Parallel Manipulators

In recent years, parallel kinematics mechanisms have attracted a lot of attention from the academic and industrial communities due to potential applications not only as robot manipulators but also as machine tools. Generally, the criteria used to compare the performance of traditional serial robots and parallel robots are the workspace, the ratio between the payload and the robot mass, accuracy, and dynamic behaviour. In addition to the reduced coupling effect between joints, parallel robots bring the benefits of much higher payload-robot mass ratios, superior accuracy and greater stiffness; qualities which lead to better dynamic performance. The main drawback with parallel robots is the relatively small workspace. A great deal of research on parallel robots has been carried out worldwide, and a large number of parallel mechanism systems have been built for various applications, such as remote handling, machine tools, medical robots, simulators, micro-robots, and humanoid robots. This book opens a window to exceptional research and development work on parallel mechanisms contributed by authors from around the world. Through this window the reader can get a good view of current parallel robot research and applications

MUSME 2011 4 th International Symposium on Multibody Systems and Mechatronics

El libro de actas recoge las aportaciones de los autores a través de los correspondientes artículos a la Dinámica de Sistemas Multicuerpo y la Mecatrónica (Musme). Estas disciplinas se han convertido en una importante herramienta para diseñar máquinas, analizar prototipos virtuales y realizar análisis CAD sobre complejos sistemas mecánicos articulados multicuerpo. La dinámica de sistemas multicuerpo comprende un gran número de aspectos que incluyen la mecánica, dinámica estructural, matemáticas aplicadas, métodos de control, ciencia de los ordenadores y mecatrónica. Los artículos recogidos en el libro de actas están relacionados con alguno de los siguientes tópicos del congreso: Análisis y síntesis de mecanismos ; Diseño de algoritmos para sistemas mecatrónicos ; Procedimientos de simulación y resultados ; Prototipos y rendimiento ; Robots y micromáquinas ; Validaciones experimentales ; Teoría de simulación mecatrónica ; Sistemas mecatrónicos ; Control de sistemas mecatrónicosUniversitat Politècnica de València (2011). MUSME 2011 4 th International Symposium on Multibody Systems and Mechatronics. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/13224Archivo delegad

Industrial Robotics

This book covers a wide range of topics relating to advanced industrial robotics, sensors and automation technologies. Although being highly technical and complex in nature, the papers presented in this book represent some of the latest cutting edge technologies and advancements in industrial robotics technology. This book covers topics such as networking, properties of manipulators, forward and inverse robot arm kinematics, motion path-planning, machine vision and many other practical topics too numerous to list here. The authors and editor of this book wish to inspire people, especially young ones, to get involved with robotic and mechatronic engineering technology and to develop new and exciting practical applications, perhaps using the ideas and concepts presented herein

Fourth Annual Workshop on Space Operations Applications and Research (SOAR 90)

The proceedings of the SOAR workshop are presented. The technical areas included are as follows: Automation and Robotics; Environmental Interactions; Human Factors; Intelligent Systems; and Life Sciences. NASA and Air Force programmatic overviews and panel sessions were also held in each technical area

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 5

Papers presented at the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics are compiled. The theme of the conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for the application of telerobotics technology to the space systems planned for the 1990's and beyond. Volume 5 contains papers related to the following subject areas: robot arm modeling and control, special topics in telerobotics, telerobotic space operations, manipulator control, flight experiment concepts, manipulator coordination, issues in artificial intelligence systems, and research activities at the Johnson Space Center

Force guided docking control of an omnidirectional holonomic vehicle and its application to wheelchairs

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-85).by Stephen A. Mascaro.M.S

Hybrid force and position control in robotic surface processing

PhD ThesisThis programme of research was supported by NEI Parsons Ltd. who sought a robotic means of polishing mechanical components. A study of the problems associated with robot controlled surface processing is presented. From this evolved an approach consistent with the formalisation of the demands of workpiece manipulation which included the adoption of the Hybrid robot control scheme capable of simultaneous force and position control. A unique 3 axis planar experimental manipulator was designed which utilized combined parallel and serial drives. A force sensing wrist was used to measure contact force. A variant of the Hybrid control 'scheme was successfully implemented on a twin computer control system. A number of manipulator control programs are presented. The force control aspect is shown both experimentally and analytically to present control problems and the research has concentrated on this aspect. A general analysis of the dynamics of force control is given which shows force response to be dependent on a number' of important parameters including force sensor, environment and manipulator dynamics. The need for a robust or adaptable force controller is discussed. A series of force controlled manipulator experiments is described and the results discussed in the context of general analyses and specific single degree of freedom simulations. Improvements to manipulator force control are suggested and some were implemented. These are discussed together with their immediate application to the improvement of robot controlled surface processing. This work also lays important foundations for long term related research. In particular the new techniques for actively controlled assembly and force control under 'fast' operation.Science and Engineering Research Council NEI Parsons Ltd

Climbing and Walking Robots

With the advancement of technology, new exciting approaches enable us to render mobile robotic systems more versatile, robust and cost-efficient. Some researchers combine climbing and walking techniques with a modular approach, a reconfigurable approach, or a swarm approach to realize novel prototypes as flexible mobile robotic platforms featuring all necessary locomotion capabilities. The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of the latest wide-range achievements in climbing and walking robotic technology to researchers, scientists, and engineers throughout the world. Different aspects including control simulation, locomotion realization, methodology, and system integration are presented from the scientific and from the technical point of view. This book consists of two main parts, one dealing with walking robots, the second with climbing robots. The content is also grouped by theoretical research and applicative realization. Every chapter offers a considerable amount of interesting and useful information

Influence of spatial orientation and spatial visualization abilities on space teleoperation performance

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-65).Astronauts perform space teleoperation tasks with visual feedback from outside cameras. Individuals differ greatly in the ability to integrate camera views, understand the workspace, and ensure clearances between the robot arm and obstacles. We believe that these individual differences correlate with two known subcomponents of spatial intelligence: perspective-taking (PT) and spatial visualization (SV). A preliminary study [1] supports this hypothesis. We believe astronauts use PT (the ability to imagine an object from a different viewpoint) to integrate camera information into an environmentally-referenced frame defined by the arm control axes. In some cases, it may be easier to visualize the manipulation of the payload with respect to the robot arm itself, than to the environment. In that case, SV(i.e., the ability to mentally manipulate an object from an egocentric perspective) may be exploited. We measured the performance of 25 naive subjects who used hand-controllers to rotate and translate, and 3 environmentally-fixed camera views. These devices controlled a 2-boom, 6 degree-of-freedom virtually-simulated arm to perform pickup and docking subtasks.(cont.) To challenge the subjects' spatial ability we introduced a wide separation between camera views for some tests, and misalignments between the translation control and the display reference frames. We used the Perspective-Taking Ability test (PTA) and the Purdue Spatial Visualizations Test: Visualization of Views (PSVT:V) to measure PT, and the Cube Comparisons test (CC) to assess SV. We concluded that PTA predicted performance on pickup and docking subtasks, but PSVT:V did not. CC scores correlated with those measures of performance that did not necessarily require PT. High perspective-taking scorers performed the pickup task significantly more efficiently than low, but not faster. In docking, however, they were both significantly faster and more accurate, collided less often, and docked more accurately. In both tasks they moved along only one axis at a time. High CC scorers docked significantly more accurately and rotated about fewer axes at any one time. Whenever we found a significant effect of PSVT:V on a dependent variable, we also found one for PTA; but not the reverse.(cont.) We had expected higher PT scorers to perform better than others under the challenge of wider camera angles and greater control-display frame misalignments, but we could not demonstrate this. On average females were slower and had lower docking accuracy, an effect related, perhaps, to their lower spatial ability scores. This study of performance during the first two hours of teleoperation training may help define issues for future research.by María Alejandra Menchaca Brandan.S.M

ESSE 2017. Proceedings of the International Conference on Environmental Science and Sustainable Energy

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical-, biological-, and information sciences to study and solve environmental problems. ESSE - The International Conference on Environmental Science and Sustainable Energy provides a platform for experts, professionals, and researchers to share updated information and stimulate the communication with each other. In 2017 it was held in Suzhou, China June 23-25, 2017