Recently, self-adaptive systems have been widely used in robotics, in autonomous transport technology and in the aerospace industry. Weyns presented a set of basic principles, engineering fundamentals, and self-adaptation applications in software-intensive systems. Self-adaptation will be a crucial function in solving the problems of new and future systems. Bollinger presented an overview of automated drives and controls in the context of a wide variety of industrial and laboratory applications. It is stated that a multi-axis robotic device is a highly sophisticated machine that can have insurmountable theoretical control problems. Self-adaptation capabilities can be significantly improved by using adaptive mechanical drives that independently adapt to external loads and do not require power parameter control. The control of adaptive drives consists only in the coordination of their actions. A compact self-regulating adaptive drive containing a motor and an adaptive mechanical converter (without a control system) is the object of research. The author has developed an adaptive mechanical converter for continuously regulating the power and kinematic parameters of the drive in a wide range using a two-moving gear mechanism containing an additional constraint. The article presents the theoretical basis for creating a compact stepless drive with an adaptive mechanical converter that provides the ability to move in a wide range of control without a control system.