Development of a self balanced robot and its controller

Two wheeled balancing robots are based on inverted pendulum configuration which relies upon dynamic balancing systems for balancing and maneuvering. This project is based on the development of a self-balanced two wheeled robot which has a configuration similar to a bicycle. These robot bases provide exceptional robustness and capability due to their smaller size and power requirements. Outcome of research in this field had led to the birth of robots such as Segway, Murata boy etc. Such robots find their applications in surveillance & transportation purpose. Here, in particular, the focus is on the electro-mechanical mechanisms & control algorithms required to enable the robot to perceive and act in real time for a dynamically changing world. Using an Ultrasonic sensor and an accelerometer we get the information about the tilt of the robot from its equilibrium position. Balancing was done using a servo motor, a DC motor and a control momnt gyroscope. While these techniques are applicable to many robot applications, the construction of sensors, filters and actuator system is a learning experience

Design and Implementation of a Simplified Humanoid Robot with 8 DOF

This paper discusses a simplified design of Humanoid Robot with 8 DOF. The main objective is to analyze the theoretical and practical challenges involved in making it. The paper emphasis on bringing down the control complexity by reducing the number of actuators used . This in turn simplifies the entire design processes and reduces the production cost. It also describes the stability issues and different walking phases in detail. The proposed robot finds the place in between simple, miniaturized humanoids and the most advanced, sophisticated humanoids

The potential for emulating the human footstrike using a Six Degrees-of-Freedom industrial robot

Part of the testing process for athletic footwear is exposing the shoes to realistic wear conditions; this can be in the form of user trials or, as is becoming more common place, the use of mechanical test devices. However, current mechanical test devices tend to be somewhat simplistic and fail to expose the footwear to the realistic loading environment. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to investigate the potential of using an off the shelf 6 Degrees-of-Freedom industrial robot to emulate the ground contact phase of human gait. This was achieved through addressing four research questions. The first research question aimed to outline the biomechanical features that were to be emulated and what their typical values were. Kinematics and kinetics of the real human gait were then collected, for use in programming the robot and evaluating its outputted movements. This was complemented by a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Previous investigations had highlighted the need for understanding of the robot s capabilities. This was taken further and input parameters such as level of robotic smoothing, programme velocity and the number of three dimensional co-ordinate points used were found to have an effect on the output kinematics of the robot. These features were also found to be part of the accompanying programme software (RoboGuide). Despite this, the differences were not identical and it was concluded that the software could only have a limited use in supporting the wider thesis aim. Prior to emulation, there was a need for robot set-up and its environment to be optimised. A new robot end-effector, with improved biofidelity, was developed which incorporated a new way of generating the robot motion that intended to aid kinetic and kinematic emulation. Further to this, analysis on robot movements in various locations identified the optimal location for the ground contact phase to be achieved. Using all of the gathered knowledge the robot was programmed to complete a footstrike for human walking using two types of programming method. When the robot is programmed directly with the human kinematic data the emulation of the footstrike is relatively poor; ground contact time is too long with an increased footprint size and poor ground reaction force profiles replication. Using a rotation about a fixed point on the footform led to improved, although not complete, emulation of the human gait parameters. The developed system has been shown to improve on previous work at Loughborough University and is also comparable with what is being used in industry and developed within academia. The concept remains in the early phases but the current study indicates that future work can move the robot further towards being able to produce a more biofidelic emulation that can be used in the footwear testing industry

Satellite Test Assistant Robot (STAR)

A three-year, three-phase program to demonstrate the applicability of telerobotic technology to the testing of satellites and other spacecraft has been initiated. Specifically, the objectives are to design, fabricate, and install into the JPL 25-ft. Space Simulator (SS) a system that will provide the capability to view test articles from all directions in both the visible and infrared (IR) spectral regions, to automatically map the solar flux intensity over the entire work volume of the chamber, and to provide the capability for leak detection. The first year's work, which provides a vertically mobile viewing platform equipped with stereo cameras, will be discussed. Design constraints and system implementation approaches mandated by the requirements of thermal vacuum operation will be emphasized

Elderly Assist Robot

This project aimed to create a robot capable of assisting elderly people with tasks in their everyday lives. The project focused on the design, simulation, and the implementation of a mobile robotic base with an attached robotic arm. The project culminated in a prototype robot capable of performing basic chassis and arm control which can be used as a platform for future development

Dynamic behavior-based control and world-embedded knowledge for interactive artificial intelligence

Video game designers depend on artificial intelligence to drive player experience in modern games. Therefore it is critical that AI not only be fast and computation- ally inexpensive, but also easy to incorporate with the design process. We address the problem of building computationally inexpensive AI that eases the game de- sign process and provides strategic and tactical behavior comparable with current industry-standard techniques. Our central hypothesis is that behavior-based characters in games can exhibit effec- tive strategy and coordinate in teams through the use of knowledge embedded in the world and a new dynamic approach to behavior-based control that enables charac- ters to transfer behavioral knowledge. We use dynamic extensions for behavior-based subsumption and world-embedded knowledge to simplify and enhance game character intelligence. We find that the use of extended affordances to embed knowledge in the world can greatly reduce the effort required to build characters and AI engines while increasing the effectiveness of the behavior controllers. In addition, we find that the technique of multi-character affordances can provide a simple mechanism for enabling team coordination. We also show that reactive teaming, enabled by dynamic extensions to the subsumption architecture, is effective in creating large adaptable teams of characters. Finally, we show that the command policy for reactive teaming can be used to improve performance of reactive teams for tactical situations

Project Pele: Humanoid Robotic Programming -A Study in Artificial Intelligence

In the ever changing world of technology, the humanoid robot has been a constant member of science fiction culture. Our project goal was to develop a humanoid robot capable of independently displaying effective soccer skills. We divided the tasks into two teams; one designed a ball kicking robot program while the other designed a path tracking robot program. After each group completed their four major objectives, we had created a superior program than its predecessors. Using our optimized code as a foundation, another group can further develop these robot programs to demonstrate even more humanlike soccer skills

Project Pele: Humanoid Robotic Programming A Study in Artificial Intelligence

In the ever changing world of technology, the humanoid robot has been a constant member of science fiction culture. Our project goal was to develop a humanoid robot capable of independently displaying effective soccer skills. We divided the tasks into two teams; one designed a ball kicking robot program while the other designed a path tracking robot program. After each group completed their four major objectives, we had created a superior program than its predecessors. Using our optimized code as a foundation, another group can further develop these robot programs to demonstrate even more humanlike soccer skills

Project Pele: Humanoid Robotic Programming - A Study in Artificial Intelligence

In the ever changing world of technology, the humanoid robot has been a constant member of science fiction culture. Our project goal was to develop a humanoid robot capable of independently displaying effective soccer skills. We divided the tasks into two teams; one designed a ball kicking robot program while the other designed a path tracking robot program. After each group completed their four major objectives, we had created a superior program than its predecessors. Using our optimized code as a foundation, another group can further develop these robot programs to demonstrate even more humanlike soccer skills