Evaluación de algoritmos para la estimación del desplazamiento en robots serpientes

Este artículo presenta una propuesta para estimar el desplazamiento de un robot modular, tipo serpiente. Basado en los algoritmos descriptores FREAK y BRISK, a la vez, realiza una comparación de estos, con el algoritmo de flujo óptico piramidal de Lukas y Kanade, que es el más utilizado en esta área, con el fin de demostrar su cercanía con los resultados obtenidos en el procesamiento de video, con dos ubicaciones de la cámara diferentes en el robot.This article presents a proposal for estimating the movement of a modular snake robot. Based on the algorithms BRISK and FREAK descriptors, then makes a comparison of these, with the pyramid optical flow algorithm Lukas and Kanade, which is the most widely used in this area, in order to prove their closeness with the results obtained in video processing, with two different camera locations in the robot.Ingeniero (a) ElectrónicoPregrad

Robot Serpiente Modular Simulado

Para complementar la investigación teórica que explota las capacidades de locomoción de los robots serpiente modulares, un conjunto grande de herramientas es requerido para validar los modelos y controladores diseñados para ese propósito. En nuestra investigación, la mayoría de esos procesos de validación requieren los prototipos del robot real para realizar experimentos que consumen tiempo y en algunos casos comprometen la estructura mecánica del robot. Para superar este último problema un software de simulación se presenta como una herramienta que permite a los investigadores enfrentar el diseño de controles y experimentar de una manera segura, con esta clase de sistemas costosos. El robot Lola-OPTM, diseñado por KM-RoBoTa y liberado como una plataforma abierta de investigación, sirve de personaje virtual principal en la primera versión de nuestro software de simulación de robots serpiente modulares. Los componentes principales de este conjunto de herramientas de simulación corresponden al motor de física, el motor gráfico, la definición del ambiente y el módulo de comunicación que permite que las entradas del simulador se obtengan y la integración con una arquitectura de control mayor utilizada con el robot real.To complement the theoretical research that exploits the locomotion capabilities of Modular Snake Robots, a large collection of tools are required to validate the models and controllers designed for that purpose. In our research, most of these validation processes require the real robot prototypes to perform experiments that are time consuming and a variety of cases compromise the robot s mechanical structure. To overcome this last issue a simulation software arises as a tool that allows researches to face controller design processes and experimentation in a safe manner, with this kind of expensive systems. The robot Lola-OPTM, designed by KM-RoBoTa and released as an open research platform, serves as the main virtual character for the first version of our modular snake robot simulation software. The main components of this set of simulation software tools correspond to the physics engine, the graphics engine, the environment definition and the communication module that allow the inputs to the simulator data to be retrieved and the integration with a major control software architecture used with the real robot.Ingeniero (a) ElectrónicoPregrad

Challenges in the Locomotion of Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robots

Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robots (SRMRs) are assemblies of autonomous robotic units, referred to as modules, joined together using active connection mechanisms. By changing the connectivity of these modules, SRMRs are able to deliberately change their own shape in order to adapt to new environmental circumstances. One of the main motivations for the development of SRMRs is that conventional robots are limited in their capabilities by their morphology. The promise of the field of self-reconfigurable modular robotics is to design robots that are robust, self-healing, versatile, multi-purpose, and inexpensive. Despite significant efforts by numerous research groups worldwide, the potential advantages of SRMRs have yet to be realized. A high number of degrees of freedom and connectors make SRMRs more versatile, but also more complex both in terms of mechanical design and control algorithms. Scalability issues affect these robots in terms of hardware, low-level control, and high-level planning. In this thesis we identify and target three major challenges: (i) Hardware design; (ii) Planning and control; and, (iii) Application challenges. To tackle the hardware challenges we redesigned and manufactured the Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robot Roombots to meet desired requirements and characteristics. We explored in detail and improved two major mechanical components of an SRMR: the actuation and the connection mechanisms. We also analyzed the use of compliant extensions to increase locomotion performance in terms of locomotion speed and power consumption. We contributed to the control challenge by developing new methods that allow an arbitrary SRMR structure to learn to locomote in an efficient way. We defined a novel bio-inspired locomotion-learning framework that allows the quick and reliable optimization of new gaits after a morphological change due to self-reconfiguration or human construction. In order to find new suitable application scenarios for SRMRs we envision the use of Roombots modules to create Self-Reconfigurable Robotic Furniture. As a first step towards this vision, we explored the use and control of Plug-n-Play Robotic Elements that can augment existing pieces of furniture and create new functionalities in a household to improve quality of life

Software controlador de bajo nivel para el robot Lola-OPTM

Un robot serpiente constituido por módulos, llamado en la literatura modular snake robot o MSR como se hará referencia en este trabajo, es un sistema robótico biomórfico construido al concatenar múltiples módulos, cuya estructura mecánica se asemeja al cuerpo de las serpientes. Las principales cualidades que le diferencian de otros tipos de robot son: la reducida longitud de su sección transversal respecto a la de su sección longitudinal, lo que le permite moverse y maniobrar en espacios estrechos, y la versatilidad, otorgada por su diseño modular, para adoptar un amplio rango de posturas, posibilitando diversos esquemas de locomoción, cada uno conseguido al variar su forma secuencialmente.Ingeniero (a) ElectrónicoPregrad

Control of Bio-Inspired Sprawling Posture Quadruped Robots with an Actuated Spine

Sprawling posture robots are characterized by upper limb segments protruding horizontally from the body, resulting in lower body height and wider support on the ground. Combined with an actuated segmented spine and tail, such morphology resembles that of salamanders or crocodiles. Although bio-inspired salamander-like robots with simple rotational limbs have been created, not much research has been done on kinematically redundant bio-mimetic robots that can closely replicate kinematics of sprawling animal gaits. Being bio-mimetic could allow a robot to have some of the locomotion skills observed in those animals, expanding its potential applications in challenging scenarios. At the same time, the robot could be used to answer questions about the animal's locomotion. This thesis is focused on developing locomotion controllers for such robots. Due to their high number of degrees of freedom (DoF), the control is based on solving the limb and spine inverse kinematics to properly coordinate different body parts. It is demonstrated how active use of a spine improves the robot's walking and turning performance. Further performance improvement across a variety of gaits is achieved by using model predictive control (MPC) methods to dictate the motion of the robot's center of mass (CoM). The locomotion controller is reused on an another robot (OroBOT) with similar morphology, designed to mimic the kinematics of a fossil belonging to Orobates, an extinct early tetrapod. Being capable of generating different gaits and quantitatively measuring their characteristics, OroBOT was used to find the most probable way the animal moved. This is useful because understanding locomotion of extinct vertebrates helps to conceptualize major transitions in their evolution. To tackle field applications, e.g. in disaster response missions, a new generation of field-oriented sprawling posture robots was built. The robustness of their initial crocodile-inspired design was tested in the animal's natural habitat (Uganda, Africa) and subsequently enhanced with additional sensors, cameras and computer. The improvements to the software framework involved a smartphone user interface visualizing the robot's state and camera feed to improve the ease of use for the operator. Using force sensors, the locomotion controller is expanded with a set of reflex control modules. It is demonstrated how these modules improve the robot's performance on rough and unstructured terrain. The robot's design and its low profile allow it to traverse low passages. To also tackle narrow passages like pipes, an unconventional crawling gait is explored. While using it, the robot lies on the ground and pushes against the pipe walls to move the body. To achieve such a task, several new control and estimation modules were developed. By exploring these problems, this thesis illustrates fruitful interactions that can take place between robotics, biology and paleontology

Sincronización entre módulos para la captura de información en un robot modular tipo serpiente

Este trabajo de grado pretende ayudar en la labor realizada por el grupo SIRP del departamento de ingeniería electrónica en la sincronización y captura de información entre módulos de un robot serpiente. Se lleva a cabo la implementación de dos estrategias de sincronización y se propone un protocolo de pruebas con el fin de evaluar los comportamientos evidenciados por las dos estrategias. El primer protocolo consiste en la sincronización por medio de NTP, el segundo se lleva a cabo por medio del envío de una trama serial. El trabajo de grado ha sido realizado para su uso en N módulos del robot tipo serpiente del grupo.This degree work intends to help in the work done by the SIRP group of the department of electronic engineering in the synchronization and information acquisition between modules of a snake-like robot. The implementation of two synchronization strategies is carried out and a test protocol is proposed in order to evaluate the behaviors evidenced by the two strategies. The first protocol consists of the synchronization through NTP, the second is carried out by sending a serial frame. The degree work has been done for use in N modules of the snake-like robot of the group.Ingeniero (a) ElectrónicoPregrad

Hardware, software and control design considerations towards low-cost compliant quadruped robots

Quadrupedal robots have been a field of interest the last few years, with many new maturing platforms. Many of these projects have in common the use of state of the art actuation and sensing, and therefore are able to handle difficult locomotion tasks very effectively. This work focuses on another trend of low-cost, quadrupedal robots, that features less precise actuators and sensors, but overcomes their limitations with strong bio-inspired designs to achieve state of the art locomotion. We aim here to further extend the achievements of this approach to handle more complex tasks and that require anticipation, We would like also to verify to which extent a close synergy between clever mechanics, sensorimotor coordination, and Central Pattern Generator models is able to handle these tasks. This thesis presents supporting work that was required to pursue this goal. A software architecture for the development of real-time drivers and low-level control for robotic applications, based on a clear separation of concerns is presented. An implementation of this architecture able to handle the specific requirements for small compliant quadruped robots is proposed. Furthermore, the development and integration of a communication protocol for inter-electronic devices communication on the Oncilla robot is discussed. As leg load is a key quantity in some of the sensory-motor coordination this thesis want to explore, a novel tactile sensing approach for its estimation is proposed, based on an Extended Kalman Filter data fusion of static and dynamic tactile sensor information. Then, to support the design of efficient interactions between the control and the bio-inspired mechanics, accurate dynamic modeling of the Advanced Spring Loaded Pantographic leg, equipping all robots considered here, is presented. We propose two approaches to this modeling with the presentation of their benefits and limitations. Finally, two Central Pattern Generator architectures are proposed, based on biologically inspired foot trajectories. The first is using a well-known method for inter-limb coordination with strong neural coupling, and the second, the Tegotae rule, relies only on limb physical coupling and strong sensory-motor coordination. These two approaches are compared on their capacity to handle dynamic footstep placement and it let to the conclusion that strong sensory-motor coordination is required for this task

Kinematics and Robot Design I, KaRD2018

This volume collects the papers published on the Special Issue “Kinematics and Robot Design I, KaRD2018” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics/special_issues/KARD), which is the first issue of the KaRD Special Issue series, hosted by the open access journal “MDPI Robotics”. The KaRD series aims at creating an open environment where researchers can present their works and discuss all the topics focused on the many aspects that involve kinematics in the design of robotic/automatic systems. 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”. KaRD2018 received 22 papers and, after the peer-review process, accepted only 14 papers. The accepted papers cover some theoretical and many design/applicative aspects

Using MapReduce Streaming for Distributed Life Simulation on the Cloud

Distributed software simulations are indispensable in the study of large-scale life models but often require the use of technically complex lower-level distributed computing frameworks, such as MPI. We propose to overcome the complexity challenge by applying the emerging MapReduce (MR) model to distributed life simulations and by running such simulations on the cloud. Technically, we design optimized MR streaming algorithms for discrete and continuous versions of Conway’s life according to a general MR streaming pattern. We chose life because it is simple enough as a testbed for MR’s applicability to a-life simulations and general enough to make our results applicable to various lattice-based a-life models. We implement and empirically evaluate our algorithms’ performance on Amazon’s Elastic MR cloud. Our experiments demonstrate that a single MR optimization technique called strip partitioning can reduce the execution time of continuous life simulations by 64%. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose and evaluate MR streaming algorithms for lattice-based simulations. Our algorithms can serve as prototypes in the development of novel MR simulation algorithms for large-scale lattice-based a-life models.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/scs_books/1014/thumbnail.jp