With a mini project designing a cycloidal drive using bearings, I wanted to put it to use in a larger project. I decided to design a 4-DoF cobot that would be driven by smaller versions of these cycloidal drives. I planned to use NEMA 17 motors for the joints and 3D print the majority of structural components. 

Torque Calculations and Parameters

I started out by conducting calculations on torque, on the required torque on each joint, based on the motor weight and the estimated weight of structural components. This provided me with weight and length goals for each joint and ensured the joints could be driven with minimal backdrive and that enough torque could be generated to lift its weight and a payload.