The goal of this project was to design a non-backdriving mechanism capable of rotating a 20 kg point load positioned 10 cm from the axis of rotation (approximately 20 N·m of torque).

The key design constraint was the cross-sectional geometry of the mechanism. The entire assembly needed to fit within a 100mm by 50mm pill-shaped cross-section, with no limitations on axial length.

To meet these requirements, a standard 24V, 40mm diameter DC gearmotor was chosen to power the mechanism. The motor was coupled with a lead screw linear actuator to generate high linear force. The actuator's carriage was then connected to a low-pitch axial cam. The cam then converted the linear force into a non-backdriving rotary output.