Grasping, Perching, And Visual Servoing For Micro Aerial Vehicles

Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) have seen a dramatic growth in the consumer market because of their ability to provide new vantage points for aerial photography and videography. However, there is little consideration for physical interaction with the environment surrounding them. Onboard manipulators are absent, and onboard perception, if existent, is used to avoid obstacles and maintain a minimum distance from them. There are many applications, however, which would benefit greatly from aerial manipulation or flight in close proximity to structures. This work is focused on facilitating these types of close interactions between quadrotors and surrounding objects. We first explore high-speed grasping, enabling a quadrotor to quickly grasp an object while moving at a high relative velocity. Next, we discuss planning and control strategies, empowering a quadrotor to perch on vertical surfaces using a downward-facing gripper. Then, we demonstrate that such interactions can be achieved using only onboard sensors by incorporating vision-based control and vision-based planning. In particular, we show how a quadrotor can use a single camera and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to perch on a cylinder. Finally, we generalize our approach to consider objects in motion, and we present relative pose estimation and planning, enabling tracking of a moving sphere using only an onboard camera and IMU

Design, modelling and control of a brachiating power line inspection robot

The inspection of power lines and associated hardware is vital to ensuring the reliability of the transmission and distribution network. The repetitive nature of the inspection tasks present a unique opportunity for the introduction of robotic platforms, which offer the ability to perform more systematic and detailed inspection than traditional methods. This lends itself to improved asset management automation, cost-effectiveness and safety for the operating crew. This dissertation presents the development of a prototype industrial brachiating robot. The robot is mechanically simple and capable of dynamically negotiating obstacles by brachiating. This is an improvement over current robotic platforms, which employ slow, high power static schemes for obstacle negotiation. Mathematical models of the robot were derived to understand the underlying dynamics of the system. These models were then used in the generation of optimal trajectories, using nonlinear optimisation techniques, for brachiating past line hardware. A physical robot was designed and manufactured to validate the brachiation manoeuvre. The robot was designed following classic mechanical design principles, with emphasis on functional design and robustness. System identification was used to capture the plant uncertainty and a feedback controller was designed to track the reference trajectory allowing for energy optimal brachiation swings. Finally, the robot was tested, starting with sub-system testing and ending with testing of a brachiation manoeuvre proving the prospective viability of the robot in an industrial environment

Proposal of a Material Handling System Design Methodology – An Industrial Application on A Packaging and Depalletizing System

In modern competitive environment, cost reduction across various production functions is im- perative. Material handling is no exception, as achieving a well-designed MHS (Material Han- dling System) is key for lowering operational costs and improving the work environment. Companies offering services such as the design of MHSs often find themselves devel- oping MHS design concepts to present to their customers before proceeding with the remain- ing systems' development. Although there are currently several approaches to the design of MHSs, most of these approaches are tailored to design and develop these systems to comple- tion. The present dissertation proposes a MHS design methodology suitable for designing MHSs both up to a concept stage and a detailed stage (complete design). The proposed meth- odology mainly differs from conventional approaches by identifying, prioritizing, and evaluat- ing key system metrics before proceeding with the equipment selection and validation pro- cesses. Doing so increases the likelihood of detecting unforeseen problems or opportunities for improvement sooner in the design process. In addition, if performed, these steps allow the companies mentioned above to achieve and propose design concepts truer to the eventual complete systems. This dissertation was performed within the scope of an internship at Metal-Conser, a company that designs and manufactures material handling systems. To evaluate the proposed MHS design methodology, the last was applied to a packag- ing and depalletizing system and compared to a design concept of the same system proposed by Metal-Conser. Additionally, during the methodology application, simulation software was used both to simulate the system's pick and place operations and to model and simulate the system's operations. Both of these applications had the intent to validate the use of these tools in future operations at Metal-Conser.No ambiente competitivo moderno, a redução de custos em várias funções associadas com produção é imperativa. A manipulação de materiais não é exceção, visto que projetar correta- mente um sistema de manipulação de materiais é fundamental para reduzir custos operacio- nais e melhorar a logística operacional. Empresas que oferecem serviços como o projeto de sistemas de manipulação regular- mente desenvolvem conceitos de projeto para apresentar aos seus clientes antes de prosseguir com o restante desenvolvimento do projeto. Embora existam atualmente várias abordagens para o projeto deste tipo de sistemas, a maioria destas abordagens é adaptada para os projetar e desenvolver até ao fim. A presente dissertação propõe uma metodologia de projeto de sistemas de manipula- ção de materiais adequada para projetar estes sistemas tanto na fase de conceito de projeto como na fase de projeto de definição de pormenor (projeto completo). A metodologia pro- posta difere das abordagens convencionais principalmente por identificar, priorizar e avaliar os principais parâmetros do sistema antes de prosseguir com o processo de seleção e valida- ção de equipamento. A aplicação dos passos propostos, aumenta a probabilidade de detetar problemas imprevistos ou oportunidades de melhoria mais cedo, durante o desenvolvimento do projeto. Como consequência direta da aplicação destes passos as empresas previamente mencionadas, podem alcançar e propor conceitos de projeto mais fiéis aos eventuais sistemas completos. Esta dissertação foi realizada no âmbito de um estágio na Metal-Conser, uma empresa que projeta e fabrica sistemas de manipulação de materiais. Para avaliar a metodologia de projeto proposta, esta foi aplicada a um sistema de em- balamento e despaletização, sendo depois comparada a um conceito de projeto proposto pela Metal-Conser, para o mesmo sistema. Adicionalmente, durante a aplicação da metodologia, recorreu-se ao uso de software de simulação, tanto para simular operações de pick and place, como para modelar e simular as operações do sistema projetado. Ambos os casos tinham como objetivo validar o uso destessoftwares em futuras operações na Metal-Conse

Autonomous Mechanical Assembly on the Space Shuttle: An Overview

The space shuttle will be equipped with a pair of 50 ft. manipulators used to handle payloads and to perform mechanical assembly operations. Although current plans call for these manipulators to be operated by a human teleoperator. The possibility of using results from robotics and machine intelligence to automate this shuttle assembly system was investigated. The major components of an autonomous mechanical assembly system are examined, along with the technology base upon which they depend. The state of the art in advanced automation is also assessed

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 3

The theme of the Conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The Conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for application of telerobotics technology to the space systems planned for the 1990s and beyond. The Conference: (1) provided a view of current NASA telerobotic research and development; (2) stimulated technical exchange on man-machine systems, manipulator control, machine sensing, machine intelligence, concurrent computation, and system architectures; and (3) identified important unsolved problems of current interest which can be dealt with by future research

Improving the safety and efficiency of rail yard operations using robotics

textSignificant efforts have been expended by the railroad industry to make operations safer and more efficient through the intelligent use of sensor data. This work proposes to take the technology one step further to use this data for the control of physical systems designed to automate hazardous railroad operations, particularly those that require humans to interact with moving trains. To accomplish this, application specific requirements must be established to design self-contained machine vision and robotic solutions to eliminate the risks associated with existing manual operations. Present-day rail yard operations have been identified as good candidates to begin development. Manual uncoupling, in particular, of rolling stock in classification yards has been investigated. To automate this process, an intelligent robotic system must be able to detect, track, approach, contact, and manipulate constrained objects on equipment in motion. This work presents multiple prototypes capable of autonomously uncoupling full-scale freight cars using feedback from its surrounding environment. Geometric image processing algorithms and machine learning techniques were implemented to accurately identify cylindrical objects in point clouds generated in real-vi time. Unique methods fusing velocity and vision data were developed to synchronize a pair of moving rigid bodies in real-time. Multiple custom end-effectors with in-built compliance and fault tolerance were designed, fabricated, and tested for grasping and manipulating cylindrical objects. Finally, an event-driven robotic control application was developed to safely and reliably uncouple freight cars using data from 3D cameras, velocity sensors, force/torque transducers, and intelligent end-effector tooling. Experimental results in a lab setting confirm that modern robotic and sensing hardware can be used to reliably separate pairs of rolling stock up to two miles per hour. Additionally, subcomponents of the autonomous pin-pulling system (APPS) were designed to be modular to the point where they could be used to automate other hazardous, labor-intensive tasks found in U.S. classification yards. Overall, this work supports the deployment of autonomous robotic systems in semi-unstructured yard environments to increase the safety and efficiency of rail operations.Mechanical Engineerin

Desenvolvimento de equipamento de manipulação de objectos deformáveis e a sua interacção com uma máquina de injecção de plásticos

In this project, our objective was to thoroughly investigate the feasibility of automating a process at Ficocables by integrating a robotic arm. Specifically, we focused on automating the joining of two separate processes while eliminating the need for manual intervention in the second operation. The equipment involved in the process includes a Roboco Zamak injection machine and a Babyplast polymer injection machine. With well-defined project requirements, we explored various solutions and sought guidance from Fluidotronica, a renowned expert in this domain. With their support, we identified the collaborative robot JAKA Zu 3s, equipped with a long-finger gripper, as the optimal solution for our needs. To assess the financial viability, we conducted a meticulous financial analysis using methods like NPV and payback period, both of which demonstrated promising results. Although the implementation of the robotic arm is still pending, the outcomes of our study highlight its remarkable versatility for future applications within Ficocables. This project exemplifies the potential advantages of automation and offers valuable insights for forthcoming initiatives in this field.Neste projeto, o objetivo era investigar exaustivamente a viabilidade de automatizar um processo na Ficocables através da integração de um braço robótico. Especificamente, concentrámo-nos em automatizar a junção de dois processos separados, eliminando a necessidade de intervenção manual na segunda operação. O equipamento envolvido no processo inclui uma máquina de injeção de Zamak, denominada Robocop e uma máquina de injeção de polímero denominada Babyplast. Com os requisitos de projeto bem definidos, explorámos várias soluções e procurámos orientação junto da Fluidotronica, um especialista de renome neste domínio. Com o seu apoio, identificámos o robô colaborativo JAKA Zu 3s, equipado com uma pinça de dedos longos como a solução ideal para as necessidades deste projeto. Para avaliar a viabilidade financeira, efetuou-se uma análise financeira meticulosa utilizando métodos como o NPV e o período de retorno do investimento, tendo ambos demonstrado resultados promissores. Embora a implementação do braço robótico ainda esteja pendente, os resultados do nosso estudo destacam a sua notável versatilidade para futuras aplicações na Ficocables. Este projeto exemplifica as vantagens potenciais da automatização e oferece uma visão valiosa para iniciativas futuras neste domínio

Trajectory Generation and Control for Quadrotors

This thesis presents contributions to the state-of-the-art in quadrotor control, payload transportation with single and multiple quadrotors, and trajectory generation for single and multiple quadrotors. In Ch. 2 we describe a controller capable of handling large roll and pitch angles that enables a quadrotor to follow trajectories requiring large accelerations and also recover from extreme initial conditions. In Ch. 3 we describe a method that allows teams of quadrotors to work together to carry payloads that they could not carry individually. In Ch. 4 we discuss an online parameter estimation method for quadrotors transporting payloads which enables a quadrotor to use its dynamics in order to learn about the payload it is carrying and also adapt its control law in order to improve tracking performance. In Ch. 5 we present a trajectory generation method that enables quadrotors to fly through narrow gaps at various orientations and perch on inclined surfaces. Chapter 6 discusses a method for generating dynamically optimal trajectories through a series of predefined waypoints and safe corridors and Ch. 7 extends that method to enable heterogeneous quadrotor teams to quickly rearrange formations and avoid a small number of obstacles

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 4

Papers presented at the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics are compiled. The theme of the conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for the application of telerobotic technology to the space systems planned for the 1990's and beyond. Volume 4 contains papers related to the following subject areas: manipulator control; telemanipulation; flight experiments (systems and simulators); sensor-based planning; robot kinematics, dynamics, and control; robot task planning and assembly; and research activities at the NASA Langley Research Center