Khorasani, AminAminKhorasaniHubert, ThierryThierryHubertDesmedt, NathanNathanDesmedtFurnemont, RaphaelRaphaelFurnemontGirard, AlexandreAlexandreGirardVanderborght, BramBramVanderborghtVerstraten, TomTomVerstraten2026-08-312026-08-3120260094-114Xhttps://imec-publications.be/handle/20.500.12860/60149Human-robot interaction involves unavoidable collision risks, especially in uncontrolled impacts where forces rise rapidly. Conventional single-drive actuators (SDAs) exhibit high reflected inertia, limiting their intrinsic safety and motivating actuator designs that can passively reduce impact severity. This paper investigates Dual Motor Actuators (DMAs) as a promising solution for passive impact mitigation. We develop a high-fidelity collision model and a complementary analytical formulation that together capture the dynamics of robot-human collisions, including the influence of actuator inertia distribution. The models are validated through simulations and experiments using high-frequency force measurements at 2 kHz. Experimental and simulation results show that DMAs can passively reduce peak impact forces by up to 34% compared to SDAs, despite identical output torque capability. The analytical model accurately predicts peak forces and time-to-peak across a wide range of conditions, showing that collisions reach their maximum force within 17–79 ms. This narrow response window aligns with the experimentally observed 9 ms detection latency at a 1 kHz sampling rate, underscoring the importance of intrinsic mechanical safety. Together, these results demonstrate that DMAs offer a robust actuator architecture for passive impact mitigation and provide actionable design insights for safer collaborative and humanoid robots.engJournal article10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2026.106454WOS:001757448500001DESIGNFORCE