Search results for "Robot"
showing 10 items of 1036 documents
The Redesigned Serpens, a Low-Cost, Highly Compliant Snake Robot†
2022
The term perception-driven obstacle-aided locomotion (POAL) was proposed to describe locomotion in which a snake robot leverages a sensory-perceptual system to exploit the surrounding operational environment and to identify walls, obstacles, or other structures as a means of propulsion. To attain POAL from a control standpoint, the accurate identification of push-points and reliable determination of feasible contact reaction forces are required. This is difficult to achieve with rigidly actuated robots because of the lack of compliance. As a possible solution to this challenge, our research group recently presented Serpens, a low-cost, open-source, and highly compliant multi-purpose modular…
Development of Point-to-Point Path Control in Actuator Space for Hydraulic Knuckle Boom Crane
2020
This paper presents a novel method for point-to-point path control for a hydraulic knuckle boom crane. The developed path control algorithm differs from previous solutions by operating in the actuator space instead of the joint space or Cartesian space of the crane. By operating in actuator space, almost all the parameters and constraints of the system become either linear or constant, which greatly reduces the complexity of both the control algorithm and path generator. For a given starting point and endpoint, the motion for each actuator is minimized compared to other methods. This ensures that any change in direction of motion is avoided, thereby greatly minimizing fatigue, jerky motion,…
Design and Characterization of a Miniature Hydraulic Power Supply for High-Bandwidth Control of Soft Robotics
2020
Soft robotics holds enormous promise for a wide class of applications. However, system controllability, bandwidth, portability, and energy efficiency of soft robot power supplies are often inadequate. Soft robotics desperately needs improved solutions to drive soft actuators either pneumatically or hydraulically. This research paper offers a contribution to bridge this gap. It deals with small-scale power supplies for hydraulically-driven soft robots based on fluidic elastomer actuators in the power range 5-400 W. A design procedure for such power supplies is developed with an emphasis on high-bandwidth control. The performance requirements are established based on a literature survey, and …
Hibrid Adaptive/EKF Motion Control and Data Fusion for Ground Vehicles with Kinematical and Dynamical Uncertainties
2006
This paper considers the motion control problem of ground vehicles with nonholonomic constraints and parametric uncertainties both in the kinematic and in the dynamic model. The presence of uncertainties above is treated using adaptation laws where the Lyapunov's stability of the position and orientation errors is proved. Now, if the feedback signals are position and orientation provided by incremental encoders only, then noises of the odometric sensors above can damage the control in terms of difference between the desired and the actual motion of the vehicle and in terms of performances of the parametric adaptation. So an extended Kalman's filter (EKF) is inserted in the feedback for meas…
Noised Trajectory tracking Control based on Fuzzy Lyapunov approach for Wheeled Vehicles
2005
This paper solves a trajectory tracking control problem whit outside perturbations for wheeled nonholonomic vehicles using a Fuzzy Lyapunov method. Trough a symbiosis between classical backstepping techniques and fuzzy logic, the control system ensures a good robustness with respect to outside perturbations. Possible causes of perturbations are the characteristics of the ground and the contact between the wheels and the ground. These perturbations can interact with the vehicle, they are sources of uncertainty for the system model and can perturb the validity of the nonholonomic constraints. The convergence of the tracking errors to the origin and the asymptotic stability of the equilibrium …
Teaching Physics Concepts Using Educational Robotics
2019
This paper reports a study included in the national project PROMISE funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. It examines the application of an educational robotics laboratory with secondary school students for learning concept about physics. In the paper we describe the didactic strategies that have been implemented during the activities and we give some qualitative outcomes related to effectiveness of the laboratory. Indeed we observed interesting results in students both in term of learning and of interest and participation. The importance of teacher involvement in this type of intervention will also be discussed.
Distance Learning – Projecting a Learning Unit. Example of Good Practice
2013
Abstract Distance Learning is a flexible form of university education which focuses on students ‘self-study, the institution which organizes the study programme provides the students with the adequate learning resources. Designing a university course addressed to Distance Learning students represents a key point in the process of education. The purpose of our research is to specify the demands in designing a Distance Learning university course, examining and illustrating each aspect in designing a learning unit with the topic: The Concept of “Stylistic Field”. The learning material is designed according to established objectives, it is accessible, accurate, yet attractive in design, and it …
A Playful Experiential Learning System With Educational Robotics
2020
This article reports on two studies that aimed to evaluate the effective impact of educational robotics in learning concepts related to Physics and Geography. The reported studies involved two courses from an upper secondary school and two courses from a lower secondary school. Upper secondary school classes studied topics of motion physics, and lower secondary school classes explored issues related to geography. In each grade, there was an “experimental group” that carried out their study using robotics and cooperative learning and a “control group” that studied the same concepts without robots. Students in both classes were subjected to tests before and after the robotics laboratory, to c…
Decentralized Coordination System for Multiple AGVs in a Structured Environment
2011
Abstract In this paper, we propose a decentralized coordination algorithm for safe and efficient management of a group of mobile robots following predefined paths in a dynamic industrial environment. The proposed algorithm is based on shared resources and proved to guarantee ordered traffic flows avoiding collisions and deadlocks. In consistency with the model of distributed robotic systems (DRS), no centralized mechanism, synchronized clock, shared memory or ground support is needed. A local inter-robot communication is required among a small number of spatially adjacent robotic units.
A Robotic Humanoid for Information Exploration on Cultural Heritage Domain
2020
The work presented here illustrates an humanoid robot capable of interacting with an human user within the Cultural Heritage domain. Two different and complementary AI approaches, namely sub-symbolic and symbolic, have been implemented and combined together to design the framework of a robot having both rational and intuitive capabilities. Furthermore, the robot is capable of providing information expressively and of adapting its behavior according to the emotional content of the artworks descriptions. This could make the robot more effective in providing information and entertaining the users.