Design improvements and control of a hybrid walking robot

In this paper design improvements and control algorithms are presented for a 2-DOF (Degree-Of-Freedom) hybrid leg-wheel walking machine. A prototype of a low-cost robot, which is capable of straight walking and steering with only two actuators, has been designed and built at LARM: Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics in Cassino. A control system has been developed in order to control the robot’s operation and to improve the prototype’s behavior. The designed control system and simulation results have been reported to show the operation of the prototype.     

Design and motion planning of an autonomous climbing robot with claws

This paper presents the design of a novel robot capable of climbing on vertical and rough surfaces, such as stucco walls. Termed CLIBO (claw inspired robot), the robot can remain in position for a long period of time. Such a capability offers important civilian and military advantages such as surveillance, observation, search and rescue and even for entertainment and games. The robot’s kinematics and motion, is a combination between mimicking a technique commonly used in rock climbing using four limbs to climb and a method used by cats to climb on trees with their claws. It uses four legs, each with four-degrees-of-freedom (4-DOF) and specially designed claws attached to each leg that enable it to maneuver itself up the wall and to move in any direction. At the tip of each leg is a gripping device made of 12 fishing hooks and aligned in such a way that each hook can move independently on the wall’s surface. This design has the advantage of not requiring a tail-like structure that would press against the surface to balance its weight. A locomotion algorithm was developed to provide the robot with an autonomous capability for climbing along the pre-designed route. The algorithm takes into account the kinematics of the robot and the contact forces applied on the foot pads. In addition, the design provides the robot with the ability to review its gripping strength in order to achieve and maintain a high degree of reliability in its attachment to the wall. An experimental robot was built to validate the model and its motion algorithm. Experiments demonstrate the high reliability of the special gripping device and the efficiency of the motion planning algorithm.     

基于DSP技术的爬壁机器人吸附控制系统设计

壁面吸附是爬壁机器人的基本功能之一,其吸附程度直接影响爬壁机器人的稳定性和移动速度;为此,设计了基于DSP技术的爬壁机器人吸附控制系统;选择爬壁机器人传感器装置,加设DSP数字信号处理器,设计爬壁机器人吸附控制器;在硬件结构的支持下,根据爬壁机器人的组成结构和工作原理,构建相应的数学模型;在该模型下,利用DSP技术计算爬壁机器人吸附力;通过爬壁机器人在壁面环境下的受力分析结果,确定爬壁机器人安全吸附条件;以吸附控制器作为执行机构,实现爬壁机器人的吸附控制;选择负压爬壁机器人作为测试样机,通过系统测试表明,在瓷砖、木板、玻璃三种壁面环境下,与两个对比系统相比,应用此次设计系统得出爬壁机器人吸附力的控制误差降低了2.04 N,倾覆风险系数降低了0.29,具有较好的吸附控制效果。     

A harmonic potential field approach for joint planning and control of a rigid,separable nonholonomic,mobile robot

The main objective of this paper is to provide a tool for performing path planning at the servo-level of a mobile robot. The ability to perform, in a provably-correct manner, such a complex task at the servo-level can lead to a large increase in the speed of operation, low energy consumption and high quality of response. Planning has been traditionally limited to the high level controller of a robot. The guidance velocity signal from this stage is usually converted to a control signal using what is known as an electronic speed controller (ESC). This paper demonstrates the ability of the harmonic potential field (HPF) approach to generate a provably-correct, constrained, well-behaved trajectory and control signal for a rigid, nonholonomic robot in a stationary, cluttered environment. It is shown that the HPF-based, servo-level planner can address a large number of challenges facing planning in a realistic situation. The suggested approach migrates the rich and provably-correct properties of the solution trajectories from an HPF planner to those of the robot. This is achieved using a synchronizing control signal whose aim is to align the velocity of the robot in its local coordinates, with that of the gradient of the HPF. The link between the two is made possible by representing the robot using what the paper terms “separable form”. The context-sensitive and goal-oriented control signal used to steer the robot is demonstrated to be well-behaved and robust in the presence of actuator noise, saturation and uncertainty in the parameters. The approach is developed, proofs of correctness are provided and the capabilities of the scheme are demonstrated using simulation results.     

Improved control and simulation models of a tricycle collaborative robot

The objective of collaborative manufacturing is to create the synergism from the collaboration of manufacturing resources. Most of the studied collaborations are made among intelligent machines; however, the collaboration can be realized even between machines and human being, and a collaborative robot (Cobot) belongs to the latter. A cobot is a robot designed to assist human beings as a guide or assistor in a constrained motion. Various prototypes have been developed and the potentials of these robots have been demonstrated. The research presented in this paper focuses on the control and simulation models of a tricycle cobot with three steered wheels, with the following two contributions: (i) A concise model for the closed-loop control is developed. Existing closed-loop control has been implemented in an intuitive way, and some control parameters have to be determined by a trial-and-error method. (ii) A simulation model is proposed to validate the control algorithms. No simulation model is available and the control models of other existing systems have to be validated experimentally. The developed control and simulation models have been implemented. Graphic simulation is also developed. Case studies are provided and the simulation results are analyzed.     

基于D-H法的农业采摘机器人运动协作控制系统设计

为提升农业采摘机器人运动协作控制性能,降低机器人碰撞概率,利用D-H法优化设计机器人运动协作控制系统。改装位置、力矩以及碰撞传感器设备,优化运动协作控制器与驱动器,调整系统通信模块结构,完成硬件系统的优化。利用D-H法构建农业采摘机器人数学模型,在该模型下,利用传感器设备实现机器人实时位姿的量化描述,通过机器人采摘流程的模拟,分配机器人运动协作任务,从位置和姿态等多个方面,确定运动协作控制目标,经过受力分析求解机器人实际作用力,最终通过控制量的计算,实现农业采摘机器人的运动协作控制功能。通过系统测试实验得出结论：与传统控制系统相比,机器人位置、姿态角和作用力的控制误差分别降低了约40mm、0.2°和1.2N,在优化设计系统控制下,机器人的碰撞次数得到明显降低。     

Nonlinear control with acceleration feedback for a two-link flexible robot

In this paper, a three-loop control strategy is applied to each link of a two-link flexible robot. In the first loop feedback linearization is applied to the rigid and motor dynamics. The second loop consists of a simple proportional-derivative (PD) control law for accurate rigid body angle tracking. The third loop uses endpoint accelearation feedback to account for flexure effects. The overall scheme is relatively simple in order to facilitate easy implementation; experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the developed schemes.     

An intelligent robust tracking control for electrically-driven robot systems

This article addresses the problem of designing intelligent robust tracking controls of robot systems actuated by brushed direct current motors. The structures of both mechanical and electrical dynamics are allowed to be completely unknown and adaptive fuzzy (or neural network) systems are employed to approximate these two uncertainties. Consequently, an adaptive fuzzy-based (or neural network-based) state feedback tracking controller is developed such that the resulting closed-loop system guarantees that all the states and signals are bounded and the tracking error can be made as small as possible. Finally, simulation examples are made to demonstrate the effectiveness and tracking performance.     

动力学解析的四轮全向移动机器人电机解耦控制

四轮全向移动机器人是一个复杂的非线性、强耦合的机械系统,各轮驱动电机间存在强耦合现象,很难取得理想的控制效果。针对这一问题,提出一种基于动力学解析的多电机控制系统解耦方法。通过对四轮机器人的动力学解析推导出四轮转速与其驱动力矩间的状态方程,获得各电机输入输出量之间的耦合关系,在此基础上依据控制量一致思想设计解耦控制器,解决了传统参考模型解耦方法不能兼顾控制性能和解耦性能的问题,实现了四路电机的独立控制。仿真结果显示,该方法能够有效地减小控制系统各变量间的相互耦合作用,每路电机均很好地跟踪了各自的输入,解耦效果好。     

基于大脑情感学习的四轮驱动机器人速度补偿控制

由于4轮驱动机器人的轮间耦合特性及系统非线性的存在,即使单个驱动电机的控制精度达到最优,机器人整体的运动控制效果也未必理想.针对这一问题,提出一种基于大脑情感学习的机器人速度补偿控制方法.基于大脑情感学习计算模型,设计了融合机器人整体速度跟踪误差及其积分、微分信息的补偿控制器,通过计算模型内部各节点权值的在线学习,及时地调整控制器的参数,实现对4个轮子速度的自适应补偿.仿真实验表明,该方法有效减小了非线性干扰对系统的影响,具有较高的稳态控制精度和较快的响应速度,大大提高了机器人整体的速度和轨迹跟踪精度.     

Analysis and heading control of continuum planar snake robot based on kinematics and a general solution thereof

This paper presents a kinematic calculation and control method for an inextensible continuum planar snake robot. The snake robot is assumed to move without side slipping; this constraint makes it easy to construct its kinematic model based on which we can analyze the movement of the robot. The kinematic model is expressed as a semi-linear partial differential equation (PDE). We discuss the general solution of the PDE and a calculation method based on it. However, the constraint also raises the problem of singular posture. The problem of singularities has been addressed for a snake robot with a serial link structure; however, for a continuum snake robot, much less research has been carried out. In this paper, we propose a method for controlling the direction of movement while avoiding singularities. The validity of our method is tested through simulations and experiments.     

Gait optimization of step climbing for a hexapod robot

RHex-style hexapod robot is a type of legged robot which can perform multiple moving gaits according to different applications, due to its simple structure and strong mobility. However, traversing high obstacles has always been a big challenge for legged robots. In this paper, gait optimization of a hexapod robot is proposed for climbing steps at different heights, which even enables the robot to climb the step 3.9 times of the leg length. First, a previous step-climbing gait is optimized by adjusting body inclination when placing front legs on top of the step, which enables RHex with different sizes to perform the rising stage of the gait. Second, to improve the climbing heights, a novel quasi-static climbing gait is proposed by using the reversed claw-shape legs to reach the higher step. The nondeformable legs are used to raise the center of mass (COM) of the body by lifting the front and rear legs alternately so that the front legs can reach the top of the step, then the front and middle legs are lifted alternately to maneuver COM up onto the step. The simulations and dynamic analysis of climbing steps are utilized to verify the feasibility of the improved gait. Finally, the step-climbing experiments at different heights are performed with the optimized gaits to compare with the existing gaits. The results of simulations and experiments show the superiority of the proposed gaits due to climbing higher steps.     

Integrated architecture for industrial robot programming and control

As robot control systems are traditionally closed, it is difficult to add supplementary intelligence. Accordingly, as based on a new notion of user views, a layered system architecture is proposed. Bearing in mind such industrial demands as computing efficiency and simple factory-floor operation, the control layers are parameterized by means of functional operators consisting of pieces of compiled code that can be passed as parameters between the layers. The required interplay between application-specific programs and built-in motion control is thereby efficiently accomplished. The results from experimental evaluation and several case studies suggest the architecture to be very useful also in an industrial context.     

工业机器人的分布式控制系统设计

介绍了通用型工业机器人分布式控制系统的设计方案，总结了工业机器人控制系统设计所必须考虑的问题。分析说明：工业机器人分布式控制系统是一种比较理想的快速实时控制系统。     

基于模糊控制的自主寻迹机器人设计

以飞思卡尔16 bit单片机MC9S12XS128为核心控制单元,设计了寻迹传感器,避障模块、驱动模块以及调试模块等硬件电路。在控制算法上采用模糊控制对小车进行控制,使得机器人能自动采集信息,分析外部环境,控制电机转向及寻迹,实现了机器人的自动寻迹以及避障功能。     

基于PLC技术的焊接机器人主从协调运动控制系统研究

焊接机器人运动控制系统的控制功能直接决定了焊接工作质量,利用PLC技术优化设计焊接机器人主从协调运动控制系统。在系统硬件设计方面,装设位置、速度、旋转电弧等传感器设备,利用传感数据检测焊接机器人实时位姿。在考虑焊接机器人组成结构、工作原理以及动力驱动方式的情况下,构建焊接机器人的数学模型。结合当前位姿和控制目标之间的位置关系,规划焊接机器人主从协调运动轨迹,在约束条件的作用下,利用PLC控制器生成控制指令,作用在改装的焊接机器人驱动器上,实现系统的焊接机器人主从协调运动控制功能。通过系统测试实验得出结论：与传统控制系统相比,优化设计系统的速度控制误差、姿态角控制误差分别降低了0.075mm/s和0.38°,在优化系统控制下,主从焊接机器人的运动轨迹与规划轨迹之间无明显差异。     

基于工控机的AGV装配机器人控制系统设计

设计了一套基于工控机的双举升AGV装配机器人的控制系统。采用磁带导航完成寻线功能,采用PSD完成AGV与生产线的同步检测。利用无线网卡WiFi接入网方式,通过TCP/IP协议完成AGV与监控中心的数据传输以及运行调度。     

基于MQTT的机器人集群控制系统设计与实现

针对现有的多机器人的控制系统编程复杂且不可灵活地更改机器人动作的弊端,基于MQTT的机器人集群控制系统采用了网络传输模式,通过MQTT在不使用有线连接的基础上将动作发送给目标机器人,并且具有动作复现的功能,可以通过手动将机器人的动作记录下来,然后进行复现,大大降低了编程和调试的难度;这种控制系统使得机器人只需要接受上位机的命令,执行上位机发出的动作指令就可以完成同步协调工作,大大减少了机器人的CPU处理的任务,降低了机器人的制作成本,同时通过上位机控制机器人的动作,可以及时纠正错误动作,停止工作,更改任务等,无需担心机器人因先前的程序导致动作出错;实验中使用该系统对三台四足机器人进行控制,结果表明该系统可以使三台机器人协同工作,动作误差极小,并且可以完整复现动作.     

Robust sliding-mode control applied to a 5-link biped robot

In this paper the application of robust control to a 5-link biped robotic model is investigated through the sliding mode approach, and compared to pure computed torque control. The biped consists of five links, namely the torso and two links in each leg. These links are connected via four (two hip and two knee) rotating joints which are considered to be friction-free and driven by independent d.c. motors. The locomotion of the biped is assumed to be constrained on the sagittal plane. The paper provides a full derivation of the biped dynamic model (single-leg support phase, biped-in-the-air phase) and an outline of the computed torque and sliding mode control algorithms. The simulation results were derived with two sets of parameters (one of which corresponds to a human-sized biped) and several degrees of parametric uncertainty (from 10% to 200%). In all cases the results obtained through the sliding mode control were much better than those obtained with the computed torque control. This superiority was shown to become stronger as the degree of uncertainty and the size of the biped increases.