Wheel-Based Stair Climbing Robot with Hopping Mechanism <small> – Demonstration of Continuous Stair Climbing Using Vibration –</small>

We propose a simple hopping mechanism using vibration of a two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) system for a fast stair-climbing robot. The robot, consisting of two bodies connected by springs and a wire, hops by releasing energy stored in springs and travels quickly using wheels mounted on its lower body. The trajectories of bodies during hopping change based on mechanical design parameters such as reduced mass of the two bodies, the mass ratio between the upper and lower bodies, and spring constant, and control parameters such as initial contraction of the spring and wire tension. This property allows the robot to quickly and economically climb stairs and land softly without complex control. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model of the robot and investigate required tread length for continuous hopping to climb a flight of stairs. Furthermore, we demonstrate fast stair-climbing and soft landing for a flight of stairs in experiments.

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Wheel-Based Stair Climbing Robot with Hopping Mechanism - Fast Stair Climbing and Soft Landing Using Vibration of 2-DOF System -

Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics ◽

10.20965/jrm.2007.p0258 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 258-263 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Keisuke Sakaguchi ◽

◽

Takayuki Sudo ◽

Naoki Bushida ◽

Yasuhiro Chiba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Stair Climbing ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Control Parameters ◽

Mass Ratio ◽

Climbing Robot ◽

Soft Landing ◽

Hopping Mechanism ◽

And Control ◽

Two Bodies

We propose a simple hopping mechanism using the vibration of a two-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) system for a fast stair-climbing robot. The robot, consisting of two bodies connected by springs, hops by releasing energy stored in springs and travels quickly using wheels mounted on its lower body. The trajectories of bodies during hopping change based on design parameters such as the reduced mass of the two bodies, mass ratio between the upper and lower bodies, spring constant, and control parameters such as initial contraction of the spring and wire tension. This property allows the robot to quickly and economically climb stairs and land softly. In this paper, the characteristics of hopping for the design and control parameters are clarified by both numerical simulation and experiments. Furthermore, fast stair climbing and soft landing are demonstrated.

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New 3-DOFs Hybrid Mechanism for Ankle and Wrist of Humanoid Robot: Modeling, Simulation, and Experiments

Journal of Mechanical Design ◽

10.1115/1.4003250 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 133 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Samer Alfayad ◽

Fethi B. Ouezdou ◽

Faycal Namoun

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Humanoid Robot ◽

Power Transmission ◽

Mechanical Design ◽

Humanoid Robots ◽

Classical Solutions ◽

Kinematic Modeling ◽

New Class ◽

Hybrid Mechanism ◽

And Control

This paper deals with the design of a new class of hybrid mechanism dedicated to humanoid robotics application. Since the designing and control of humanoid robots are still open questions, we propose the use of a new class of mechanisms in order to face several challenges that are mainly the compactness and the high power to mass ratio. Human ankle and wrist joints can be considered more compact with the highest power capacity and the lowest weight. The very important role played by these joints during locomotion or manipulation tasks makes their design and control essential to achieve a robust full size humanoid robot. The analysis of all existing humanoid robots shows that classical solutions (serial or parallel) leading to bulky and heavy structures are usually used. To face these drawbacks and get a slender humanoid robot, a novel three degrees of freedom hybrid mechanism achieved with serial and parallel substructures with a minimal number of moving parts is proposed. This hybrid mechanism that is able to achieve pitch, yaw, and roll movements can be actuated either hydraulically or electrically. For the parallel submechanism, the power transmission is achieved, thanks to cables, which allow the alignment of actuators along the shin or the forearm main axes. Hence, the proposed solution fulfills the requirements induced by both geometrical, power transmission, and biomechanics (range of motion) constraints. All stages including kinematic modeling, mechanical design, and experimentation using the HYDROïD humanoid robot’s ankle mechanism are given in order to demonstrate the novelty and the efficiency of the proposed solution.

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Dynamic analysis of two-link flexible manipulator considering the link length ratio and the payload

Vietnam Journal of Mechanics ◽

10.15625/0866-7136/9234 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 303-313

Author(s):

Duong Xuan Bien ◽

Chu Anh My ◽

Phan Bui Khoi

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Design ◽

Flexible Manipulator ◽

Length Ratio ◽

Elastic Displacement ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Nonlinear Dynamic Model ◽

Link Length ◽

Modeling And Analysis ◽

Robot Systems ◽

And Control

Dynamic modeling and analysis of flexible manipulators play an essential role in optimizing mechanical design parameters and control law of real robot systems. In this paper, a nonlinear dynamic model of a manipulator is formulated based on the Finite Element Method. To analyze the dynamic behavior effectively, a numerical simulation scheme is proposed by taking full advantages of MATLAB and SIMULINK toolboxes. In this manner, the effect of varying payload and link length ratio of the manipulator to its elastic displacement is dynamically taken into account. The simulation results show that the payload and length link ratio have significant influences on the elastic displacements of the system. In particular, a proper spectrum of the link length ratio, in which the flexural displacement of the end point of the manipulator is smallest, is demonstrated. To this end, the proposed methodology could be used further to select optimal geometric parameters for the links of new robot designs.

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Mechanical Design and Control Method of a Hollow Modular Joint for Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery

International Journal of Humanoid Robotics ◽

10.1142/s0219843618500172 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (04) ◽

pp. 1850017

Author(s):

Guoli Song ◽

Che Hou ◽

Yiwen Zhao ◽

Xingang Zhao ◽

Jianda Han

Keyword(s):

Minimally Invasive ◽

Spinal Surgery ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Control Method ◽

Mechanical Design ◽

Control Design ◽

Torque Sensor ◽

Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery ◽

Minimally Invasive Surgical ◽

And Control

Design of the hollow modular joint plays an important role in modern robot layout, fixation, and wiring. In this paper, a hollow modular joint that meets the requirement of a minimally invasive surgical robot is proposed. The mechanical and control design is sequentially illustrated, and the torque sensor and its optimization are provided. Furthermore, a free-force control method is introduced. To analyze the designed module, the simulation of the redundant robot, comprised of the designed joint in seven degrees of freedom, is presented. The results of analyses showed that the designed hollow modular joint is valid and effective.

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On the Lateral Stability and Control of the Automobile as Influenced by the Dynamics of the Steering System

Journal of Engineering for Industry ◽

10.1115/1.3670945 ◽

1966 ◽

Vol 88 (3) ◽

pp. 283-294 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Leonard Segel

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Steering System ◽

Degree Of Freedom ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Steering Wheel ◽

Directional Control ◽

Natural Modes Of Motion ◽

Three Degree Of Freedom ◽

And Control ◽

Automobile Use

Measurements of the directional response of an automobile to torque inputs applied at the steering wheel are compared with predictions yielded by a five-degree-of-freedom model of a four-wheeled, pneumatic-tired vehicle. This comparison demonstrates that the directional control and stability of the “free-control” automobile is satisfactorily characterized by the addition of a quasilinear representation of a steering system (i.e., a mechanism having two degrees of freedom with Coulomb friction introduced as the single nonlinear element) to a linear three-degree-of-freedom representation of the “fixed-control” automobile. Use is made of the experimentally substantiated five-degree-of-freedom mathematical model to study the relationship between automotive design parameters and the response and stability in each of the four natural modes of motion that exist for the free-control vehicle.

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Mechanical Design and Control Calibration for an Interactive Animatronic System

Volume 4B: Dynamics, Vibration, and Control ◽

10.1115/imece2015-52477 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Brian Burns ◽

Biswanath Samanta

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Mechanical Design ◽

Vision System ◽

Theme Park ◽

Dynamic Interactions ◽

Sound Effects ◽

Autonomous Behavior ◽

Arduino Microcontroller ◽

And Control ◽

Model Algorithm

Animatronic figures provide key show effects in the entertainment and theme park industry by simulating life-like animations and sounds. There is a need for interactive, autonomous animatronic systems to create engaging and compelling experiences for the guests. The animatronic figures must identify the guests and recognize their status in dynamic interactions for enhanced acceptance and effectiveness as socially interactive agents, in the general framework of human-robot interactions. The design and implementation of an interactive, autonomous animatronic system in form of a tabletop dragon and the comparisons of guest responses in its passive and interactive modes are presented in this work. The purpose of this research is to create a platform that may be used to validate autonomous, interactive behaviors in animatronics, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods of guest response. The dragon capabilities include a four degrees-of-freedom head, moving wings, tail, jaw, blinking eyes and sound effects. Human identification, using a depth camera (Carmine from PrimeSense), an open-source middleware (NITE from OpenNI), Java-based Processing and an Arduino microcontroller, has been implemented into the system in order to track a guest or guests, within the field of view of the camera. The details of design and fabrication of the dragon model, algorithm development for interactive autonomous behavior using a vision system, the experimental setup and implementation results under different conditions are presented.

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Optimal Design and Fabrication of “CEDRA” Rescue Robot Using Genetic Algorithm

Volume 2: 28th Biennial Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2004-57190 ◽

2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Meghdari ◽

H. N. Pishkenari ◽

A. L. Gaskarimahalle ◽

S. H. Mahboobi ◽

R. Karimi

Keyword(s):

Genetic Algorithm ◽

Mechanical Design ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Robot Design ◽

Preliminary Step ◽

Laboratory Environment ◽

Rescue Robot ◽

Optimum Parameters ◽

And Control ◽

Clean Laboratory

This article presents an overview of the mechanical design features, fabrication and control of a Rescue Robot (CEDRA) for operation in unstructured environments. As a preliminary step, the essential characteristics of a robot in damaged and unstable situations have been established. According to these features and kinematical equations of the robot, design parameters are optimized by means of Genetic Algorithm. Optimum parameters are then utilized in construction. Upon fabrication, this unit has been tested in clean laboratory environment, as well as, ill-conditioned arenas similar to earthquake zones. The obtained results have been satisfactory in all aspects, and improvements are currently underway to enhance capabilities of the rescue robot unit for various applications.

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Design and analysis of an active gimbal simulator with three degrees-of-freedom for ground testing

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part C Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science ◽

10.1177/0954406218787838 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 233 (7) ◽

pp. 2552-2562

Author(s):

Jiao Jia ◽

Yingmin Jia ◽

Shihao Sun

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Attitude Determination ◽

Contact Forces ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Force Analysis ◽

Ground Testing ◽

Neutral Equilibrium ◽

Main Support ◽

And Control ◽

Three Degrees Of Freedom

In this paper, a new active gimbal simulator is developed for testing the attitude determination and control system of satellites. The active gimbal simulator is composed of a rolling joint, a pitching joint, a main support frame, an active yawing joint, and a fixture. The rolling joint enables the active gimbal simulator to be applied to the columnar satellite without the fixture. The contact forces between the rolling joint and the test satellite (or the fixture) can be regulated by the support of the pitching joint. The object attached to the active gimbal simulator is at neutral equilibrium and can maintain balance at an arbitrary attitude. Hence, the object can rotate freely without being affected by its gravity. The active gimbal simulator is an approximately free-to-free suspension or support method. Compared with the traditional gimbals, the active gimbal simulator can be applied to objects of arbitrary shape especially cylinders and the effect of exogenous mass and inertia introduced by the connection mechanism is reduced. The design parameters of the active gimbal simulator are optimized based on the force analysis. A specific prototype was made, and its feasibility was verified by laboratory-based experiments.

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