Data acquisition and controls for a bat robot

Abstract

Robotic reproductions of the dynamic and adaptive nature of the biosonar systems found in many bat species require a capable back-end that is capable of integrating mechanical, acoustical, electrical, and computational functions in an efficient manner. This is particularly true when mimicking bat species that change the shapes of their noseleaves and pinna as part of their biosonar behaviors. To address the challenge of replicating these highly integrated functions, a platform consisting of commercial, off-the-shelf components, centered around a microcontroller (Arduino Due) and a single-board computer (Raspberry Pi 3) has been designed. The real-time microcontroller has been delegated the signal generation for the ultrasonic pulses and data acquisition for the echoes, as well as all control operations for the mechanical periphery of the robotic bat head. This includes synthesizing output waveforms, conditioning measured data, and maintaining the state of the pneumatic actuation systems. Commands are issued directly by the computer, which is responsible for orchestrating overall “behaviors” and managing the relevant data. In addition, the control system acquires and stores meta data for the echoes such as geospatial location and acquisition time. Future improvements to this system will seek to establish closed loop control liking echo analysis to peripheral dynamics.