Mobile Robotics

( Self Study Report ) By S.Ashwin Ram (EE07B090) Prof:Nitin Chandrachoodan

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Introduction
This is my self study report on Mobile Robots, as a part of my final year B-tech project in Electrical Engineering Department, IIT Madras under Professor Nitin Chandrachoodan. I am trying to build a new type of standalone terrestrial mobile robot, by borrowing some ideas from existing robots and some new ideas of my own; to solve and tackle some interesting problems. So this report briefly discusses about what mobile robots are, types of classification and their application. However the main focus of this report will be on standalone terrestrial mobile robots; highlighting key features, unique mechanisms (typically drive systems), working principle and applications of these robots. Finally there will be a description on what I have planned to build, its features, mechanisms and possible applications of my fully functional mobile robot.

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Table of contents
1. Mobile robots.............................................................................................................04
1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. 2.1. 2.2. 2.3. 2.4. 2.5. 2.6. Definition Mobile robot building blocks Types of Classification Some major applications of mobile robots Manual remote or tele-operated Gaureded tele-operated Line following robot Autonomously randomized robot Autonomously guided robot Sliding autonomy

2. Classification based on control and intelligence..........................................................06

3. Classification based on complexity and compute power.............................................07

3.1. Beam Robots
3.1.1. Mechanisms and principles 3.1.2. Classification 3.1.3. Applications

3.2. Swarm Robots

3.2.1. Mechanisms and principles 3.2.2. Classification 3.2.3. Applications

3.3. Standalone Robots

3.3.1. Mechanisms and principles 3.3.2. Classification 3.3.3. Applications

4. Examples of Standalone mobile robots.......................................................................13

4.1. 4.2. 4.3. 4.4. 4.5. 4.6. 4.7. 4.8. 4.9. 5.1. 5.2. 5.3. 5.4. 5.5. GYROVER bot Tracked robots Stiction robot Amoeba bot STriDER bot Rotundus bot CIRCA bot MARS robot IMPASS robot General Idea Implementation and hardware Working Advantages and applications Comlications and short comings of Ball based locomotion

5. Final year Project: RC Ball...........................................................................................19

Bibliography.....................................................................................................................25

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1. Mobile robots
1.1. Definition

Mobile robots are robots which have the ability to move around and interact with their environment and not just hinged to a particular place. In contrast to industrial robots with jointed arm, gripper assembly, that is mounted to a rigid surface. Mobile robots are focus of a great deal of research. There are many labs and research groups fro m various universities and industries which are completely dedicated on researching mobile robots, because of their immense potential and varied application in industry, military, security, and entertainment. In short any robot with the capability to navigate or move around comes under mobile robots.

1.2.

Mobile robot building blocks

Due to nature and function of mobile robots they set very particular system design constraints. The robots should be capable of moving around efficiently and effectively. But at the same time they should integrate different elements into a self contained machine. The key elements and parts of mobile robots are usually classified into: Mechanical frame Energy storage Actuators Embedded electronics Sensors

1.3.

Types of Classification

There are many ways of classifying mobile robots; here we will be covering only some of the most popular classifications. Mobile robots may be classified by:

Based on environment in which they navigate: o Terrestrial robots: They travel on land. They can further be classified based on various terrains o Aerial robots: They are robots with the ability to fly. o Aquatic robots: They are robots which travel on or under water Based on control and intelligence o Manual or Tele-operated o Guarded Tele-operated o Line following o Autonomously randomized robot o Autonomously guided robot o Sliding autonomy Based on complexity and compute power 4|Pa ge

o o o

Beam robots ( most simple ) Swarm robots ( simple but large in number ) Standalone robots with special novel locomotion ( high compute power)

The first two type of classification is pretty straight forward from their names. We will later discuss a little bit about the 2nd and cover the 3rd type a little bit in detail

1.4.

Some major applications of Mobile robots

Bomb Disposal Exploration and collecting samples Surveillance / Reconnaissance Checkpoints / Inspections / Explosives Detection Route Clearance Explosive Hazard Identification Home application Defense and rescue robots

Space exploration

Inspection robots

Agricultural robots

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Autonomous lawn mower

Patrolling robots Industrial cleaner

Tourguide robots

Entertainment robots

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The above pics were taken from: http://moodle.epfl.ch/course/view.php?id=261

2. Classification based on control and intelligence

As mentioned above the following are the various types under this classification

2.1. Manual remote or tele-operated

A manually tele-operated robot is totally under control of a driver using a joystick or other control device. The device may be plugged directly into the robot, may be a wireless joystick, or may be an accessory to a wireless computer or other controller. A tele-operated robot is typically used to keep the operator out of danger.

2.2. Guarded tele-operated

A guarded tele-operated robot has the ability to sense and avoid obstacles which will override the manual control to prevent damage to robot or its surrounding environment. But will otherwise navigate as driven similar to manual or tele-operated robot.

2.3. Line-following robot

it is one of the first type of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). They typically follow a visual line painted or embedded in the floor or ceiling or an electrical wire in the floor. Most of these robots operate on a simple "keep the line in the centre sensor" algorithm. They in general cant go around obstacles; they just have to stop and wait when something blocks their path.

2.4. Autonomously randomized robot

Autonomous robots are robots with random motion. They basically bounce off walls, they either sense those walls with physical bumpers like or using electronic sensors like the Friendly Robotics lawn mower. The simple algorithm of bump and turn 30 degrees leads eventually to covers most or all of a floor.

2.5. Autonomously guided robot

An autonomously guided robot has some notion where it is and how to reach various locations. Using a variety of techniques "Localization" or knowledge of its current location is calculated; some methods include using sensors such motor encoders, vision, Stereopsis (depth perception), lasers and global positioning systems. Positioning systems often use triangulation and/or relative position

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to determine the location and orientation of the robot, from which it can plan a path to its next waypoint or goal.

2.6. Sliding autonomy

more capable robots combine multiple levels of navigation under a system called sliding autonomy. Most autonomously guided robots, also offer a manual mode.

3. Classification based on complexity and compute power

3.1. Beam Robots
The word "beam" in BEAM robotics is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics. This term refers to a style of robotics that uses simple analogue circuits consisting of comparators, instead of a microprocessor in order to produce an unusually simple design (in contrast to traditional mobile robots) which compromises on flexibility for robustness and efficiency in performing the task for which it was designed. There are exceptions to the convention of using only analog electronics and these are often referred to as "mutants". BEAM robots typically consist of a set of the aforementioned analog circuits which facilitate the robot's response to its working environment.

The above pics were taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/m27debord/224963811/#

3.1.1 Mechanisms and principles In BEAM robotics the main focus is on building a robot which responds to a external stimulus. Mark W. Tilden developed the first circuit which simulated biological neuron behaviours. Tilden's circuit is often compared to a shift register, but with several important features making it a useful circuit in a mobile robot. Other rules that are included (and to varying degrees applied): 1. Use the lowest number possible of electronic elements 2. Recycle and reuse techno-scrap 3. Use radiant energy (such as solar power) There are a large number of BEAM robots designed to use solar power from small solar arrays to power a "Solar Engine" which creates autonomous robots capable of operating under a wide range of lighting conditions.

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3.1.2. Classification

There are mainly two types of classification which is commonly used for classifying BEAM Robots 1. Types based on -trope BEAM robots are classified on the basis of -trope , that is it is classified based on what they react to or to what stimulus they respond to. In general there is two type of response they can either exhibit stay away or a seeking behaviour. Of the series, the phototropes are the most popular, as light-seeking robot would be the most beneficial behaviour for a solar-powered robot. Some common types

Audiotropes react to sound sources. o Audiophiles go towards sound sources. o Audiophobes go away from sound sources. Phototropes react to light sources. o Photophiles go toward light sources. o Photophobes go away from light sources. Radiotropes react to radio frequency sources. o Radiophiles go toward RF sources. o Radiophobes go away from RF sources. Thermotropes react to heat sources. o Thermophiles go toward heat sources. o Thermophobes go away from heat sources.

2. Types based on Movements BEAM robots have a variety of movements and positioning mechanisms. These include:

Sitters: they are physically passive and exhibit no movements. o Beacons: Transmit a signal for other BEAMbots to use. o Pummers: Display a "light show". Squirmers: Stationary robots that perform an interesting action o Magbots: Utilize magnetic fields for their mode of animation. o Flagwavers: Move a display (or "flag") around at a certain frequency. o Heads: Pivot and follow some detectable phenomena, such as a light (These are popular in the BEAM community. They can be stand-alone robots, but are more often incorporated into a larger robot.). o Vibrators: Use a small pager motor with an off-centre weight to shake themselves about. Sliders: Robots that move by sliding body parts smoothly alo ng a surface while remaining in contact with it. o Snakes: Move using a horizontal wave motion. o Earthworms: Move using a longitudinal wave motion. Crawlers: Robots that move using tracks or by rolling the robot's body with some sort of appendage. The body of the robot is not dragged on the ground. o Turbots: Roll their entire bodies using their arm(s) or flagella.

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Inchworms: Move part of their bodies ahead, while the rest of the chassis is on the ground. o Tracked robots: Use tracked wheels, like a tank. Jumpers: Robots which propel themselves off the ground as a means of locomotion. o Vibrobots: Produce an irregular shaking motion moving themselves around a surface. o Springbots: Move forward by bouncing in one particular direction. Rollers: Robots that move by rolling all or part of their body. o Symets: Driven using a single motor with its shaft touching the ground, and moves in different directions depending on which of several symmetric contact points around the shaft are touching the ground. o Solarrollers: Solar-powered cars that use a single motor driving one or more wheels; often designed to complete a fairly short, straight and level course in the shortest amount of time. o Poppers: Use two motors with separate solar engines; rely on differential sensors to achieve a goal. o Miniballs: Shift their centre of mass, causing their spherical bodies to roll. Walkers: Robots that move using legs with differential ground contact. o Motor Driven: Use motors to move their legs (typically 3 motors or less). o Muscle Wire Driven: Utilize Nitinol (nickel - titanium alloy) wires for their leg actuators. Swimmers: Robots that move on or below the surface of a liquid (typically water). o Boatbots: Operate on the surface of a liquid. o Subbots: Operate under the surface of a liquid. Fliers: Robots that move through the air for sustained periods. o Helicopters: Use a powered rotor to provide both lift and propulsion. o Planes: Use fixed or flapping wings to generate lift. o Blimps: Use a neutrally-buoyant balloon for lift. Climbers: Robot that moves up or down a vertical surface, usually on a track such as a rope or wire.

3.1.3. Applications

The main practical application of BEAM robots has been very few rapid prototyping of motion systems Hobby/education applications. Limited commercial application, with some exceptions such as the iRobot, Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner and a few lawn-mowing robots.

3.2.

Swarm Robots

Swarm robotics is a new approach to mobile robotics; they are simple and cheap robots with limited sensing and computational capabilities but they are large in numbers. This approach is banked on collective behaviour which emerges from the interactions between the robots and interactions of robots with the environment.

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Swarm robots are modelled after social insects such as ants and bees, where relatively simple individual rules can produce a large set of complex swarm behaviour.

The pic was taken from http://www.swarmrobot.org/

3.2.1 Mechanisms and principles

A key Principle in swarm robots is the communication between the members. The swarm behaviour involves constant change of individuals in cooperation with others, as well as the behaviour of the whole group. Other rules that are included (and to varying degrees applied): 1. They should be very simple with limited sensing capabilities 2. Typically small size and low cost 3. Team should consists of large number of robots A swarm-intelligent approach to achieve meaningful behaviour at swarm-level is used instead of the individual level . Swarm robots have high fault tolerance and parallelism due to large numbers 3.2.2. Classification

Swarm robots are mainly classified by the way the communicate Direct Communication This is the most straight forward way of intra-swarm and inter-robot communication. The send message directly to adjacent robots. The most common technologies for sending messages from robot to robot in swarms are bluetooth, wireless LAN or infrared. Now infrared communication have advantage and disadvantage at the same time .Robots must be in direct line of sight. So why this is a disadvantage is clear, but how this can be an advantage is realised when we look at natural swarms. In natural swarms we can very often find that swarm-members only react to their direct environment. By using infrared technology, we can adopt this concept to the artificial swarm easily and the robots won't percept information that does not come from their direct environment. Stigmergy: Here the exchange of information is done by changing the environment instead of directly communicating with the adjacent robots. The advantage of this type of message passing is that the robots need not communicate to every single robot to pass on its message. A typical 10 | P a g e

example would be Ants and termites coordinate the building up of their nests by using the nests themselves to exchange information. For finding shortest paths at foraging or other tasks, ants don't tell every single of their mates where to go, but change the environment by placing some pheromone on the way they chose. Following the most odorous path and leaving their pheromone on this way again, the other ants cooperate and after a short period, the shortest way stabilizes.

3.2.3. Applications Potential applications for swarm robotics include tasks that demand for miniaturization or large number is required (nanorobotics, microbotics), like distributed sensing tasks in micro machinery or the human body. And tasks that demand cheap designs, for instance mining tasks or agricultural foraging tasks. Also some artists use swarm robotic techniques to realize new forms of interactive art.

3.3. Standalone Robots

Standalone robots as the name suggest they are single robots, which are completely self contained mobile robots. They are quite sophisticated with significant compute power. They can perform complex tasks and more flexible than other types of robots. They can be either autonomous or remotely controlled robot. They are generally designed for specific tasks and they are very robust in handling and completing that task. 3.3.1 Mechanisms and principles

Standalone robots actually club a wide range of robots with mechanisms and principles completely different from one another. So we can only discuss some general principles which are considered in designing wheeled and legged robots. Similar principles are extended to other types aw well. General Principles on wheeled robots Static stability of a vehicle is guaranteed with 3 wheels Centre of gravity is within the triangle which is formed by the ground contact point of the wheels. With 4 or more wheels dynamic stability is improved However, they are hyper static and require a flexible suspension system. Bigger wheels allow to overcome higher obstacles But they require higher torque or reductions gears. Combining actuation and steering on one wheel makes the design complex There is often an inverse correlation between controllability and manoeuvrability. In general, it is very difficult to come up with a drive configuration that simultaneously maximizes stability, manoeuvrability and controllability.

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General Principles on legged robots Walking of a biped not too far from rolling rolling of a polygon with side length equal to the length of the step the smaller the step gets, the more the polygon tends to a circle (wheel).

Mobile robots with legs (walking machines) The fewer the legs the more complicated the control of locomotion Stability, at least three legs are required for static stability For static walking at least 6 legs are required (in order to have a statically stable tripod of legs in contact with the ground at all time) e.g., babies have to learn for quite a while until they are able to stand or even walk on their two legs.

Holonomic/non-holonomic robots Controllable DOF: if a given robot has an actuator for every DOF of its task space, then all of the DOF are controllable. Usually not all DOF are controllable, which makes robot control harder. For instance, a standard car has 3 DOF: position (x,y) and orientation (). But only 2 DOF are controllable: driving through the gas pedal and the forward reverse gear, and steering through the steering wheel. Since there are more DOF than are controllable, there are motions that cannot be done, like moving sideways (that's why parallel parking is hard). A car can get to any 2D position but it may have to follow a very complicated trajectory. In robotics holonomicity refers to the relationship between the controllable and total DOF of a given robot (or part thereof). If the controllable DOF is equal to the total degrees of freedom (in the task space) then the robot is said to be holonomic. If the controllable degrees of freedom are less than the total DOF it is non-holonomic. A robot is considered to be redundant if it has more controllable DOF than DOF in its task space. Caution: omnidirectional != holonomic

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3.3.2. Classification

Standalone robots are mainly classified based on their locomotion and drive system. Legged robot: These robots have limbs (varied number) for locomotion similar to animals Wheeled robot: These robots use wheels (varied number) for locomotion, similar to vehicles Robot with Tracks: These robots use tracks for locomotion, similar to tanks Winged robots: These robots use wings for flying or swimming under water. They are further classified as o Fixed wing: The wing is rigidly fixed, similar to airplane o Free wing: The wing can generate force by flapping, similar to birds and insects Propeller based robots: These robots use propellers or rotor for locomotion, similar to helicopter Miscellaneous: Since there are so many different drive systems, those which do not fit the above categories come under this category

3.3.3. Applications

Standalone mobile robots are one of the most versatile type of mobile robots. Almost all application that is listed under mobile robots can be listed under standalone mobile robot. So we need not list them again here

4. Examples of Standalone mobile robots

Since my final year project is on designing a standalone mobile robot, we will focus on only standalone mobile robots by looking at some unique examples and try understand their working and mechanisms used

4.1. A Single-Wheel, Gyroscopically stabilized Robot (GYROVER)

"Gyrover" is a novel, single-wheel, gyroscopically stabilized robot. The Gyrover works based on the principle of gyroscopic precession; similar to the stability of a rolling wheel. Gyrover has an internal gyroscope aligned with the wheel and it spins along the direction of forward motion. The gyro's angular momentum produces lateral stability when the wheel is stopped or moving slowly.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/project/space/www/gyrover/gyrover.html

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A tilt mechanism is used to tilt the gyro's axis about the fore/aft (roll) axis with respect to the wheel. Because the gyro acts as an inertial reference, the principal effect of the tilt action is to cause the wheel to lean left or right, which in turn causes the wheel to steer in the direction of leaning. Torques generated by a drive motor--reacting against the internal mechanism which hangs as a pendulum from the wheel's axle--produce thrust for acceleration and braking.

Advantages and Applications

When resting on the ground, the tiltable flywheel can be used to right the vehicle. So the robot can recover from any orientation The entire system is enclosed within the wheel to provide mechanical and environmental protection for equipment and mechanisms. Gyrover can turn in place by simply leaning in the desired direction--with no special steering mechanism-- enhancing manoeuvrability. Full drive traction is available because all the weight is on the single drive wheel. A large pneumatic tire may have very low ground-contact pressure, resulting in minimal disturbance to the surface and minimum rolling resistance. The tire may be suitable for travelling on soft soils, sand, snow or ice; riding over brush or othe r
vegetation; or, with adequate buoyancy, for travelling on wate r.

Potential applications for Gyrover are numerous. Because it can travel on both land and water, it can be used as amphibian on beaches or swampy areas, for general transportation, exploration, rescue or recreation. Similarly, with appropriate tread, it should travel well over soft snow with good traction and minimal rolling resistance. As a surveillance robot, Gyrover could use its slim profile to pass through doorways and narrow passages, and its ability to turn in place to manoeuvre in tight quarters. Another potential application is as a high-speed lunar vehicle, where the absence of aerodynamic disturbances and low gravity would permit efficient, high-speed mobility.

4.2. Tracked robots

The pic is taken from http://www.robotshop.com/blog/sport-robots

There are many variants of track based drive system. The key feature of tracked robots is they have very high traction. This particular tracked robot has two additional tracks in the front to help climb raised platforms or steps. The tracked robots can manoeuvre over uneven surface effortlessly, as it 14 | P a g e

will always have some contact with ground and hence it hardly gets stuck. The robot is typically used for surveillance and bomb search robots Working: The two main tracks are the primary for locomotion and t hey are operated in the differential mode to turn the robot. The two other tracks in the front can rotate 360 degree this helps the robot to get some kind of grip over the raised platform to climb it.

4.3. Stiction robot (static friction)

The pic is taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5b77TkEQmg

Stiction robot is a very unique robot which uses static friction for moving. This is only a concept robot, it can move only in straight lines. But with little modification one can incorporate turning. From the picture one can see that the robot has mainly three parts. The central one is the part which generates the required movement to enable locomotion the other two fronts and back part assists in the motion. Working The robot moves forward by following a sequence of 3 steps. Each step: moving forward one part at a time. The system is based on cam shaft principles. Step1: first, all the 3 parts are close together (the joints of links are all close to the centre of the robot). The left side cam shaft rotate outwards by 180 degree forcing the front part to move forward Step2: Now the lift side cam shaft rotates back inwards by 180 degree, simultaneously the right side cam shaft rotates outwards by 180 degree forcing the middle part to move forward towards the front part Step3: Now the right side cam shaft rotates inwards by 180 degree forcing the back part to come closer to the middle part. This puts the robot back in the initial config. The 3 steps are repeated sequentially to achieve locomotion. 15 | P a g e

4.4. Amoeba Bot totally propelled by its skin

The pic is taken from http://www.rome la.org/main/Robots

The Amoeba Bot is a robot that has no legs or wheels. It is modelled after the single-celled amoeba; the robot uses nothing but its own skin to propel its body forward. It is shaped like a long tube shaped donut type frame. The robots locomotion is obtained by using contracting and expanding actuator rings along the length of the robot. When these rings expand in its rear, and compact in its front, it produces a forward motion. This robot can be roughly classified as a tracked robot Amoeba bot can be used effectively in search and rescue missions, since they can squeeze into the smallest of spaces, including a fallen ceiling, or even a giant rock.

4.5. STriDER: Self-excited Tripedal Dynamic Experimental Robot

The pic is taken from http://www.rome la.org/main/Robots

STriDER is a novel three-legged walking machine that exploits the concept of actuated passive dynamic locomotion to dynamically walk with high energy efficiency and minimal control. Unlike other passive dynamic walking machines, this unique tripedal locomotion robot is inherently stable with its tripod stance and it can change directions while walking

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Operational Concept The robot works on a principle very similar to pendulum. While performing a step, two legs act as support legs while the other acts as a swing leg. The legs are placed such a way to push the centre of gravity outside of the support legs to initiate a step. As the body of the robot falls forward, the swing leg naturally swings in between the two support legs and catches the fall. The body also rotates 180 degrees to prevent the legs from tangling up. Once all three legs are in contact with the ground, the robot regains its stability . Gaits for changing directions are implemented by changing the sequence of choice of the swing leg, the tripedal gait can move the robot in 60 interval directions for each step. Advantages The simple tripod configuration and tripedal gait of STriDER has many advantages over other legged robots; it has a simple kinematic structure; it is inherently stable (like a camera tripod); it is simple to control as the motion is a simple falling in a predetermined direction and catching its fall; it is energy efficient, exploiting the actuated passive dynamic locomotion concept utilizing its built in dynamics; it is lightweight enabling it to be launched to difficult to access areas; and it is tall making it ideal for deploying and positioning sensors at high position for surveillance, for example.

4.6. Rotundus bot

The Rotundus robot is a spherical bot that moves using an internal pendulum by shifting weights. It is a sealed ball with no external moving parts all mechanisms are completely within the sphere. From outside it looks deceptively like an ordinary ball

Working There are two main principles to get a ball rolling on its own - to rotate a mass inside the ball or to displace its centre of mass. In order to move, the pendulum is lifted in the desired direction, the centre of mass gets displaced in front of contact point between the ball and the ground and the ball starts rolling. Turning is accomplished by moving the pendulum to either side.

The pics a re taken from http://www.rotundus.se/

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4.7. CIRCA: Climbing Inspection Robot with Compressed Air

CIRCA (Climbing Inspection Robot with Compressed Air) is a climbing robot. It uses McKibben air muscles to climb scaffolding structures. The robot uses 3 air muscles and is able to bend in any desired direction by inflating (length reduces) or deflating (length increases) these air muscles. By connecting multiple CIRCA together in different shapes, you achieve different methods of locomotion. For example, actuating a doughnut robot would be useful for climbing a pole, and a helical robot would be useful for transferring poles.

The pic is taken from http://www.rome la.org/main/Robots

4.8. MARS: Multi Appendage Robotic System

The pic is taken from http://www.rome la.org/main/Robots

The Multi Appendage Robotic System (MARS) is a six legged robot with its legs spaced axisymmetrically around its body, allowing for omni-directional walking. Each limb uses a 2 DOF proximal joint, and a 1 DOF distal joint. This setup would allow MARS to cross over unstructured terrain (terrain with variations in height). The system is fundamentally based on simplified biological neuron models.

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4.9. IMPASS: Intelligent Mobility Platform with Active Spoke System

The pic is taken from http://www.rome la.org/main/Robots

IMPASS (Intelligent Mobility Platform with Active Spoke System) is a novel high mobility locomotion platform for unmanned systems in unstructured environments. It uses rimless wheels with individually actuated spokes, it can follow the contour of uneven surfaces like tracks and step over large obstacles like legged vehicles while retaining the simplicity of wheels. Since it lacks the complexity of legs and has a large effective (wheel) diameter, this highly adaptive system can move over extreme terrain with ease while maintaining respectable travel speeds, and thus has great potential for search-and-rescue missions, scientific exploration, and anti-terror response applications.

5. Final year Project: RC Ball

After looking up various standalone mobile robots a nd their mechanisms. I decided to design a Remote controlled ball with capabilities of Omni-directional movement and a surveillance camera.

5.1. General Idea:

The following diagram gives a brief layout of the system

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5.2. Implementation and Hardware:

Remote Control The remote control will be realised using PS2 wireless serial joystick. The signals from the joystick will be transmitted wirelessly and the receiver will be interfaced with a microcontroller. Joystick

The pic is taken from http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/game/ps2/

Remote Platform (Ball) The remote platform is essentially the ball with the drive system and camera. The drive system will be housed within the ball and the camera will be magnetically suspended outside the ball. It will have the RF receiver to receive signals from the joystick and a micro-controller to interpret the signals and control the drive system accordingly. The camera will be linked to Bluetooth transmitter to transmit the live video feed to a smartphone.

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Drive System The drive system is omnidirectional, implemented using four transwheels placed on four sides of a square. The wheels shall be inclined in such a way that it will make perpendicular contact with the inner surface of the ball. Each of these wheels will be powered by DC motor.

Transwheels

The pic is taken from http://www.kornylak.com/wheels/trans wheel.html

Drive system schematic:

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Camera A small spy-cam with Bluetooth transmitter will be magnetically suspended outside the ball. The mechanism will be such the camera will be in the same horizontal level even when the ball is moving. Another possibility is to house the Camera inside the ball itself if the ball is chosen to be transparent. Camera

The pic is taken from http://www.spycamera.org.uk

Smart phone A smart phone with Bluetooth capabilities can be used to receive the transmitted live video stream, to be displayed on its screen. A small application should be developed for the smart phone to enable this capability. The smart phone can be attached to the joystick to be viewed by the controller.

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5.3. Working
The working of the RC Ball is based on the principle of shifting centre of gravity. The robot is designed in such a way that majority of the contribution to the position of centre of gravity of the robot comes from the drive system. Therefore as the drive system inside the ball moves, it causes a shift in centre of gravity causing the ball to roll. Since the drive system is omnidirectional, the ball can roll in any desired direction.

5.4. Advantages an d Applications

The shape of the robot ( spherical ) makes it natural for omnidirectional movement It is impossible to knock the robot out of its orientation (to re nder it unmovable by flipping etc.) The robot will be able to manoeuvre through most of the terrains because it is based on rolling The robot will be very robust, and will require very less maintenance as it is sealed and will have a smooth exterior (no external moving parts) With little modification(buoyancy, water tight seal and retractable fins) the robot can be made capable of even moving on the surface of water The shape of the robot is ideal for using it in pipeline and cave exploration. The robot can be made extremely noiseless as all the moving parts will be concealed within the sphere All the features above make it a good candidate for surveillance. It can also be used as a toy for kids, to wrestle each other of the table or race each other etc.

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5.5. Complications and short comings of Ball based locomotion

The inclination it can climb is limited to the centre of gravity of the ball It has almost zero static friction with hard surfaces so it cannot anchor itself to these surfaces Especially on an inclined plane it will be a challenging task to make it stand still The acceleration of the robot is limited by gravity. Recharging the device may not be very straight forward, must look for methods like wireless charging (induction). Achieving halting stops might be difficult.

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Bibliography
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