基于视觉方法的输电线断股检测与机器人行为规划

输电线维护机器人用于代替人工完成危险作业,准确的故障检测与合理的行为规划对于作业效果至关重要.针对以上需求,采用视觉方法,提出了一种基于图像特征分类的输电线断股检测方法.该方法提取边缘梯度向量作为图像特征,采用支持向量机方法进行分类运算完成线路断股检测.在断股检测的基础上,利用断股检测信息与机器人传感器测得的信息构建机器人状态向量.根据当前状态向量,结合机器人断股补修作业流程,提出了面向捋线与压接复杂作业的机器人断股补修作业行为规划方法.利用实验室模拟线路开展实验,验证了提出的输电线断股检测及行为规划方法的有效性.     

超高压输电线路巡检机器人越障控制问题的研究

给出了一种超高压输电线路巡检机器人控制系统的设计与实现方法．根据机器人的作业任务,提出了基于传感器信息、约束信息以及动作反馈信息作为输入,产生式系统作为动作输出的越障控制方式．仿真结果表明此方法对于机器人的越障过程是有效的．     

一种输电线路巡检机器人控制系统的设计与实现

介绍了一种超高压输电线路巡检机器人控制系统的设计与实现方法．根据巡检作业任务的要求，采用遥控与局部自主相结合的控制模式实现巡检机器人沿线行走及跨越障碍．设计了巡检机器人有限状态机模型，实现了机器人遥控与局部自主控制的有机结合．采用基于激光传感器定位的方法实现了巡检机器人的自主越障控制．实验结果表明，该机器人可实现沿线行走及自主跨越障碍，从而验证了控制系统设计的有效性与合理性．     

全方位越障移动机构研究

针对清洗壁面作业对机器人提出的特殊要求,研制了可越障轮式全方位移动机构—— -车轮组机构,该机构保证机器人在姿态保持不变的前提下,沿壁面任意方向直线移动、或 在原地旋转任意角度,同时能跨越存在于机器人运行路径中的障碍．该机构不需要传感装置 来检测障碍,不需要复杂的辅助机构来实现平面上运动和越障运动之间的转换．     

一种输电线巡检机器人的自动抓线视觉伺服控制

为了保证轮臂复合式巡检机器人自动越障时行走轮能够可靠抓线,提出一种基于图像的视觉伺服抓线控制方法.在图像空间定义输电线的偏距和偏角来表征图像特征的变化,并设计出位姿解耦伺服控制律.由于视觉雅可比矩阵与机器人状态有关且可能发生奇异,采用模糊方法进行机器人控制.通过实验确定模糊集合的论域,设计了两层模糊控制器并编制了自动抓线程序.进行了上百次实验,其抓线控制的偏距和偏角误差分别在25像素和2以内,能够可靠抓线,实际越障中只需小于40s的时间即可完成抓线.结果表明该方法具有准确、可靠、效率高的特点,能够满足准确、快速、可靠抓线的任务要求.     

适于水下船体的爬壁机器人关键技术及其研究进展

水下船体表面清刷和检测为爬壁机器人开辟了新的应用领域,其特点是机械本体稳定地吸附在水下船体表面上,同时能够灵活地完成移动、转向、越障等行走功能,进而完成针对船体表面的检测、清刷等作业。文中重点介绍了几种水下船体作业的爬壁爬行机器人,并对机器人的吸附和行走两个关键技术进行了分析,总结了水下船体作业机器人研究中的一些难点问题及其发展趋势。     

基于知识库的输电线路巡检机器人的越障控制

介绍了一种高压输电线路巡检机器人越障控制方法。高压输电线路巡检机器人在翻越同一障碍物时重复同一套操作动作,可通过在实验室进行越障过程示教,离线学习形成操作知识库,实际越障时自动调用操作知识库并与在线信号相结合完成自主越障动作。讨论了知识库的一般组成和功能,并分析了激光传感器定位的方法以实现巡检机器人滚动轮与导线“对中”。经过实验验证,该控制方法具有稳定可靠,硬件结构简便,能可靠地完成控制任务,实现自主越障。     

模糊控制器在“穿地龙”机器人控制中的应用

"穿地龙"机器人在地下穿孔作业过程中会受到诸多因素的影响,是一个非线性的复杂系统。采用参数自调整模糊控制算法设计了位置模糊控制器,实现了机器人按目标轨迹运动等功能,保证了机器人具有良好的姿态调节能力。轨迹测试结果表明:设计的控制器具有良好的鲁棒性,可以保证机器人在土中按照预定的轨迹行走,完成穿孔作业任务。     

基于粒子群模糊的除冰机器人越障规划

由于除冰机器人多在天气恶劣,覆冰较厚的输电线路上工作,现有的基于视觉伺服越障策略存在图像质量差,冰、线区分难等不足。根据模糊逻辑和粒子群优化原理,提出了一种除冰机器人在线越障和路径规划方法。该方法通过模糊规划器实现除冰机器人机械臂的无障跟踪和平稳越障。在此基础上,以机械臂末端经过路径长度和与目标点距离的综合最小为目标,利用粒子群算法对模糊规划器输出角度进行在线优化。仿真结果表明:与传统的模糊越障规划相比,该方法不仅满足除冰机器人实时规划和自主越障的要求,缩短了机械臂经过轨迹的长度,提高了除冰机器人的工作效率和续航能力,为实际工程应用中除冰机器人的能源短缺问题,提供了一种节约使用方案,具有一定的工程应用价值。     

轮腿式微型机器人系统研究

轮腿复合式机器人是在轮式机器人的基础上,通过优化轮子设计以达到快速灵活运动的一种新型的地面移动系统。该机器人主体由机架、两条主轴、齿轮减速机构、轮腿复合机构组成,由单电机驱动,控制系统相对简单。该机器人相比于普通轮式机器人具有较强的越障能力,且结构精简、体积小、重量轻。采用ADAMS对该机器人进行了运动学和动力学仿真,详细探讨了其越障能力、安装相位、轮腿结构、步态等关键问题,为其物理样机的设计、优化和控制提供了理论依据。     

Transmission line maintenance robots capable of crossing obstacles: State‐of‐the‐art review and challenges ahead

Power line inspection and maintenance already benefit from developments in mobile robotics. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state of the art. It focuses on mobile robots designed to cross obstacles found on a typical transmission line while using the conductor as support for traveling. Promising areas of research and development as well as challenges that remain to be solved are discussed with a view to developing fully autonomous technologies. Maintenance tasks, including inspection and repairs, are identified as high‐value applications in transmission live‐line work. Conclusions are drawn from experience, and the future of mobile robotics applied to transmission line maintenance is discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Semi-autonomous serially connected multi-crawler robot for search and rescue

In this paper, we develop a semi-autonomous serially connected multi-crawler robot for search and rescue. In large-scale disasters, such as earthquakes and tornadoes, the application of rescue robots to search for survivors under rubble would be beneficial. Snake-like robots (robots composed of serially connected units) are an effective candidate for such robots. Their long body enables them to overcome obstacles, and they can move into narrow spaces because of their thin shape. However, conventional snake-like robots have significant problems with operability. The numerous degrees of freedom of their bodies require complex operation to overcome obstacles, and training is required for the operators. Thus, survivors or community members cannot operate conventional robots to search for victims, despite the availability of such rescue robots. Here, we address this problem and develop a semi-autonomous serially connected multi-crawler robot designed for non-trained operators, such as community members or rescued survivors. It can be controlled easily by a conventional two-channel user interface with levers for turning and straight line motion. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed mechanism, a prototype robot was developed and experiments were conducted. The results confirm that the proposed robot had both higher operability and higher mobility than conventional robots.     

WatchBot: A building maintenance and surveillance system based on autonomous robots

There is a growing interest in the use of intelligent technologies in new buildings. An intelligent system should be designed in a manner that allows minimum human intervention during daily operation. However, large buildings need substantial manpower for maintenance, management as well as surveillance to ensure a quality environment for the occupants. This paper describes a multi-robot system for building maintenance and surveillance applications over the Internet. Each robot can handle autonomously some daily maintenance and surveillance routine tasks, although remote control of the robots via the Internet or intranet is also possible. Apart from the user-started and scheduled tasks, the robots can also execute tasks to handle alarms triggered by the building automation system (BAS). Robots are connected to the central management office via a local area network. This paper shows the advantages of using mobile robots for building maintenance and surveillance tasks by improving efficiency and reducing manpower. The system was developed with the Robotics Integrated Development Environment (RIDE) and was tested intensively in different environments.     

Applying a path planner based on RRT to cooperative multirobot box-pushing

Considering robot systems in the real world, a multirobot system where multiple robots work simultaneously without colliding with each other is more practical than a single-robot system where only one robot works. Therefore, solving the path-planning problem in a multirobot system is very important. In this study, we developed a path-planner based on the rapidly exploring random tree (RRT), which is a data structure and algorithm designed for efficiently searching for multirobot box-pushing, and made experiments in real environments. A path planner must construct a plan which avoids the robot colliding with obstacles or with other robots. Moreover, in some cases, a robot must collaborate with other robots to transport the box without colliding with any obstacles. Our proposed path planner constructs a box-transportation plan and the path plans of each robot bearing the above considerations in mind. Experimental results showed that our proposed planner can construct a multirobot box-pushing plan without colliding with obstacles, and that the robots can execute tasks according to the plan in real environments. We also checked that multiple robots can perform problem tasks when only one robot could not transport the box to the goal. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Articifial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

基于物联网的输电线路巡检机器人控制策略研究

完整设计一种具有自主协调运动功能的小型电力输电线路的巡检机器人,为了实现机器人自主越过塔头和绝缘子串,同步感知适应不同档距的杆塔以及多个机器人在一定长度的作业范围内能够协调运动作业。本文重点研究基于自抗扰控制技术的多机协调控制策略。同时考虑到输电线路环境的复杂性,在设计机器人本体中,引入了基于物联网框架的多传感器融合算法。最后通过算法仿真和设计制作实物样机,测试本实验装置和控制策略的有效性。     

输电线断股、损伤故障检测方法比较性研究

为了保证高压输电线线路的正常运行,及时对输电导线的断股、损伤故障的检测意义重大。综述了现阶段国内对此类输电线故障检测常用的方法:人工检测法、航测法、巡线机器人检测法,分析了各类检测方法的优点及实际应用中存在的问题。对巡线机器人检测方法进行重点阐述,分析了对比了现阶段基于红外传感器、电涡流、涡流和漏磁结合的巡线机器人三种检测方法,并在当前此类输电线故障检测方法的基础上,总结了输电线导线损伤、断股故障研究的发展方向。     

An insect robot controlled by the emergence of gait patterns

A major problem with walking robots is how to control their walking under unpredictably changing environments. Most walking robots proposed to date can walk in limited environments in which gait patterns are kinematically but not dynamically determined in advance. This means that such robots cannot walk and adapt to changes in the world, while animals can walk flexibly and efficiently in the real world. It has been considered that flexibility and efficiency in animals originate in the pattern of emergence of control information. We have already clarified the mechanism of flexible and efficient generation of gait patterns in animals, so we have tried to make an insect robot based on these mechanisms which can walk and adapt to unpredictable changes in the environment. Since these mechanisms are quite new and are also applicable to other artificial systems, we discuss the emergence system as the control mechanism attaining the target state under the constraints of the real world. This work was presented, in part, at the Third International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 19–21, 1998     

多移动机器人的队形控制

针对步行机器人建模困难和传感信息有限的条件下对其进行的队形控制研究。通过建立机器人的队形位置信息知识库,制定有优先级的组队参考机器人选择规则,结合有限的传感交互信息,提出了基于主从知识联想的平行四边形法来确定机器人的运动向量,使跟随机器人在虚构的平行四边形中分析出其下一步的偏转角和速度,并在偏转角和速度的分析中考虑了时延和适当的控制周期。在机器人队形控制过程中的避障问题则采用模糊控制理论,依据人为经验制定的模糊避障控制规则使机器人灵活的避开障碍,仿真实验证明了算法的有效性。     

Mechanism Design and Mechanical Analysis of Multi-Suction Sliding Cleaning Robot Used in Glass Curtain Wall

In order to meet the needs of high-altitude glass curtain wall cleaning, a multi-suction sliding cleaning robot was designed. The sliding robot sucker, cleaning system, obstacle avoidance and rotation ability, walking circuit and mobile working principle of the cleaning robot were designed. This involved the analysis of the robot’s anti-rollover mechanics during adsorption, of robotic winds when working at height, and of anti-sliding mechanics during robot movement, in order to explore feasible ways to improve the robot’s adsorption performance. The relationship between the effective diameter D of the suction cup, the vacuum degree △ P, and the gravity G should be determined by the anti-slipping analysis. In order to ensure the safe and reliable adsorption force and the flexibility of this robot when moving on a wall, the aforementioned analyses were conducted to improve the motion performance of wall-climbing robots, which provides a good theoretical basis for design optimization and motion control of cleaning robots. The curtain wall cleaning robot has stable walking ability and can clean the wall surface effectively; therefore, it has a certain practical value.     

Development of snake-like robot ACM-R8 with large and mono-tread wheel

One of the important advantages of an active wheeled snake-like robots is that it can access narrow spaces which are inaccessible to other types of robot (such as crawlers, walking robots), since snake-like robots have an elongated, narrow body. Additionally, in areas with rubble, snake-like robots can traverse rough terrain and large obstacles since its body can conform to the terrain’s contours. ‘ACM-R8’ is a new snake-like robot which can climb stairs and reach doorknobs in addition to the features explained above. To fulfill these functions, the design of this robot incorporates several key features: joints with parallel link mechanism, mono-tread wheels with internal structure, force sensors and ‘swing-grousers’ which were developed to improve step climbability. In this paper, the design and control methods are described. Experiments confirmed high mobility on stairs and steps, with the robot succeeding in overcoming a step height of 600 mm, despite the height of the robot being just 300 mm.