14 research outputs found

    Towards understanding of climbing, tip-over prevention and self-righting behaviors in Hexapoda

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    Die vorliegende Dissertation mit dem Titel “Towards understanding of climbing, tip-over prevention and self-righting behaviors in Hexapoda” untersucht in drei Studien exemplarisch, wie (i) Wüstenameisen ihre Beine einsetzen um An- und Abstiege zu überwinden, wie (ii) Wüsten- und Waldameisen ein Umkippen an steilen Anstiegen vermeiden, und wie sich (iii) Madagaskar-Fauchschaben, Amerikanische Großschaben und Blaberus discoidalis Audinet-Servill, 1839 aus Rückenlagen drehen und aufrichten. Neuartige biomechanischen Beschreibungen umfassen unter anderem: Impuls- und Kraftwirkungen einzelner Ameisenbeine auf den Untergrund beim Bergauf- und Bergabklettern, Kippmomente bei kletternden Ameisen, Energiegebirge-Modelle (energy landscapes) zur Quantifizierung der Körperform für die funktionelle Beschreibung des Umdrehens aus der Rückenlage

    Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity

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    We propose a mechanical design for a simple teleoperated unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to negotiate uneven terrain. UGVs are typically classified into legged, legged-wheeled, wheeled, and tanked forms. Legged vehicles can significantly shift their center of gravity (COG) by positioning their multi-articulated legs at appropriate trajectories, stepping over a high obstacle. To realize a COG movable mechanism with a small number of joints, a number of UGVs have been developed that can shift their COG by moving a mass at a high position above the body. However, these tend to pose a risk of overturning, and the mass must be moved quite far to climb a high step. To address these issues, we design a novel COG shift mechanism, in which the COG can be shifted forward and backward inside the body by moving most of its internal devices. Since this movable mass includes DC motors for driving both tracks, we can extend the range of the COG movement. We demonstrate that a conventional tracked vehicle prototype can traverse a step and a gap between two steps, as well as climb stairs and a steep slope, with a human operating the vehicle movement and the movable mass position

    Bio-Inspired Robotics

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    Modern robotic technologies have enabled robots to operate in a variety of unstructured and dynamically-changing environments, in addition to traditional structured environments. Robots have, thus, become an important element in our everyday lives. One key approach to develop such intelligent and autonomous robots is to draw inspiration from biological systems. Biological structure, mechanisms, and underlying principles have the potential to provide new ideas to support the improvement of conventional robotic designs and control. Such biological principles usually originate from animal or even plant models, for robots, which can sense, think, walk, swim, crawl, jump or even fly. Thus, it is believed that these bio-inspired methods are becoming increasingly important in the face of complex applications. Bio-inspired robotics is leading to the study of innovative structures and computing with sensory–motor coordination and learning to achieve intelligence, flexibility, stability, and adaptation for emergent robotic applications, such as manipulation, learning, and control. This Special Issue invites original papers of innovative ideas and concepts, new discoveries and improvements, and novel applications and business models relevant to the selected topics of ``Bio-Inspired Robotics''. Bio-Inspired Robotics is a broad topic and an ongoing expanding field. This Special Issue collates 30 papers that address some of the important challenges and opportunities in this broad and expanding field

    Vibration, Control and Stability of Dynamical Systems

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    From Preface: This is the fourteenth time when the conference “Dynamical Systems: Theory and Applications” gathers a numerous group of outstanding scientists and engineers, who deal with widely understood problems of theoretical and applied dynamics. Organization of the conference would not have been possible without a great effort of the staff of the Department of Automation, Biomechanics and Mechatronics. The patronage over the conference has been taken by the Committee of Mechanics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland. It is a great pleasure that our invitation has been accepted by recording in the history of our conference number of people, including good colleagues and friends as well as a large group of researchers and scientists, who decided to participate in the conference for the first time. With proud and satisfaction we welcomed over 180 persons from 31 countries all over the world. They decided to share the results of their research and many years experiences in a discipline of dynamical systems by submitting many very interesting papers. This year, the DSTA Conference Proceedings were split into three volumes entitled “Dynamical Systems” with respective subtitles: Vibration, Control and Stability of Dynamical Systems; Mathematical and Numerical Aspects of Dynamical System Analysis and Engineering Dynamics and Life Sciences. Additionally, there will be also published two volumes of Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics entitled “Dynamical Systems in Theoretical Perspective” and “Dynamical Systems in Applications”

    Multibody dynamics 2015

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    This volume contains the full papers accepted for presentation at the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015 held in the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, on June 29 - July 2, 2015. The ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics is an international meeting held once every two years in a European country. Continuing the very successful series of past conferences that have been organized in Lisbon (2003), Madrid (2005), Milan (2007), Warsaw (2009), Brussels (2011) and Zagreb (2013); this edition will once again serve as a meeting point for the international researchers, scientists and experts from academia, research laboratories and industry working in the area of multibody dynamics. Applications are related to many fields of contemporary engineering, such as vehicle and railway systems, aeronautical and space vehicles, robotic manipulators, mechatronic and autonomous systems, smart structures, biomechanical systems and nanotechnologies. The topics of the conference include, but are not restricted to: Formulations and Numerical Methods, Efficient Methods and Real-Time Applications, Flexible Multibody Dynamics, Contact Dynamics and Constraints, Multiphysics and Coupled Problems, Control and Optimization, Software Development and Computer Technology, Aerospace and Maritime Applications, Biomechanics, Railroad Vehicle Dynamics, Road Vehicle Dynamics, Robotics, Benchmark Problems. The conference is organized by the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona. The organizers would like to thank the authors for submitting their contributions, the keynote lecturers for accepting the invitation and for the quality of their talks, the awards and scientific committees for their support to the organization of the conference, and finally the topic organizers for reviewing all extended abstracts and selecting the awards nominees.Postprint (published version

    The development of fire detection robot

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    Bu tez çalışmasının amacı; özellikle endüstriyel alanlarda, erken yangın algılamada kullanılacak bir yangın algılama robotu tasarlamak ve imal etmektir. Bu robot; önceden belirlenen sanal güzergâh üzerinde engel algılama fonksiyonuyla ve yeniden programlanabilir hareket ünitesiyle devriye gezebilecek ve yangın kaynağını tespit edebilmek için ortam taraması yapabilecek şekilde tasarlanmış ve imal edilmiştir. Sistem; hareket planlama ünitesine tanımlanan programlar ile değişken devriye güzergâhlarını takip edebilme yeteneğine sahiptir. Robotun tasarım ve uygulama süreçleri şu şekildedir; mekanik sistemin tasarımı ve geliştirilmesi, elektronik sistemin tasarımı ve geliştirilmesi ve gerekli yazılımların hazırlanmasıdır. Mekanik sistemin tasarım ve geliştirilme sürecinde; taslak çizimleri, ölçülendirmeler ve üç boyutlu modelleme için bilgisayar destekli tasarım ve katı modelleme programları kullanılmıştır. Robotun taşıyıcı gövdesi; ucuz, sağlam ve kolay işlenebilir malzemeler olan ahşap ve sert plastik köpük kullanılarak imal edilmiştir. Robot sürüş sisteminde diferansiyel metot kullanılmıştır. Yarı otomatik robot dört adet fırçalı doğru akım motoru ile çalışmaktadır. Elektronik sistemin tasarımı ve geliştirilmesi sürecinde; hazır kart almak yerine ihtiyaca uygun elektronik veri kazanım ve kontrol devreleri tasarlanıp üretilmiştir. Bu devrelerin şematik diyagramı ve baskı devresi Proteus elektronik tasarım programı kullanılarak hazırlanmıştır. Bu devreler; motor hareketlerini kontrol etmekte ve dizüstü bilgisayar ile algılama üniteleri arasında bir köprü kurmakta kullanılmıştır. Yazılımların hazırlanma sürecinde; engel algılamada ve güzergâh takibinde kullanılacak akıllı yazılımlar geliştirilmiştir. Ayrıca daha güvenilir yangın algılama sağlamak için; çoklu sensör algılama ve değerlendirme algoritması geliştirilmiştir. Bu tezin sonucunda; özellikle endüstriyel alanlarda kullanılabilecek, çeşitli fonksiyonlara sahip bir yangın algılama robotu tasarlanıp imal edilmiştir. Yapılan testlerle; sistemin en fazla 100 cm mesafedeki yangını, robot 0,5 m/s hızla ilerlerken tespit edebildiği sonucuna varılmıştır.The aim of this thesis is to design and manufacture a fire detection robot that especially operates in industrial areas for fire inspection and early detection. Robot is designed and implemented to track prescribed paths with obstacle avoidance function through obstacle avoidance and motion planning units and to scan the environment in order to detect fire source using fire detection unit. Robot is able to track patrolling routes using virtual lines that defined to the motion planning unit. The design and implementation processes of the robot are as follow; the design and the development of mechanical, electronic systems and software. The design and the development of mechanical system; for the sketch drawings, dimensioning and solid state modeling of the robot, computer aided design and solid modelling computer programs were used. The carrier board of the robot is produced using wooden material and rigid plastic foam which are cheap, strong enough and easy to manufacture. Differential steering method is selected for semi-autonomous robot driving system and it is powered by four brushed DC (direct current) motors. The design and the development of electronic system; electronic circuits were designed and produced, instead of buying a commercial card. Both schematic diagrams and circuits of the data acquisition and control circuits are designed using Proteus electronic design program. These circuits are used to control the motion of the motors and establish a data flow between the laptop and the other peripheral sensing components. Software development; intelligent algorithms for obstacle avoidance and path tracking have been developed. A sensor data fusion algorithm for the sensors was also developed to get more reliable fire detection information. In conclusion; a fire inspection and detection robot with various functions to especially can be used in industrial areas was designed and manufactured. The functions of the robot were tested. It can be concluded that system is able to detect the fire source maximum 100 cm distance away while robot is moving with 0.5 m/s forward speed

    Proceedings of the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015

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    This volume contains the full papers accepted for presentation at the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015 held in the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, on June 29 - July 2, 2015. The ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics is an international meeting held once every two years in a European country. Continuing the very successful series of past conferences that have been organized in Lisbon (2003), Madrid (2005), Milan (2007), Warsaw (2009), Brussels (2011) and Zagreb (2013); this edition will once again serve as a meeting point for the international researchers, scientists and experts from academia, research laboratories and industry working in the area of multibody dynamics. Applications are related to many fields of contemporary engineering, such as vehicle and railway systems, aeronautical and space vehicles, robotic manipulators, mechatronic and autonomous systems, smart structures, biomechanical systems and nanotechnologies. The topics of the conference include, but are not restricted to: ● Formulations and Numerical Methods ● Efficient Methods and Real-Time Applications ● Flexible Multibody Dynamics ● Contact Dynamics and Constraints ● Multiphysics and Coupled Problems ● Control and Optimization ● Software Development and Computer Technology ● Aerospace and Maritime Applications ● Biomechanics ● Railroad Vehicle Dynamics ● Road Vehicle Dynamics ● Robotics ● Benchmark ProblemsPostprint (published version

    Major Total Conversion in English: The Question of Directionality

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    This research investigates the directionality of major total conversion in English, where major total conversion is defined as the process and at the same time as the result of deriving a new lexical item by altering the part of speech of the base without marking the alteration overtly, as in the presumed pair dry – to dry. The question is whether there is a reliable strategy for deciding which member of a pair is the base and which member is the converted counterpart. Various attempts had been made to resolve the controversial directional issue, but the results have been inconsistent. The investigation aims to discover whether or not there exists a coherent notion about how to decide directionality by considering four factors assumed in the literature to reflect directionality. A large corpus of potential examples of major total conversion was collected to act as test materials. The four factors were compared for each major total conversion pair to see to what extent there was agreement among them. Results showed the factors did not agree to the expected extent. The findings are discussed in detail and it is claimed the inconsistencies can often be explained with recourse to a few general principles. In conclusion, on the whole the four factors considered are consistent with one another. In other words, the notion about how to determine directionality in major total conversion is coherent and can be maintained for English
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