A New Approach to Sonar Based Indoor Mapping Localization

Vehicle localization and environment mapping are the most essential parts of the robot navigation in unknown environments. Since the problem of localization in indoor environments is directly related to the problem of online map generation, in this paper a new and efficient algorithm for simultaneous localization and map generation is proposed and novel results for real environments are achieved. This new algorithm interprets and validates the raw sonar measurements in first step, and applies them to the environment map in the next step. There are various adjustable parameters which make the algorithm flexible for different sonar types. This algorithm is efficient and is robust to sonar failure; if sonar does not work properly data can be discarded. These abilities make the algorithm efficient for sonar navigation in flat environments even by poor sonar and odometers perception data. This algorithm has the ability of matching with various types of sonar and even to be used with laser scanner data, whenever each laser scanner data is treated as multiple sonar detections with narrow beam detection patterns.

Kinematic Analyses of 5-DOF 3-RCRR Parallel Mechanism

This paper presents the kinematic analyses of a 5-DOF 3-RCRR parallel mechanism. The end-effector of this mechanism can rotate round rotation center and one reference point on it can translate in a plane parallels to the base platform. Since the traditional Kutzbach-Gru¨bler formula is not valid for this mechanism, the modified Kutzbach-Gru¨bler formula and screw theory are used in the mobility analysis. The Duffy’s spherical analytic theory is used in forward/reverse position analyses. In forward/reverse velocity/acceleration analyses, virtual mechanism principle is used to build a virtual parallel mechanism (3-PvRCRR), which is equivalent to the initial mechanism (3-RCRR) on kinematics if all rates of virtual pairs (Pv) are set to be zero. At the end, some kinematics curves are presented with a numerical example.

Real-Time Robot Capability Analysis

Robot Capability Analysis (RCA) is a process in which force/motion capabilities of a manipulator are evaluated. It is very useful in both the design and operational phases of robotics. Traditionally, ellipsoids and polytopes are used to both graphically and numerically represent these capabilities. Ellipsoids are computationally efficient but tend to underestimate while polytopes are accurate but computationally intensive. This article proposes a new approach to RCA called the Vector Expansion (VE) method. The VE method offers accurate estimates of robot capabilities in real time and therefore is very suitable in applications like task-based decision making or online path planning. In addition, this method can provide information about the joint that is limiting a robot capability at a given time, thus giving an insight as to how to improve the performance of the robot. This method is then used to estimate capabilities of 4-DOF planar robots and the results discussed and compared with the conventional ellipsoid method. The proposed method is also successfully applied to the 7-DOF Mitsubishi PA10-7C robot.

A Concept for Rapidly-Deployable Cable Robot Search and Rescue Systems

This paper introduces a new concept for robotic search and rescue systems. This system uses a rapidly deployable cable robot to augment existing search and rescue mobile robots. This system can greatly increase the range of mobile robots as well as provide overhead views of the disaster site, allowing rescue workers to reach survivors as quickly as possible while minimizing the danger posed to rescue workers. In addition to the system concept, this paper presents a novel kinematic structure for the cable robot, allowing simple translation-only motion (with moment-resisting capability) and easy forward and inverse kinematics for a 3-DOF spatial manipulator. Also, a deployment sequence is described, a rapid calibration algorithm is presented and the workspace of the manipulator is investigated.

Compliant Bistable Dielectric Elastomer Actuators for Binary Mechatronic Systems

In this paper, a new all-polymer actuation approach for binary mechatronic systems is demonstrated. The technology consists of using Dielectric Elastomer actuators in a binary fashion by coupling them with a properly designed compliant structure. Here, a bistable actuator based around the “flip-flop” concept is implemented in which two antagonistic actuators switch a compliant truss between two stable positions. This prototype shows promising performance with output forces ranging from 1 to 3.5 N and displacements of 30% of the actuator dimension.

Inverse Dynamic Analysis and Linearisation of a High Speed Parallel Mechanism

Inverse dynamic analysis of a three degree of freedom parallel mechanism driven by three electrical motors is carried out to study the effect of motion speed on the system dynamics and control input requirements. Availability of inverse dynamics models offer many advantages, but controllers based on real-time inverse dynamic simulations are not practical for many applications due to computational limitations. An off-line linearisation of system and error dynamics based on the inverse dynamic analysis is developed. It is shown that accurate linear models can be obtained even at high motion speeds eliminating the need to use computationally intensive inverse dynamics models. A point-to-point motion path for the mechanism platform is formulated by using a third order exponential function. It is shown that the linearised model parameters vary significantly at high motion speeds, hence it is necessary to use adaptive controllers for high performance.

A Robotized Needle Insertion Device for Percutaneous Procedures

In this paper, a new robotized needle insertion device is proposed for computer-assisted percutaneous therapy. The insertion device is integrated in a robotic system dedicated to gesture guidance in a Computed Tomography (CT) scan. The presented design fulfills the stringent requirements of such a medical application: compatibility with a CT-scan and haptic control by the practitioner are ensured as well as safety and sterilization. The novel design of the insertion device is first presented, outlining its main properties, before introducing preliminary experimental results.

Modeling and Experimental Design for the On-Orbit Inertial Parameter Identification of Free-Flying Space Robots

A method is proposed for the identification of the inertial parameters of a free-flying robot directly in orbit, using accelerometers. This can serve to improve the path planning and tracking capabilities of the robot, as well as its efficiency in energy consumption. The method is applied to the identification of the base body and of the load on the end-effector, giving emphasis to the experimental design. The problem of the identification of the full system is also addressed in its theoretical aspects. The experience from the Getex Dynamic Motion experiments performed on the ETS-VII satellite have allowed to determine a most suitable model for the identification.

Actuating Input Selection of 5-UPS/PRPU Parallel Machine Tool

The actuating input selection is an important basic problem for the parallel mechanism. Based on the screw theory, the constraint screw can be got after locking a kinematic pair in any limb, which can be taken as actuating wrench acted on the moving platform of the parallel mechanism. The constraint screw matrix is composed of the structure constraint screws and the constraint screws of the actuating pairs. The reasonableness of input selection can be judged by the rank of the constraint matrix. The performance of the combinations of actuating inputs is evaluated by the condition numbers of the force constraint matrix and the torque constraint matrix respectively. The theory presented is validated by the simulation and the maching test.

An Investigation Into the Use of Springs and Wing Motions to Minimize the Power Expended by a Mechanical Pigeon for Steady Flight

In this paper, we investigate the effect of using springs and wing motions to minimize the power required by a mechanical bird to fly. Inertia forces as well as aerodynamic forces on the wing are included. The design takes into account different flight speeds in the range from 0 to 20 m/s. Two ways in which springs can be attached, are considered. The frequency of wing beat is kept fixed and both flapping and feathering are assumed to be simple harmonic. Constraints are imposed on the maximum power expended by the two actuators of a wing. The results show that introduction of springs increases the power required at lower speeds, marginally reducing the power at higher speeds. In the manner in which they are used here, springs do not appear to be useful to reduce power. However, the optimal solutions obtained without springs indicate that it is possible to develop pigeon like mechanical birds which can hover and fly steadily up to 20 m/s.