Multi-Segment Parallel Continuum Manipulator

Continuum manipulators are a type of robot arm that resemble biological tentacles and trunks. They have a flexible and compliant structure, which may allow them to out-perform rigid-link designs in cluttered workspaces or in environments that contain people. While most continuum manipulators are required to have constant curvature along the length of each segment, a new design known as a parallel continuum manipulator removes this restriction and inherits some properties of parallel rigid-link robots such as greater stability, precision, strength, and maneuverability. Until now, only single segment forms of these manipulators have been created. This project expands this manipulator design concept by creating the first multi-segment parallel continuum manipulator

Systems and Methods for Gravity-Independent Gripping and Drilling

Systems and methods for gravity independent gripping and drilling are described. The gripping device can also comprise a drill or sampling devices for drilling and/or sampling in microgravity environments, or on vertical or inverted surfaces in environments where gravity is present. A robotic system can be connected with the gripping and drilling devices via an ankle interface adapted to distribute the forces realized from the robotic system

Workshop on "Robotic assembly of 3D MEMS".

Proceedings of a workshop proposed in IEEE IROS'2007.The increase of MEMS' functionalities often requires the integration of various technologies used for mechanical, optical and electronic subsystems in order to achieve a unique system. These different technologies have usually process incompatibilities and the whole microsystem can not be obtained monolithically and then requires microassembly steps. Microassembly of MEMS based on micrometric components is one of the most promising approaches to achieve high-performance MEMS. Moreover, microassembly also permits to develop suitable MEMS packaging as well as 3D components although microfabrication technologies are usually able to create 2D and "2.5D" components. The study of microassembly methods is consequently a high stake for MEMS technologies growth. Two approaches are currently developped for microassembly: self-assembly and robotic microassembly. In the first one, the assembly is highly parallel but the efficiency and the flexibility still stay low. The robotic approach has the potential to reach precise and reliable assembly with high flexibility. The proposed workshop focuses on this second approach and will take a bearing of the corresponding microrobotic issues. Beyond the microfabrication technologies, performing MEMS microassembly requires, micromanipulation strategies, microworld dynamics and attachment technologies. The design and the fabrication of the microrobot end-effectors as well as the assembled micro-parts require the use of microfabrication technologies. Moreover new micromanipulation strategies are necessary to handle and position micro-parts with sufficiently high accuracy during assembly. The dynamic behaviour of micrometric objects has also to be studied and controlled. Finally, after positioning the micro-part, attachment technologies are necessary

Design and experimental evaluation of a new modular underactuated multi-fingered robot hand

© IMechE 2020. In this paper, a modular underactuated multi-fingered robot hand is proposed. The robot hand can be freely configured with different number and configuration of modular fingers according to the work needs. Driving motion is achieved by the rigid structure of the screw and the connecting rod. A finger-connecting mechanism is designed on the palm of the robot hand to meet the needs of modular finger’s installation, drive, rotation, and sensor connections. The fingertips are made of hollow rubber to enhance the stability of grasping. Details about the design of the robot hand and analysis of the robot kinematics and grasping process are described. Last, a prototype is developed, and a grab test is carried out. Experimental results demonstrate that the structure of proposed modular robot hand is reasonable, which enables the adaptability and flexibility of the modular robot hand to meet the requirements of various grasping modes in practice

Space Exploration Robotic Systems - Orbital Manipulation Mechanisms

In the future, orbital space robots will assist humans in space by constructing and maintaining space modules and structures. Robotic manipulators will play essential roles in orbital operations. This work is devoted to the implemented designs of two different orbital manipulation mechanical grippers developed in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space Italy and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology. The consensus to a study phase for an IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) successor, a preoperational vehicle called SPACE RIDER (Space Rider Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for European Return), has been recently enlarged, as approved during last EU Ministerial Council. One of the main project task consists in developing SPACE RIDER to conduct on orbit servicing activity with no docking. SPACE RIDER would be provided with a robotic manipulator system (arm and gripper) able to transfer cargos, such as scientific payloads, from low Earth orbiting platforms to SPACE RIDER cargo bay. The platform is a part of a space tug designed to move small satellites and other payloads from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) and viceversa. The assumed housing cargo bay requirements in terms of volume (<100l) and mass (<50kg) combined with the required overall arm dimensions (4m length), and mass of the cargo (5-30kg) force to developing an innovative robotic manipulator with the task-oriented end effector. It results in a seven degree-of-freedom arm to ensure a high degree of dexterity and a dedicate end-effector designed to grasp the cargo interface. The gripper concept developed consists in a multi-finger hand able to lock both translational and rotational cargo degrees of freedom through an innovative underactuation strategy to limit its mass and volume. A configuration study on the cargo handle interface was performed together with some computer aided design models and multibody analysis of the whole system to prove its feasibility. Finally, the concept of system control architecture, the test report and the gripper structural analysis were defined. In order to be able to accurately analyze a sample of Martian soil and to determine if life was present on the red planet, a lot of mission concepts have been formulating to reach Mars and to bring back a terrain sample. NASA JPL has been studying such mission concepts for many years. This concept is made up of three intermediate mission accomplishments. Mars 2020 is the first mission envisioned to collect the terrain sample and to seal it in sample tubes. These sealed sample tubes could be inserted in a spherical envelope named Orbiting Sample (OS). A Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) is the notional rocket designed to bring this sample off Mars, and a Rendezvous Orbiting Capture System (ROCS) is the mission conceived to bring this sample back to Earth through the Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV). MOSTT is the technical work study to create new concepts able to capture and reorient an OS. This maneuver is particularly important because we do not know an OS incoming orientation and we need to be able to capture, to reorient it (2 rotational degrees of freedom), and to retain an OS (3 translational degrees of freedom and 2 rotational ones). Planetary protection requirements generate a need to enclose an OS in two shells and to seal it through a process called Break-The-Chain (BTC). Considering the EEV would return back to Earth, the tubes orientation and position have to be known in detail to prevent any possible damage during the Earth hard landing (acceleration of ∼1300g). Tests and analysis report that in order for the hermetic seals of the sample tubes to survive the impact, they should be located above an OS equator. Due to other system uncertainties an OS presents the potential requirement to be properly reoriented before being inserted inside the EEV. Planetary protection issues and landing safety are critical mission points and provide potential strict requirements to MOSTT system configuration. This task deals with the concept, design, and testbed realization of an innovative electro-mechanical system to reorient an OS consistent with all the necessary potential requirements. One of these electro-mechanical systems consists of a controlled-motorized wiper that explores all an OS surface until it engages with a pin on an OS surface and brings it to the final home location reorienting an OS. This mechanism is expected to be robust to the incoming OS orientation and to reorient it to the desired position using only one degree of freedom rotational actuator

Kinematics and Robot Design II (KaRD2019) and III (KaRD2020)

This volume collects papers published in two Special Issues “Kinematics and Robot Design II, KaRD2019” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics/special_issues/KRD2019) and “Kinematics and Robot Design III, KaRD2020” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics/special_issues/KaRD2020), which are the second and third issues of the KaRD Special Issue series hosted by the open access journal robotics.The KaRD series is an open environment where researchers present their works and discuss all topics focused on the many aspects that involve kinematics in the design of robotic/automatic systems. It aims at being an established reference for researchers in the field as other serial international conferences/publications are. Even though the KaRD series publishes one Special Issue per year, all the received papers are peer-reviewed as soon as they are submitted and, if accepted, they are immediately published in MDPI Robotics. Kinematics is so intimately related to the design of robotic/automatic systems that the admitted topics of the KaRD series practically cover all the subjects normally present in well-established international conferences on “mechanisms and robotics”.KaRD2019 together with KaRD2020 received 22 papers and, after the peer-review process, accepted only 17 papers. The accepted papers cover problems related to theoretical/computational kinematics, to biomedical engineering and to other design/applicative aspects

Automation of garment assembly processes

Robotic automation in apparel manufacturing is reviewed and investigated. Gripper design for separation and de-stacking of batch cut fabric components is identified as an important factor in implementing such automation and a study of existing gripper mechanisms is presented. New de-stacking gripper designs and processes are described together with experimental results. Single fabric component handling, alignment and registration techniques are investigated. Some of these techniques are integrated within a demonstrator robotic garment assembly cell automating the common edge binding process. Performance results are reported