overall transmission efficiency. This allows robot chassis to travel farther or operate longer on the same battery capacity.

1. Energy is transmitted directly from the motor to the wheels, bypassing the energy losses caused by multi-stage gear reduction and long-distance drive shafts.

2. Reduced energy loss = lower heat generation during system operation, which not only extends the lifespan of the motor and battery but also reduces the need for additional cooling systems.

Independent Torque/Speed Control: Each wheel hub motor is an independent drive unit that can receive commands and output torque and speed independently. This enables the robot chassis to achieve differential steering (by controlling the speed difference between the two wheels to steer) and omnidirectional movement (when combined with omnidirectional wheels, by coordinating the vector output of multiple hub motors to achieve movement in any direction).

To enable the robot chassis to obtain precise position and speed feedback, high-resolution encoders (such as incremental or absolute encoders) are typically integrated into the 13inch hub motors, enabling more precise and smooth motion control of the chassis.

Low Noise and Low Vibration: Compared to multi-stage gear transmission systems, electric hub motors eliminate noise and vibration sources generated by gear meshing, typically resulting in lower operating noise and vibration. This minimizes interference with precision sensors (such as IMUs and lidars) on robots, helping to improve data collection accuracy.

Ideal for service robots operating in noise-sensitive environments such as hospitals, libraries, and offices.

Easy to Expand and Maintain: When a wheel hub motor fails, the individual unit can be quickly replaced without dismantling the entire drive system, greatly reducing downtime.

In theory, building a mobile platform with more wheels (such as a six-wheel or eight-wheel robot) to achieve a higher load capacity or stronger obstacle-crossing ability can be achieved by increasing the number of hub motors. (Please contact us for specific designs and solutions.)

When selecting electric hub motors for a robot chassis, the following technical factors must be considered:

Power density and size: The appropriate power output and physical size of the hub motor must be selected based on the robot's load, speed requirements, and wheel size.

Heat dissipation: Motors generate heat during operation. Effective heat dissipation ensures stable long-term operation and prevents overheating, derating, or damage.

Encoders and Braking: High-precision encoders are typically integrated to provide position and speed feedback, enabling closed-loop control. Additionally, integrated electromagnetic brakes or clutches provide braking and parking capabilities in the event of power loss or emergencies.

Waterproof and dustproof rating (IP rating): Considering that robot chassis may be used in various complex environments, the IP rating of wheel hub motors must meet the requirements of the application scenario to prevent water and dust from entering and causing malfunctions.

Control strategy: Since each hub motor is independently controllable, advanced motion control algorithms (such as PID control, feedforward control, etc.) must be designed to coordinate the operation of multiple motors, achieving smooth and precise motion.

As the core mobile platform that supports all robot functions, robot chassis has a wide range of applications. In the industrial and logistics sectors, robot chassis form the basis for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which efficiently perform material handling, cargo transportation, and production line delivery tasks in factories, warehouses, ports, and other environments.

Additionally, the chassis of inspection robots play a crucial role in such scenarios, enabling automated patrols of large factories, substations, and data centers for equipment monitoring, environmental sensing, and fault warning, thereby ensuring safety while effectively reducing labor costs.

In special terrain or outdoor environments with complex topography, robot chassis demonstrate strong adaptability. For example, the chassis of security patrol robots enables them to conduct 24/7 monitoring and abnormal alerts in parks and along borders. In the face of extreme danger, firefighting and bomb disposal robot chassis can replace firefighters in entering fire, explosion, or hazardous material leakage sites for reconnaissance and response, ensuring the safety of rescue personnel. In the agricultural sector, robot chassis can perform automated tasks such as planting, fertilizing, and harvesting.