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

Integrating mobile robotics and vision with undergraduate computer science

This paper describes the integration of robotics education into an undergraduate Computer Science curriculum. The proposed approach delivers mobile robotics as well as covering the closely related field of Computer Vision, and is directly linked to the research conducted at the authors’ institution. The paper describes the most relevant details of the module content and assessment strategy, paying particular attention to the practical sessions using Rovio mobile robots. The specific choices are discussed that were made with regard to the mobile platform, software libraries and lab environment. The paper also presents a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of student results, including the correlation between student engagement and performance, and discusses the outcomes of this experience

Multirobot heterogeneous control considering secondary objectives

Cooperative robotics has considered tasks that are executed frequently, maintaining the shape and orientation of robotic systems when they fulfill a common objective, without taking advantage of the redundancy that the robotic group could present. This paper presents a proposal for controlling a group of terrestrial robots with heterogeneous characteristics, considering primary and secondary tasks thus that the group complies with the following of a path while modifying its shape and orientation at any time. The development of the proposal is achieved through the use of controllers based on linear algebra, propounding a low computational cost and high scalability algorithm. Likewise, the stability of the controller is analyzed to know the required features that have to be met by the control constants, that is, the correct values. Finally, experimental results are shown with di erent configurations and heterogeneous robots, where the graphics corroborate the expected operation of the proposalThis research was funded by Corporación Ecuatoriana para el Desarrollo de la Investigación y Academia–CEDI

Miniature mobile sensor platforms for condition monitoring of structures

In this paper, a wireless, multisensor inspection system for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of materials is described. The sensor configuration enables two inspection modes-magnetic (flux leakage and eddy current) and noncontact ultrasound. Each is designed to function in a complementary manner, maximizing the potential for detection of both surface and internal defects. Particular emphasis is placed on the generic architecture of a novel, intelligent sensor platform, and its positioning on the structure under test. The sensor units are capable of wireless communication with a remote host computer, which controls manipulation and data interpretation. Results are presented in the form of automatic scans with different NDE sensors in a series of experiments on thin plate structures. To highlight the advantage of utilizing multiple inspection modalities, data fusion approaches are employed to combine data collected by complementary sensor systems. Fusion of data is shown to demonstrate the potential for improved inspection reliability

Fast Simulation of Vehicles with Non-deformable Tracks

This paper presents a novel technique that allows for both computationally fast and sufficiently plausible simulation of vehicles with non-deformable tracks. The method is based on an effect we have called Contact Surface Motion. A comparison with several other methods for simulation of tracked vehicle dynamics is presented with the aim to evaluate methods that are available off-the-shelf or with minimum effort in general-purpose robotics simulators. The proposed method is implemented as a plugin for the open-source physics-based simulator Gazebo using the Open Dynamics Engine.Comment: Submitted to IROS 201

Suboptimal Omnidirectional Wheel Design and Implementation

The optimal design of an omnidirectional wheel is usually focused on the minimization of the gap between the free rollers of the wheel in order to minimize contact discontinuities with the floor in order to minimize the generation of vibrations. However, in practice, a fast, tall, and heavy-weighted mobile robot using optimal omnidirectional wheels may also need a suspension system in order to reduce the presence of vibrations and oscillations in the upper part of the mobile robot. This paper empirically evaluates whether a heavy-weighted omnidirectional mobile robot can take advantage of its passive suspension system in order to also use non-optimal or suboptimal omnidirectional wheels with a non-optimized inner gap. The main comparative advantages of the proposed suboptimal omnidirectional wheel are its low manufacturing cost and the possibility of taking advantage of the gap to operate outdoors. The experimental part of this paper compares the vibrations generated by the motion system of a versatile mobile robot using optimal and suboptimal omnidirectional wheels. The final conclusion is that a suboptimal wheel with a large gap produces comparable on-board vibration patterns while maintaining the traction and increasing the grip on non-perfect planar surfaces.This research was funded by the MCI program, grant number PID2020-118874RB-I00

A disaster risk assessment model for the conservation of cultural heritage sites in Melaka Malaysia

There exist ongoing efforts to reduce the exposure of Cultural Heritage Sites (CHSs) to Disaster Risk (DR). However, a complicated issue these efforts face is that of ‘estimation’ whereby no standardised unit exist for assessing the effects of Cultural Heritage (CH) exposed to DR as compared to other exposed items having standardised assessment units such as; ‘number of people’ for deaths, injured and displaced, ‘dollar’ for economic impact, ‘number of units’ for building stock or animals among others. This issue inhibits the effective assessment of CHSs exposed to DR. Although there exist several DR assessment frameworks for conserving CHSs, the conceptualisation of DR in these studies fall short of good practice such as international strategy for disaster reduction by United Nations which expresses DR to being a hollistic interplay of three variables (hazard, vulnerability and capacity). Adopting such good practice, this research seeks to propose a mechanism of DR assessment aimed at reducing the exposure of CHSs to DR. Quantitative method adopted for data collection involved a survey of 365 respondents at CHSs in Melaka using a structured questionnaire. Similarly, data analysis consisted of a two-step Structural Equation Modelling (measurement and structural modelling). The achievement of the recommended thresholds for unidimensionality, validity and reliability by the measurement models is a testimony to the model fitness for all 8 first-order independent variables and 2 first-order dependent variables. While hazard had a ‘small’ but negative effect, vulnerability had a ‘very large’ but negative effect on the exposure of CHSs to DR. Likewise, capacity had a ‘small’ but positive effect on the exposure of CHSs to DR. The outcome of this study is a Disaster Risk Assessment Model (DRAM) aimed at reducing DR to CHSs. The implication of this research is providing insights on decisions for DR assessment to institutions, policymakers and statutory bodies towards their approach to enhancing the conservation of CHSs