Physical simulation are frequently used in robotics for evaluation of control strategies or planning techniques. In this paper, a novel, light-weight open-source robotic simulator is introduced. It provides both physi...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783319138237;9783319138220
Physical simulation are frequently used in robotics for evaluation of control strategies or planning techniques. In this paper, a novel, light-weight open-source robotic simulator is introduced. It provides both physical and sensor simulation and it was designed to be run in a headless mode, i.e., without any visualization, which makes it suitable for computational grids. Despite this fact, the progress of the simulation can be later visualized using external tools like Blender 3D. This brings advantage in comparison to more general and powerful simulators that cannot be easily run on such machines. The paper briefly introduces architecture of the simulator with description of its utilization in evolutionary modular robotics.
In recent years, the development of mining robots has grown significantly, offering improved efficiency and safety in hazardous environments. However, there is still room for improvement in adaptability, scalability, ...
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In recent years, the development of mining robots has grown significantly, offering improved efficiency and safety in hazardous environments. However, there is still room for improvement in adaptability, scalability, and overall performance. The ROBOMINERS project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program, aims to facilitate Europe's access to mineral resources applying disruptive robotic concepts. One such concept is resilience, which can be achieved providing modular mining robots with the ability to reconfigure during operation. To address this challenge, this article presents the development and kinematic modeling of a soft, telescopic, continuum arm integrated into a modular robot. The arm serves as a mechanical interface for coupling different robotic modules or tools following the principle of the car crane. With a fully 3D-printed design, the arm features two sections of variable length that are driven by an innovative actuation method based on soft racks. It provides a 6 degrees of freedom (DoF) motion. The arm kinematic models are obtained by backbone parameterization assuming constant curvature and independent bending between sections for forward kinematics and applying a machine learning-based approach for inverse kinematics. The models are validated through the evaluation of two trajectories, measuring the deviation in each DoF and rack extension. Furthermore, a demonstration of the arm's coupling procedure between two robotic modules and one possible configuration of the robotic system showcases its functionality.
Compact and modular unmanned ground vehicles represent a transformative approach to addressing critical challenges in the global agricultural industry, potentially significantly enhancing total factor productivity. Th...
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Compact and modular unmanned ground vehicles represent a transformative approach to addressing critical challenges in the global agricultural industry, potentially significantly enhancing total factor productivity. This study focuses on the development and performance evaluation of a grass-cutting attachment designed for the Adam robot, an autonomous open mobility platform specifically designed for off-road applications to underscore the potential of integrating autonomous platforms with purpose-built attachments to revolutionize modern agricultural practices. The main objectives were to improve the system's applicability, facilitate multifunctional land management, reduce labor dependency, and provide a versatile tool for data-driven, optimized vegetation control. The designed system was a grass-cutting attachment incorporating a single medium-lift blade powered by a direct rotary electric motor and an electro-hydraulic height adjustment mechanism. Performance evaluations were conducted based on parameters including cutting efficiency, power consumption, durability and wear, ease of use, safety, maintenance requirements, environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, versatility, and mulching capability, all assessed according to established standards. Results showed an average cutting rate of 26.04 m2 center dot min- 1 and 26.23m2 center dot min(- 1) on flat and sloped fields, respectively, with consistent high-quality cutting and mulching performance. The system's average input power was measured at 281.3 W, and sound levels were recorded at 67.3 dB, 74.3 dB, and 76.2cdB at 50 %, 75 %, and 100 % operating capacity, respectively. While the overall performance was deemed acceptable, areas such as installation methodology, some power criteria, and safety systems present opportunities for refinement in future iterations.
A bio-inspired mechanism to optimize information foraging in modular robotics is presented. In this context, information exchange between robotic modules are performed through intercommunication of neighbouring roboti...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781479953332
A bio-inspired mechanism to optimize information foraging in modular robotics is presented. In this context, information exchange between robotic modules are performed through intercommunication of neighbouring robotic modules with limited hardware resources. Inspired from real ant colony research, we propose virtual pheromone as a metric for parameters selection to improve communication quality in modular robotic systems. Experiment results on real robotic platforms illustrate properties of proposed method.
Soft modular robotics combines soft materials and modular mechanisms. We are developing a vacuum-driven actuator module, MORI-A, which combines a 3D-printed flexible parallel cross structure with a cube-shaped hollow ...
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Soft modular robotics combines soft materials and modular mechanisms. We are developing a vacuum-driven actuator module, MORI-A, which combines a 3D-printed flexible parallel cross structure with a cube-shaped hollow silicone. The MORI-A module has five deformation modes: no deformation, uniform contraction, uniaxial contraction, flexion, and shear. By combining these modules, soft robots with a variety of deformabilities can be constructed. However, assembling MORI-A requires predicting the deformation from the posture and mode of the modules, making assembly difficult. To overcome this problem, this study aims to construct a system called "MORI-A CPS," which can predict the motion of a soft robot composed of MORI-A modules by simply arranging cubes in a virtual space. This paper evaluates how well the motion of virtual MORI-A modules, defined as a combination of swelling and shrinking voxels, approximates real-world motion. Then, it shows that the deformations of virtual soft robots constructed via MORI-A CPS are similar to those of real robots.
Soft modular robotics is a research field that pursues body flexibility while maintaining reconfigurability by employing flowable or soft materials as the main constituent materials of modular robots. In soft modular ...
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Soft modular robotics is a research field that pursues body flexibility while maintaining reconfigurability by employing flowable or soft materials as the main constituent materials of modular robots. In soft modular robotics, a hollow structure made of silicone is created, and the inside of the structure is pressurized to generate stretching and bending motions as an actuator module. In general, it is important to design modular robots with reconfigurability, various deformability, and environmental adaptability. modularization of soft actuators with reconfigurable and diverse deformability allows morphology to be tailored to the desired task. We have developed a soft actuator module, MORIA, that combines hollow silicone and 3D printable deformable structures (uniaxial shrinking, bending, shearing, uniform contracting, and no deformation). This study proposes a functional extension of the module "MORI-A FleX" for application as a wearable device for physical rehabilitation using this MORI-A module. Our MORI-A FleX connector is a thermoplastic polyurethane flexible connector that can be coated with materials that offer different textures to achieve excellent connectivity and texture variation. We have assembled MORI-A Flex as a rehabilitation device for hand work, assisting the fingers to move harmoniously and enabling them to grasp a slippery, brittle half-boiled egg and a PET bottle containing 200 ml of water in a deactivated state.
Self-reconfiguring modular robots have the potential to be used to perform many tasks. While this is certainly also true of traditional wheeled or humanoid robots, modular robots have the unique ability to "self-...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9798350322996;9798350323009
Self-reconfiguring modular robots have the potential to be used to perform many tasks. While this is certainly also true of traditional wheeled or humanoid robots, modular robots have the unique ability to "self-reconfigure" to meet the needs of a given task. This task may not have been anticipated by the operator, and especially in far remote situations such as space or undersea, recalling the robot for a retrofit is usually not an option. Future modular robots will have the ability to change their physical form to create a tool or a part to make a repair that was never anticipated to happen. Our research centers on one variant of Self-Reconfigurable modular Robots (SRMR), known as Homogenous Solid-State (HSS). Homegenous indicates that all modules are physically and functionally identical. Solid-state designates a robotic module with no moving parts, with movement and manipulation of the environment done through solid-state actuators, such as an electromagnet. This increases robustness and reliability but creates challenges not typically present in other types of robots. In this paper, we have simulated several versions of modular robots to assess their potential viability of creating objects, such as a bridge or an end effector, and performing tasks, such as lifting a load, for which the modules were not explicitly designed.
robotics is affecting more and more different sectors. In particular automation of agricultural processes could bring several advantages by reducing waste and human effort, that's why several robots to perform a w...
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robotics is affecting more and more different sectors. In particular automation of agricultural processes could bring several advantages by reducing waste and human effort, that's why several robots to perform a wide range of agricultural tasks are in development. However, the design of a multi-purpose robot for vineyard operations presents still some challenges like its hardware adaptability and compatibility. To tackle some of these challenges, this paper presents the conceptual design of a modular autonomous mobile robot for vineyard operations. The aim of this work is to provide design principles for a modular robot able to perform multiple tasks that are common for vine growers, such as green pruning, winter pruning and spraying. The main advantages of such a robot are multiple. First, it can be considered eco-friendly as it can reduce chemicals consumption, polluting emissions and soil compaction. Second, it can minimize the need for manpower, that means less repetitive tasks to be done and less exposure to chemicals. Finally, its modularity can allow to easily switch tools and to re-design some modules with little changes to other features. For designing this system, we adopted a design thinking approach. Thus, first requirements and concepts were created and evaluated via interviews of vine growers. Second, concepts were classified upon the evaluation. And last, the winning prototype was designed with Solidworks CAD software and evaluated on its mechanical and functional properties via a FEM analysis. By using this method, we have developed an initial design for a multipurpose robot that concentrates on the drive system and the serial hybrid powertrain design, the selection of the structure, the tool design, and their incorporation with the frame, as well as an initial estimation of the mass to conduct a preliminary FEM static analysis of the frame. As a result, we have evaluated the feasibility of the concept and identified the key features of all subsystem
Mobile robots operating in harsh and inaccessible environments, such as space, the battlefield, or disaster scenarios, can be limited by an inability to adapt to unforeseen challenges, damage, or component failure. Mo...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9798350358810;9798350358803
Mobile robots operating in harsh and inaccessible environments, such as space, the battlefield, or disaster scenarios, can be limited by an inability to adapt to unforeseen challenges, damage, or component failure. modular, self-assembling robots composed of many homogenous robotic modules, which together form a single robot, is one method of alleviating this limitation. A robot composed of these modules has inherent redundancy, as each module can contain all necessary elements for operation, and as each module is identical, a module failure can be corrected by the remaining modules by collectively and autonomously replacing the failed module with a spare working module. Coordinating the movement, actions, and communications between multiple, potentially thousands, of modules remains an ongoing research challenge. With the objective of alleviating some of these challenges, in this paper we propose reinforcement learning as a viable method of developing algorithms for this robotic modular coordination. Here, we propose and present a platform of magnetically connected, hexagonal disk modules, which are not capable of independent operation, but collectively are capable of movement and other actions through multiple successive self-reconfigurations. We then propose a dual concurrent reinforcement learning algorithm that demonstrates these modules can learn to successfully self-reconfigure for movement while concurrently learning to navigate through an environment, searching for a goal.
Designs of soft actuators are mostly guided and limited to certain target functionalities. This article presents a novel programmable design for soft pneumatic bellows-shaped actuators with distinct motions, thus a wi...
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Designs of soft actuators are mostly guided and limited to certain target functionalities. This article presents a novel programmable design for soft pneumatic bellows-shaped actuators with distinct motions, thus a wide range of functionalities can be engendered through tuning channel parameters. According to the design principle, a kinematic model is established for motion prediction, and a sampling-based optimal parameter search is executed for automatic design. The proposed design method and kinematic models provide a tool for the generation of an optimal channel curve, with respect to target functions and required motion trajectories. Quantitative characterizations on the analytical model are conducted. To validate the functionalities, we generate three types of actuators to cover a wide range of motions in manipulation and locomotion tasks. Comparisons of model prediction on motion trajectory and prototype performance indicate the efficacy of the forward kinematics, and two task-based optimal designs for manipulation scenarios validate the effectiveness of the design parameter search. Prototyped by additive manufacturing technique with soft matter, multifunctional robots in case studies have been demonstrated, suggesting adaptability of the structure and convenience of the soft actuator's automatic design in both manipulation and locomotion. Results show that the novel design method together with the kinematic model paves a way for designing function-oriented actuators in an automatic flow.
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