1,150 research outputs found
The Problem of Adhesion Methods and Locomotion Mechanism Development for Wall-Climbing Robots
This review considers a problem in the development of mobile robot adhesion
methods with vertical surfaces and the appropriate locomotion mechanism design.
The evolution of adhesion methods for wall-climbing robots (based on friction,
magnetic forces, air pressure, electrostatic adhesion, molecular forces,
rheological properties of fluids and their combinations) and their locomotion
principles (wheeled, tracked, walking, sliding framed and hybrid) is studied.
Wall-climbing robots are classified according to the applications, adhesion
methods and locomotion mechanisms. The advantages and disadvantages of various
adhesion methods and locomotion mechanisms are analyzed in terms of mobility,
noiselessness, autonomy and energy efficiency. Focus is placed on the physical
and technical aspects of the adhesion methods and the possibility of combining
adhesion and locomotion methods
Magnetic Adhesion in Wall Climbing Robots using varied Electromagnet Arrangements
The improvements and innovations in the field of robotics have given a great opportunity to perform tasks that are hazardous for humans to perform. For example, robots can be used for working on high-storied buildings, inspection on ferromagnetic surfaces, painting and maintenance of buildings, surveillance purposes, etc., at the outset, to carry out any operation on vertical surfaces, which may be quite hazardous and time-consuming as well, wall climbing robots (WCRs) can be deployed. The method of adhesion determines the stability of the robot on the wall, be it smooth or coarse. Using magnets to bring about magnetic adhesion would be advantageous when the robot is maneuvered over iron or steel surfaces, typically, to clean boilers, etc., This paper presents the different ways of placements of the magnets, both permanent and electromagnets, in order to introduce adequate magnetic adhesion that would cease the robot from toppling down while encountering an obstacle. This work proposes two methods of arrangement of magnets: square and diamond. Four electromagnets when arranged in array formation with 5000 windings of thin copper coil, generated a magnetic field force of approximately 150 N when 50 A of current is passed. By and large, around 35 N to 40 N is the suction force that would be sufficient to stick the WCR of 2kg on the wall, while using a suction chamber instead of electromagnets. Other methods of placing the magnets such as square and diamond are studied and compared as well using FEMM. Hence arranging the 4 electromagnets in array formation gives an adhesion pressure sufficient to hold and move the WCR, over the vertical wall against gravity
Constructing living buildings: a review of relevant technologies for a novel application of biohybrid robotics
Biohybrid robotics takes an engineering approach to the expansion and exploitation of biological behaviours for application to automated tasks. Here, we identify the construction of living buildings and infrastructure as a high-potential application domain for biohybrid robotics, and review technological advances relevant to its future development. Construction, civil infrastructure maintenance and building occupancy in the last decades have comprised a major portion of economic production, energy consumption and carbon emissions. Integrating biological organisms into automated construction tasks and permanent building components therefore has high potential for impact. Live materials can provide several advantages over standard synthetic construction materials, including self-repair of damage, increase rather than degradation of structural performance over time, resilience to corrosive environments, support of biodiversity, and mitigation of urban heat islands. Here, we review relevant technologies, which are currently disparate. They span robotics, self-organizing systems, artificial life, construction automation, structural engineering, architecture, bioengineering, biomaterials, and molecular and cellular biology. In these disciplines, developments relevant to biohybrid construction and living buildings are in the early stages, and typically are not exchanged between disciplines. We, therefore, consider this review useful to the future development of biohybrid engineering for this highly interdisciplinary application.publishe
Mechatronic Systems
Mechatronics, the synergistic blend of mechanics, electronics, and computer science, has evolved over the past twenty five years, leading to a novel stage of engineering design. By integrating the best design practices with the most advanced technologies, mechatronics aims at realizing high-quality products, guaranteeing at the same time a substantial reduction of time and costs of manufacturing. Mechatronic systems are manifold and range from machine components, motion generators, and power producing machines to more complex devices, such as robotic systems and transportation vehicles. With its twenty chapters, which collect contributions from many researchers worldwide, this book provides an excellent survey of recent work in the field of mechatronics with applications in various fields, like robotics, medical and assistive technology, human-machine interaction, unmanned vehicles, manufacturing, and education. We would like to thank all the authors who have invested a great deal of time to write such interesting chapters, which we are sure will be valuable to the readers. Chapters 1 to 6 deal with applications of mechatronics for the development of robotic systems. Medical and assistive technologies and human-machine interaction systems are the topic of chapters 7 to 13.Chapters 14 and 15 concern mechatronic systems for autonomous vehicles. Chapters 16-19 deal with mechatronics in manufacturing contexts. Chapter 20 concludes the book, describing a method for the installation of mechatronics education in schools
Design and Real Time Control of a Versatile Scansorial Robot
This thesis presents investigations into the development of a versatile scansorial mobile robot and real-time realisation of a control system for different configurations of the robot namely climbing mode, walking mode and steering mode. The mobile robot comprises of a hybrid leg and wheel mechanism with innovative design that
enables it to interchange its configuration to perform the specific tasks of pole climbing in climbing mode, walking and step climbing in walking mode, and skid steering and inclined slope climbing in steering mode. The motivation of this research is due to the surrounding environment which is not always structured for exploration or navigation missions, and thus poses significant difficulty for the robot to manoeuvre and accomplish the intended task. Hence, the development of versatile scansorial robot with a flexible and interchangeable configuration can provide a broad
range of applications and locomotion system and to achieve the mission objective successfully.
The robot design consists of four arms/legs with wheel attached at each end-effector and has two link manipulation capability. In climbing mode, the arms are configured as grippers to grip the pole and wheels accelerate to ascend or descend. The climbing
angle is monitored to retain the level of the robot while climbing. However, in walking mode, the arms are configured as legs and the wheels are disabled. By implementing a periodic walking gait, the robot is capable of performing stable walking and step climbing. In steering mode, the arms are configured as suspension and the wheels are used for manoeuvring. In this mode, the skid steering system is used to enable the robot perform the turn.
The versatile scansorial robot’s configurations and locomotion capabilities are assessed experimentally in real time implementation using the physical prototype. The experiments provided demonstrate the versatility of the robot and successfully fulfill the aims and objectives of the research
Fall Prediction for Bipedal Robots: The Standing Phase
This paper presents a novel approach to fall prediction for bipedal robots,
specifically targeting the detection of potential falls while standing caused
by abrupt, incipient, and intermittent faults. Leveraging a 1D convolutional
neural network (CNN), our method aims to maximize lead time for fall prediction
while minimizing false positive rates. The proposed algorithm uniquely
integrates the detection of various fault types and estimates the lead time for
potential falls. Our contributions include the development of an algorithm
capable of detecting abrupt, incipient, and intermittent faults in full-sized
robots, its implementation using both simulation and hardware data for a
humanoid robot, and a method for estimating lead time. Evaluation metrics,
including false positive rate, lead time, and response time, demonstrate the
efficacy of our approach. Particularly, our model achieves impressive lead
times and response times across different fault scenarios with a false positive
rate of 0. The findings of this study hold significant implications for
enhancing the safety and reliability of bipedal robotic systems.Comment: Submitted to ICRA 2024. This work has been submitted to the IEEE for
possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after
which this version may no longer be accessibl
The Effect of Tail Stiffness on a Sprawling Quadruped Locomotion
A distinctive feature of quadrupeds that is integral to their locomotion is
the tail. Tails serve many purposes in biological systems including propulsion,
counterbalance, and stabilization while walking, running, climbing, or jumping.
Similarly, tails in legged robots may augment the stability and maneuverability
of legged robots by providing an additional point of contact with the ground.
However, in the field of terrestrial bio-inspired legged robotics, the tail is
often ignored because of the difficulties in design and control. This study
will test the hypothesis that a variable stiffness robotic tail can improve the
performance of a sprawling quadruped robot by enhancing its stability and
maneuverability in various environments. To test our hypothesis, we add a
multi-segment, cable-driven, flexible tail, whose stiffness is controlled by a
single servo motor in conjunction with a reel and cable system, to the
underactuated sprawling quadruped robot. By controlling the stiffness of the
tail, we have shown that the stability of locomotion on rough terrain and the
climbing ability of the robot are improved compared to the movement with a
rigid tail and no tail. The flexible tail design also provides passively
controlled tail undulation capabilities through the robot's lateral movement,
which contributes to stability
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