Robot Manipulators

Robot manipulators are developing more in the direction of industrial robots than of human workers. Recently, the applications of robot manipulators are spreading their focus, for example Da Vinci as a medical robot, ASIMO as a humanoid robot and so on. There are many research topics within the field of robot manipulators, e.g. motion planning, cooperation with a human, and fusion with external sensors like vision, haptic and force, etc. Moreover, these include both technical problems in the industry and theoretical problems in the academic fields. This book is a collection of papers presenting the latest research issues from around the world

Objekt-Manipulation und Steuerung der Greifkraft durch Verwendung von Taktilen Sensoren

This dissertation describes a new type of tactile sensor and an improved version of the dynamic tactile sensing approach that can provide a regularly updated and accurate estimate of minimum applied forces for use in the control of gripper manipulation. The pre-slip sensing algorithm is proposed and implemented into two-finger robot gripper. An algorithm that can discriminate between types of contact surface and recognize objects at the contact stage is also proposed. A technique for recognizing objects using tactile sensor arrays, and a method based on the quadric surface parameter for classifying grasped objects is described. Tactile arrays can recognize surface types on contact, making it possible for a tactile system to recognize translation, rotation, and scaling of an object independently.Diese Dissertation beschreibt eine neue Art von taktilen Sensoren und einen verbesserten Ansatz zur dynamischen Erfassung von taktilen daten, der in regelmäßigen Zeitabständen eine genaue Bewertung der minimalen Greifkraft liefert, die zur Steuerung des Greifers nötig ist. Ein Berechnungsverfahren zur Voraussage des Schlupfs, das in einen Zwei-Finger-Greifarm eines Roboters eingebaut wurde, wird vorgestellt. Auch ein Algorithmus zur Unterscheidung von verschiedenen Oberflächenarten und zur Erkennung von Objektformen bei der Berührung wird vorgestellt. Ein Verfahren zur Objekterkennung mit Hilfe einer Matrix aus taktilen Sensoren und eine Methode zur Klassifikation ergriffener Objekte, basierend auf den Daten einer rechteckigen Oberfläche, werden beschrieben. Mit Hilfe dieser Matrix können unter schiedliche Arten von Oberflächen bei Berührung erkannt werden, was es für das Tastsystem möglich macht, Verschiebung, Drehung und Größe eines Objektes unabhängig voneinander zu erkennen

Lizard Inspired Tail for Dynamic Stabilization of Robotic Body

The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of a lizard inspired tail for the dynamic stabilization of robotic bodies during aerial or aggressive maneuvers. A mathematical model was created to determine the effects of various tail designs. A physical model of the tail design was fabricated and used to determine feasibility of the design and evaluate the mathematical model

PKM mechatronic clamping adaptive device

This study proposes a novel adaptive fixturing device based on active clamping systems for smart micropositioning of thin-walled precision parts. The modular architecture and the structure flexibility make the system suitable for various industrial applications. The proposed device is realized as a Parallel Kinematic Machine (PKM), opportunely sensorized and controlled, able to perform automatic error-free workpiece clamping procedures, drastically reducing the overall fixturing set-up time. The paper describes the kinematics and dynamics of this mechatronic system. A first campaign of experimental trails has been carried out on the prototype, obtaining promising results

Advances in Intelligent Robotics and Collaborative Automation

This book provides an overview of a series of advanced research lines in robotics as well as of design and development methodologies for intelligent robots and their intelligent components. It represents a selection of extended versions of the best papers presented at the Seventh IEEE International Workshop on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications IDAACS 2013 that were related to these topics. Its contents integrate state of the art computational intelligence based techniques for automatic robot control to novel distributed sensing and data integration methodologies that can be applied to intelligent robotics and automation systems. The objective of the text was to provide an overview of some of the problems in the field of robotic systems and intelligent automation and the approaches and techniques that relevant research groups within this area are employing to try to solve them.The contributions of the different authors have been grouped into four main sections:• Robots• Control and Intelligence• Sensing• Collaborative automationThe chapters have been structured to provide an easy to follow introduction to the topics that are addressed, including the most relevant references, so that anyone interested in this field can get started in the area

Automated freeform assembly of threaded fasteners

Over the past two decades, a major part of the manufacturing and assembly market has been driven by its customer requirements. Increasing customer demand for personalised products create the demand for smaller batch sizes, shorter production times, lower costs, and the flexibility to produce families of products - or different parts - with the same sets of equipment. Consequently, manufacturing companies have deployed various automation systems and production strategies to improve their resource efficiency and move towards right-first-time production. However, many of these automated systems, which are involved with robot-based, repeatable assembly automation, require component- specific fixtures for accurate positioning and extensive robot programming, to achieve flexibility in their production. Threaded fastening operations are widely used in assembly. In high-volume production, the fastening processes are commonly automated using jigs, fixtures, and semi-automated tools. This form of automation delivers reliable assembly results at the expense of flexibility and requires component variability to be adequately controlled. On the other hand, in low- volume, high- value manufacturing, fastening processes are typically carried out manually by skilled workers. This research is aimed at addressing the aforementioned issues by developing a freeform automated threaded fastener assembly system that uses 3D visual guidance. The proof-of-concept system developed focuses on picking up fasteners from clutter, identifying a hole feature in an imprecisely positioned target component and carry out torque-controlled fastening. This approach has achieved flexibility and adaptability without the use of dedicated fixtures and robot programming. This research also investigates and evaluates different 3D imaging technology to identify the suitable technology required for fastener assembly in a non-structured industrial environment. The proposed solution utilises the commercially available technologies to enhance the precision and speed of identification of components for assembly processes, thereby improving and validating the possibility of reliably implementing this solution for industrial applications. As a part of this research, a number of novel algorithms are developed to robustly identify assembly components located in a random environment by enhancing the existing methods and technologies within the domain of the fastening processes. A bolt identification algorithm was developed to identify bolts located in a random clutter by enhancing the existing surface-based matching algorithm. A novel hole feature identification algorithm was developed to detect threaded holes and identify its size and location in 3D. The developed bolt and feature identification algorithms are robust and has sub-millimetre accuracy required to perform successful fastener assembly in industrial conditions. In addition, the processing time required for these identification algorithms - to identify and localise bolts and hole features - is less than a second, thereby increasing the speed of fastener assembly

Contemporary Robotics

This book book is a collection of 18 chapters written by internationally recognized experts and well-known professionals of the field. Chapters contribute to diverse facets of contemporary robotics and autonomous systems. The volume is organized in four thematic parts according to the main subjects, regarding the recent advances in the contemporary robotics. The first thematic topics of the book are devoted to the theoretical issues. This includes development of algorithms for automatic trajectory generation using redudancy resolution scheme, intelligent algorithms for robotic grasping, modelling approach for reactive mode handling of flexible manufacturing and design of an advanced controller for robot manipulators. The second part of the book deals with different aspects of robot calibration and sensing. This includes a geometric and treshold calibration of a multiple robotic line-vision system, robot-based inline 2D/3D quality monitoring using picture-giving and laser triangulation, and a study on prospective polymer composite materials for flexible tactile sensors. The third part addresses issues of mobile robots and multi-agent systems, including SLAM of mobile robots based on fusion of odometry and visual data, configuration of a localization system by a team of mobile robots, development of generic real-time motion controller for differential mobile robots, control of fuel cells of mobile robots, modelling of omni-directional wheeled-based robots, building of hunter- hybrid tracking environment, as well as design of a cooperative control in distributed population-based multi-agent approach. The fourth part presents recent approaches and results in humanoid and bioinspirative robotics. It deals with design of adaptive control of anthropomorphic biped gait, building of dynamic-based simulation for humanoid robot walking, building controller for perceptual motor control dynamics of humans and biomimetic approach to control mechatronic structure using smart materials

Advances in Intelligent Robotics and Collaborative Automation

This book provides an overview of a series of advanced research lines in robotics as well as of design and development methodologies for intelligent robots and their intelligent components. It represents a selection of extended versions of the best papers presented at the Seventh IEEE International Workshop on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications IDAACS 2013 that were related to these topics. Its contents integrate state of the art computational intelligence based techniques for automatic robot control to novel distributed sensing and data integration methodologies that can be applied to intelligent robotics and automation systems. The objective of the text was to provide an overview of some of the problems in the field of robotic systems and intelligent automation and the approaches and techniques that relevant research groups within this area are employing to try to solve them.The contributions of the different authors have been grouped into four main sections:• Robots• Control and Intelligence• Sensing• Collaborative automationThe chapters have been structured to provide an easy to follow introduction to the topics that are addressed, including the most relevant references, so that anyone interested in this field can get started in the area

Development of the UMAC-based control system with application to 5-axis ultraprecision micromilling machines

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Increasing demands from end users in the fields of optics, defence, automotive, medical, aerospace, etc. for high precision 3D miniaturized components and microstructures from a range of materials have driven the development in micro and nano machining and changed the manufacturing realm. Conventional manufacturing processes such as chemical etching and LIGA are found unfavourable or limited due to production time required and have led mechanical micro machining to grow further. Mechanical micro machining is an ideal method to produce high accuracy micro components and micro milling is the most flexible enabling process and is thus able to generate a wider variety of complex micro components and microstructures. Ultraprecision micromilling machine tools are required so as to meet the accuracy, surface finish and geometrical complexity of components and parts. Typical manufacturing requirements are high dimensional accuracy being better than 1 micron, flatness and roundness better than 50 nm and surface finish ranging between 10 and 50 nm. Manufacture of high precision components and parts require very intricate material removal procedure. There are five key components that include machine tools, cutting tools, material properties, operation variables and environmental conditions, which constitute in manufacturing high quality components and parts. End users assess the performance of a machine tool based on the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of machined parts including the machining time. In this thesis, the emphasis is on the design and development of a control system for a 5-axis bench-type ultraprecision micromilling machine- Ultra-Mill. On the one hand, the developed control system is able to offer high motion and positioning accuracy, dynamic stiffness and thermal stability for motion control, which are essential for achieving the machining accuracy and surface finish desired. On the other hand, the control system is able to undertake in-process inspection and condition monitoring of the machine tool and process. The control of multi-axis precision machines with high-speed and high-accuracy motions and positioning are desirable to manufacture components with high accuracy and complex features to increase productivity and maintain machine stability, etc. The development of the control system has focused on fast, accurate and robust positioning requirements at the machine system design stage. Apart from the mechanical design, the performance of the entire precision systems is greatly dependent on diverse electrical and electronics subsystems, controllers, drive instruments, feedback devices, inspection and monitoring system and software. There are some variables that dynamically alter the system behaviour and sensitivity to disturbance that are not ignorable in the micro and nano machining realm. In this research, a structured framework has been developed and integrated to aid the design and development of the control system. The framework includes critically reviewing the state of the art of ultraprecision machining tools, understanding the control system technologies involved, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of various control system methods for ultraprecision machines, understanding what is required by end-users and formulating what actually makes a machine tool be an ultraprecision machine particularly from the control system perspective. In the design and development stage, the possession of mechatronic know-how is essential as the design and development of the Ultra-Mill is a multidisciplinary field. Simulation and modelling tool such as Matlab/Simulink is used to model the most suitable control system design. The developed control system was validated through machining trials to observe the achievable accuracy, experiments and testing of subsystems individually (slide system, tooling system, monitoring system, etc.). This thesis has successfully demonstrated the design and development of the control system for a 5-axis ultraprecision machine tool- Ultra-Mill, with high performance characteristics, fast, accurate, precise, etc. for motion and positioning, high dynamic stiffness, robustness and thermal stability, whereby was provided and maintained by the control system