On the eve of modern robotic devices leaving their protective safety fences to enter our homes and interact directly with us, the gearboxes used in the actuators that power these devices still face significant challenges. Modern collaborative robots, including cobots, exoskeletons, prostheses, or AGVs, place more demanding weight, efficiency, and affordability requirements on their gearboxes, which Cycloidal and Strain Wave Drive technologies have difficulties fulfilling.

This situation provides a highly dynamic field for engineering research. In this paper, we assess the potential of high-ratio planetary gearboxes for modern robotic applications, using an assessment framework to identify their main advantages and limitations, which we then analyze in further detail. The resulting insights indicate that compact planetary gearboxes may see a significant come-back in the next generation of robots.