Prototyping and Simulated Analysis of Autonomous Swarm-Bots

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maulikkumar Dhameliya ◽  
Sidharth Sher ◽  
Souma Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
System A ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Modular Platform ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Small Form Factor ◽  
Rate Of Success ◽  
Simulated Analysis

Teams of small (mm-to-cm scale) robots, often known as swarm-bots, can provide unique functionality owing to their small form factor, distributed sensing capabilities, resilience to disruptions and agent-loss, and likely low cost. Such swarm-bots are being increasingly touted to support various indoor surveillance, hazard detection, and search and rescue missions. This paper presents the conceptual design, fabrication, and testing of a new cm-scale wheeled swarm-bot. Simulated investigation of a simple particle-swarm-inspired approach to coordinated path planning for these swarm-bots is also presented. The swarm bot is developed around a modular platform, comprising snap-on (3D printed) structural components, a stepper-motor actuated wheel system, a Raspberry Pi computing node, a wireless radio module, a Lipo battery, and proximity sensors; all components are readily detachable, thereby allowing reconfiguration flexibility. Through three design generations, a stable prototype offering >20cm/s speed and ∼50 min endurance, was developed, assembled and tested. A virtual simulated environment is developed by combining MATLAB-based modules and a V-Rep environment, in order to simulate the coordinated operation of these swarm-bots. A 78% rate of success in completing target (light source) search missions was observed during the numerical experiments, and performance robustness was observed to improve with increasing swarm size.

scholarly journals SoC as IoT sensor network hub

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-45
Author(s):  
Alexandru Alexan ◽  
Anca Alexan ◽  
Oniga Ștefan ◽  
Alin Tisan
Keyword(s):  
Form Factor ◽  
Sensor Networks ◽  
Sensor Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Factor Price ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Small Form ◽  
Processing Power ◽  
Cloud Database ◽  
Small Form Factor

Abstract Nowadays SoC’s miniaturization provide smaller yet more powerful devices that are perfect to be used as local hubs for small to medium sensor networks. Although sensors can now be easily connected directly to the cloud, a hub can simplify the process of bringing sensor to the IoT cloud. One of the most popular SoC board, Raspberry PI, is perfect for the hub role due to its small form factor, price, processing power and connectivity. Our proposed system consists in a SoC based low cost raspberry pi hub that connects two Bluetooth sensortag CC2650 modules to a mongoDB cloud database.

Aerobic Evaluation in Elite Slalom Kayakers Using a Tethered Canoe System: A New Proposal

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 864-871
Author(s):  
Homero Gustavo Ferrari ◽  
Leonardo H.D. Messias ◽  
Ivan G.M. Reis ◽  
Claudio A. Gobatto ◽  
Filipe A.B. Sousa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Critical Force ◽  
Noninvasive Method ◽  
Maximal Lactate Steady State ◽  
National Team ◽  
System A ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
New Strategies ◽  
Aerobic Evaluation

Background:Among other aspects, aerobic fitness is indispensable for performance in slalom canoe.Purpose:To propose the maximal-lactate steady-state (MLSS) and critical-force (CF) tests using a tethered canoe system as new strategies for aerobic evaluation in elite slalom kayakers. In addition, the relationship between the aerobic parameters from these tests and the kayakers’ performances was studied.Methods:Twelve male elite slalom kayakers from the Brazilian national team participated in this study. All tests were conducted using a tethered canoe system to obtain the force records. The CF test was applied on 4 d and analyzed by hyperbolic (CFhyper) and linear (CFlin) mathematical models. The MLSS intensity (MLSSint) was obtained by three 30-min continuous tests. The time of a simulated race was considered the performance index.Results:No difference (P < .05) between CFhyper (65.9 ± 1.6 N) and MLSSint (60.3 ± 2.5 N) was observed; however, CFlin (71.1 ± 1.7 N) was higher than MLSSint. An inverse and significant correlation was obtained between MLSSint and performance (r = –.67, P < .05).Conclusion:In summary, MLSS and CF tests on a tethered canoe system may be used for aerobic assessment of elite slalom kayakers. In addition, CFhyper may be used as an alternative low-cost and noninvasive method to estimate MLSSint, which is related with slalom kayakers’ performance.

The Sparthan Three-Dimensional Printed Exo-Glove: A Preliminary Evaluation of Performance Via Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomás A. Georgiou ◽  
Davide Asnaghi ◽  
Alva Liang ◽  
Alice M. Agogino
Keyword(s):  
Light Intensity ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Of Performance ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
And Performance

This paper describes the development and testing of a low-cost three-dimensional (3D) printed wearable hand exoskeleton to assist people with limited finger mobility and grip strength. The function of the presented orthosis is to support and enable light intensity activities of daily living and improve the ability to grasp and hold objects. The Sparthan Exoskeleton prototype utilizes a cable-driven design applied to individual digits with motors. The initial prototype is presented in this paper along with a preliminary evaluation of durability and performance efficacy.

Building Monitoring and Diagnostics: A Web-Based Approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 861 ◽  
pp. 556-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Schuss ◽  
Stefan Glawischnig ◽  
Ardeshir Mahdavi
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Building Monitoring ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Set Up

Efforts toward optimized building management and operation require monitoring data from multiple sources. Experiences from previous research projects underline the need for an easily adaptable, low-cost, and easy to set up monitoring infrastructure that could provide data for modeling and performance evaluation. The increasing availability of small and powerful development boards (e.g. Raspberry Pi BeagleBoard or Arduino) facilitates the implementation of a cost-efficient infrastructure for data collection and building monitoring. For the purpose of the present contribution, the Arduino Yún was used to create a data logger that obtains data from wireless sensors, stores it locally, and syncs it with a data repository. Toward this end, we have developed a web-based user interface that enables the user to evaluate various aspects of the monitored building's performance. The communication between the software components is implemented via RESTful interfaces and enables the user to integrate also other data sources such as web services. The paper includes an actual implementation of the above approach. Thereby, we illustrate how the constitutive system components can be integrated in terms of a versatile monitoring system with multiple utilities in terms of building performance assessment and building diagnostics.

scholarly journals Design and characterization of a 3D-printed staggered herringbone mixer

BioTechniques ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vedika J Shenoy ◽  
Chelsea ER Edwards ◽  
Matthew E Helgeson ◽  
Megan T Valentine
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Device Design ◽  
Replica Molding ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
And Performance ◽  
To Receive

3D printing holds potential as a faster, cheaper alternative compared with traditional photolithography for the fabrication of microfluidic devices by replica molding. However, the influence of printing resolution and quality on device design and performance has yet to receive detailed study. Here, we investigate the use of 3D-printed molds to create staggered herringbone mixers (SHMs) with feature sizes ranging from ∼100 to 500 μm. We provide guidelines for printer calibration to ensure accurate printing at these length scales and quantify the impacts of print variability on SHM performance. We show that SHMs produced by 3D printing generate well-mixed output streams across devices with variable heights and defects, demonstrating that 3D printing is suitable and advantageous for low-cost, high-throughput SHM manufacturing.

scholarly journals A 3D Printed Modular Soft Gripper Integrated With Metamaterials for Conformal Grasping

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charbel Tawk ◽  
Rahim Mutlu ◽  
Gursel Alici
Keyword(s):  
Contact Pressure ◽  
Fused Deposition Modeling ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Single Step ◽  
Positive Pressure ◽  
Pneumatic Actuators ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
And Performance

A single universal robotic gripper with the capacity to fulfill a wide variety of gripping and grasping tasks has always been desirable. A three-dimensional (3D) printed modular soft gripper with highly conformal soft fingers that are composed of positive pressure soft pneumatic actuators along with a mechanical metamaterial was developed. The fingers of the soft gripper along with the mechanical metamaterial, which integrates a soft auxetic structure and compliant ribs, was 3D printed in a single step, without requiring support material and postprocessing, using a low-cost and open-source fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer that employs a commercially available thermoplastic poly (urethane) (TPU). The soft fingers of the gripper were optimized using finite element modeling (FEM). The FE simulations accurately predicted the behavior and performance of the fingers in terms of deformation and tip force. Also, FEM was used to predict the contact behavior of the mechanical metamaterial to prove that it highly decreases the contact pressure by increasing the contact area between the soft fingers and the grasped objects and thus proving its effectiveness in enhancing the grasping performance of the gripper. The contact pressure can be decreased by up to 8.5 times with the implementation of the mechanical metamaterial. The configuration of the highly conformal gripper can be easily modulated by changing the number of fingers attached to its base to tailor it for specific manipulation tasks. Two-dimensional (2D) and 3D grasping experiments were conducted to assess the grasping performance of the soft modular gripper and to prove that the inclusion of the metamaterial increases its conformability and reduces the out-of-plane deformations of the soft monolithic fingers upon grasping different objects and consequently, resulting in the gripper in three different configurations including two, three and four-finger configurations successfully grasping a wide variety of objects.

scholarly journals BioSamplr: An open source, low cost automated sampling system for bioreactors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Efromson ◽  
Shuai Li ◽  
Michael D. Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Sampling System ◽  
Sample Interval ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Bioreactor Experiment ◽  
Log File ◽  
Time Required ◽  
The Cost

AbstractAutosampling from bioreactors reduces error, increases reproducibility and offers improved aseptic handling when compared to manual sampling. Additionally, autosampling greatly decreases the hands-on time required for a bioreactor experiment and enables sampling 24 hrs a day. We have designed, built and tested a low cost, open source, automated bioreactor sampling system, the BioSamplr. The BioSamplr can take up to ten samples from a bioreactor at a desired sample interval and cools them to a desired temperature. The device, assembled from low cost and 3D printed components, is controlled wirelessly by a Raspberry Pi, and records all sampling data to a log file. The cost and accessibility of the BioSamplr make it useful for laboratories without access to more expensive and complex autosampling systems.

scholarly journals PiFlow: A Biocompatible Low-Cost Programmable Dynamic Flow Pumping System Utilizing a Raspberry Pi Zero and Commercial Piezoelectric Pumps

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Kassis ◽  
Paola M. Perez ◽  
Chloe J. W. Yang ◽  
Luis R. Soenksen ◽  
David L. Trumper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Dynamic Flow ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Pumping System ◽  
Cellular Environment ◽  
Cell Culture Systems ◽  
Peristaltic Pumps ◽  
3D Printed

AbstractWith the rise of research utilizing microphysiological systems (MPSs), the need for tools that enable the physiological mimicking of the relevant cellular environment is vital. The limited ability to reproduce crucial features of the microenvironment, such as surrounding fluid flow and dynamic changes in biochemical stimuli, severely limits the types of experiments that can be carried out. Current equipment to achieve this, such as syringe and peristaltic pumps, is expensive, large, difficult to program and has limited potential for scalability. Here, we present a new pumping platform that is open-source, low-cost, modular, scalable, fully-programmable and easy to assemble that can be incorporated into cell culture systems to better recapitulate physiological environments. By controlling two commercially available piezoelectric pumps using a Raspberry Pi Zero microcontroller, the system is capable of producing arbitrary dynamic flow profiles with reliable flow rates ranging from 1 to 3,000 µL/min as specified by an easily programmable Python-based script. We validated the accuracy of the flow rates, the use of time-varying profiles, and the practicality of the system by creating repeatable dynamic concentration profiles using a 3D-printed static micromixer.

Scaling XML Using a Beowulf Cluster

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Chelsom ◽  
Jay H. Chelsom
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Raspberry Pi ◽  
Optimal Size ◽  
Database Access ◽  
Xml Databases ◽  
Beowulf Cluster ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
And Performance

We describe a series of experiments which test the performance and scalability of an XML records system deployed on a Beowulf cluster of open source XML databases. Using the open source cityEHR health records system as an example, we first ran experiments to determine the feasibility and optimal size of database instances running on Raspberry Pi and low-cost Intel computers. We describe the implementation of a Data Access Layer for create, read, query and delete operations, using XForms submissions, which encapsulates all database access. We then present the results of testing the scalability and performance of this implementation on clusters of one to sixteen physical database nodes. We conclude that Beowulf clustering provides an effective and cost-efficient mechanism for scaling XML records systems.

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