Control of A High Performance Bipedal Robot using Viscoelastic Liquid Cooled Actuators

This paper describes the control, and evaluation of a new human-scaled biped robot with liquid cooled viscoelastic actuators (VLCA). Based on the lessons learned from previous work from our team on VLCA [1], we present a new system design embodying a Reaction Force Sensing Series Elastic Actuator (RFSEA) and a Force Sensing Series Elastic Actuator (FSEA). These designs are aimed at reducing the size and weight of the robot's actuation system while inheriting the advantages of our designs such as energy efficiency, torque density, impact resistance and position/force controllability. The system design takes into consideration human-inspired kinematics and range-of-motion (ROM), while relying on foot placement to balance. In terms of actuator control, we perform a stability analysis on a Disturbance Observer (DOB) designed for force control. We then evaluate various position control algorithms both in the time and frequency domains for our VLCA actuators. Having the low level baseline established, we first perform a controller evaluation on the legs using Operational Space Control (OSC) [2]. Finally, we move on to evaluating the full bipedal robot by accomplishing unsupported dynamic walking by means of the algorithms to appear in [3].Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Dynamic Walking of Bipedal Robots on Uneven Stepping Stones via Adaptive-frequency MPC

This paper presents a novel Adaptive-frequency MPC framework for bipedal locomotion over terrain with uneven stepping stones. In detail, we intend to achieve adaptive foot placement and gait period for bipedal periodic walking gait with this MPC, in order to traverse terrain with discontinuities without slowing down. We pair this adaptive-frequency MPC with a kino-dynamics trajectory optimization for optimal gait periods, center of mass (CoM) trajectory, and foot placements. We use whole-body control (WBC) along with adaptive-frequency MPC to track the optimal trajectories from the offline optimization. In numerical validations, our adaptive-frequency MPC framework with optimization has shown advantages over fixed-frequency MPC. The proposed framework can control the bipedal robot to traverse through uneven stepping stone terrains with perturbed stone heights, widths, and surface shapes while maintaining an average speed of 1.5 m/s.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

Nanocomposite hydrogel actuators hybridized with various dimensional nanomaterials for stimuli responsiveness enhancement

Hydrogel actuators, that convert external energy, such as pH, light, heat, magnetic field, and ion strength, into mechanical motion, have been utilized in sensors, artificial muscles, and soft robotics. For a practicality of the hydrogel actuators in a wide range of fields, an establishment of robust mechanical properties and rapid response are required. Several solutions have been proposed, for example, setting porous and anisotropy structures to hydrogels with nanocomposite materials to improve the response speed and deformation efficiency. In this review paper, we focused on hydrogel actuators including various nanocomposite by categorizing the dimensional aspects of additive materials. Moreover, we described the role of diverse additive materials in terms of the improvement of mechanical property and deformation efficiency of the hydrogel actuators. We assumed that this review will provide a beneficial guidance for strategies of developing nanocomposite hydrogel actuators and outlooks for the future research directions.11Ysciescopu

Design and Development of Soft Earthworm Robot Driven by Fibrous Artificial Muscles

Earthworm robots have proven their viability in the fields of medicine, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection. These robots are traditionally typically hard-shelled and must be tethered to whatever drives their locomotion. For this reason, truly autonomous capabilities are not yet feasible. The goal of this thesis is to introduce a robot that not only sets the groundwork for autonomous locomotion, but also is safe for human-robot interaction. This was done by ensuring that the actuation principle utilized by the robot is safe around humans and can work in an untethered design. Artificial muscle actuation allowed for these prerequisites to be met. These artificial muscles are made of fishing line and are twisted, wrapped in conductive heating wire, and then coiled around a mandrel rod. When electrical current passes through the heating wire, the artificial muscles expand or contract, depending on how they were created. After the muscles were manufactured, experiments were done to test their functionality. Data was collected via a series of experiments to investigate the effect of various processing parameters on the performance, such as the diameter of the mandrel coiling rod, the applied dead weight, the applied current, cyclic tests, and pulse tests. After acquiring data from the artificial muscles, a prototype was designed that would incorporate the expansion and contraction artificial muscles. This prototype featured two variable friction end caps on either side that were driven via expansion muscles, and a central actuation chamber driven via an antagonistic spring and contraction artificial muscle. The prototype proved its locomotion capabilities while remaining safe for human-robot interaction. Data was collected on the prototype in two experiments – one to observe the effect of varying induced currents on axial deformation and velocity, and one to observe the effect of varying deadweights on the same metrics. The prototype was not untethered, but future research in the implementation of an on-board power source and microcontroller could prove highly feasible with this design

Proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) International Congress

Published proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) International Congress, hosted by York University, 27-30 May 2018