This paper presents the design and validation of a high speed reluctance actuator for a soccer robot. The actuator is used to shoot a regular sized soccer ball by applying different force levels directly to the ball. As the application requires force in only one direction, a plunger type reluctance actuator is selected. A capacitor is used to buffer energy from the battery of the robot. Through an IGBT, the energy is transferred from the capacitor to the actuator. Consequently, by applying pulse width modulation, the force applied by the actuator can be adjusted to enable a variable shooting power. The reluctance type actuator is designed using finite element analysis. The actuator is build and implemented in the robot providing the capability to shoot a ball from standstill over 12 meters with a starting speed of 11 m/s.
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