Running Robot Research Articles

Path Planning Method of Anti-Collision for the Operation Road of Port Cargo Handling Robot

Hao, L.; Ma, G., and Dong, J., 2020. Path planning method of anti-collision for the operation road of port cargo handling robot. In: Yang, Y.; Mi, C.; Zhao, L., and Lam, S. (eds.), Global Topics and New Trends in Coastal Research: Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 103, pp. 892–895. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The traditional path planning method of anti-collision for port cargo handling robot still has many collision phenomena, so a path planning method of anti-collision for port cargo handling robot is designed. Firstly, the running path node of the port cargo handling robot is selected, the moving coordinate system of the port cargo handling robot is established, and then the turning range of the robot is determined. Finally, the running path of the port cargo handling robot is planned by ant colony algorithm. Experiments show that the collision times of this design method is small, which proves that the robot running path designed in this design has practical significance.

Improvement of Palletizing Robot’s Clamp Device for Cigarette Products

In order to reduce the drop number of cigarette packing cases and downtime during the robot palletizing, and improve palletizing efficiency, the key technology of the robot’s clamp device was improved. The improvement techniques included vacuum suction cups specification optimizing, suction cups horizontal and vertical balancing layout, robot running smoothly, increasing the intake pipe, multi-loop vacuum generator. These techniques were applied to KUKA KR150L 150/3 robot, tested on normal and circular cigarette packing cases such as Yuxi (Hard Harmony)brand produced by Yuxi cigarette factory. The results showed that the improvement of robot palletizing cigarette packing cases is stable, and the average drop number is reduced to 13/month from 123/month before improvement, the number of downtime is reduced to 14 times/month from 125 times/month, the equipment efficiency is improved to 9.6/min. The improvement can provide technical support for the stable operation of the robot palletizing cigarette cases.

P-D controller computer vision and robotics integration based for student’s programming comprehension improvement

The 21st-century skills needed to face the speed of understanding technology. Such as critical thinking in computer vision and robotics literacy, any student is hampered by the programming that is considered complicated. This study aims at the improvement of student embedded system programming competency with computer vision and mobile robotics integration approach. This method is proposed to attract the students to learn about embedded system programming by delivering integration between computer vision and robotics using the P-D controller since both of the fields are closely related. In this paper, the researcher described computer vision programming to get the data of captured images through the camera stream and then delivered the data into an embedded system to make the decision of robot movement. The output of this study is the improvement of a student’s ability to make an application to integrate a sensor system using a camera and the mobile robot running follow the line. The result of the test shows that the integration method between computer vision and robotics can improve the student’s programming comprehension by 40%. Based on the Feasibility test survey, it can be interpreted that from the whole assessment after being converted to qualitative data, all aspects of the learning stages of programming application tested with the integration of computer vision and robotics fall into the very feasible category for used with a percentage of feasibility by 77.44%.

Trunk pitch oscillations for energy trade-offs in bipedal running birds and robots

Bipedal animals have diverse morphologies and advanced locomotion abilities. Terrestrial birds, in particular, display agile, efficient, and robust running motion, in which they exploit the interplay between the body segment masses and moment of inertias. On the other hand, most legged robots are not able to generate such versatile and energy-efficient motion and often disregard trunk movements as a means to enhance their locomotion capabilities. Recent research investigated how trunk motions affect the gait characteristics of humans, but there is a lack of analysis across different bipedal morphologies. To address this issue, we analyze avian running based on a spring-loaded inverted pendulum model with a pronograde (horizontal) trunk. We use a virtual point based control scheme and modify the alignment of the ground reaction forces to assess how our control strategy influences the trunk pitch oscillations and energetics of the locomotion. We derive three potential key strategies to leverage trunk pitch motions that minimize either the energy fluctuations of the center of mass or the work performed by the hip and leg. We suggest how these strategies could be used in legged robotics.

Development of Quadruped Robot for Stable and Adaptive High-Speed Running

Development of Quadruped Robot for Stable and Adaptive High-Speed Running

Design of Leg Structure for Biped Running Robot Using 4-Link Mechanism

Design of Leg Structure for Biped Running Robot Using 4-Link Mechanism

Development of a Quadruped Running Robot with Linear Springs at each Lower Limb

Development of a Quadruped Running Robot with Linear Springs at each Lower Limb

Robot Time-Optimal Trajectory Planning Based on Improved Cuckoo Search Algorithm

The trajectory planning time is uncertain when there is no velocity constraint in the joint space of an operating robot. This paper proposes a 3-5-3 polynomial interpolation trajectory planning algorithm based on improved cuckoo search algorithm (ICS) which functions under a velocity constraint. Kinematics analysis of the robot is conducted and the 3-5-3 polynomial interpolation function is established as the foundation for trajectory planning. The size of the step size control factor is set as a variant which varies with the number of iterations, which accelerates the algorithm’s convergence and prevents premature falling into the local optimal solution, both problems in the traditional cuckoo search algorithm where the step size control factor is fixed. The proposed algorithm was used to optimize the trajectory of a test robot with interpolation time as the search space for optimization. Any interpolation time that did not meet the speed constraint was eliminated to secure the shortest possible robot running time. The UR robot was taken as a research object to simulate the joint motion trajectory planning in MATLAB. The proposed algorithm performed well and better realized the time-optimal trajectory under the constraint of speed compared to the traditional cuckoo search algorithm, particle swarm optimization algorithm, and genetic algorithm.

Simulation of Quadruped Robot Running with Visual Adaptation

Simulation of Quadruped Robot Running with Visual Adaptation

P.543 Working memory of children: informatization of assessment task

This paper presents a control approach for bounding gait of quadruped robots by applying the concept of Virtual Constraints (VCs). A VC is a relative motion relation between two related joints imposed to the robots in terms of a specified gait, which can drive the robot to run with desired gait. To determine VCs for highly dynamic bounding gait, the limit cycle motions of the passive dynamic model of bounding gait are analyzed. The leg length and hip/shoulder angle trajectories corresponding to the limit cycles are parameterized by leg angles using 4 th-order polynomials. In order to track the calculated periodic motions, the polynomials are imposed on the robot as virtual motion constraints by a high-level state machine controller. A bounding speed feedback strategy is introduced to stabilize the robot running speed and enhance the stability. The control approach was applied to a newly designed lightweight bioinspired quadruped robot, AgiDog. The experimental results demonstrate that the robot can bound at a frequency up to 5 Hz and bound at a maximum speed of 1.2 m·s−1 in sagittal plane with a Froude number approximating to 1.

Input-to-State Stability of Periodic Orbits of Systems With Impulse Effects via Poincaré Analysis

In this paper, we investigate the relation between robustness of periodic orbits exhibited by systems with impulse effects and robustness of their corresponding Poincare maps. In particular, we prove that input-to-state stability (ISS) of a periodic orbit under external excitation in both continuous and discrete time is equivalent to ISS of the corresponding zero-input fixed point of the associated forced Poincare map. This result extends the classical Poincare analysis for asymptotic stability of periodic solutions to establish orbital ISS of such solutions under external excitation. In our proof, we define the forced Poincare map, and use it to construct ISS estimates for the periodic orbit in terms of ISS estimates of this map under mild assumptions on the input signals. As a consequence of the availability of these estimates, the equivalence between exponential stability (ES) of the fixed point of the zero-input (unforced) Poincare map and the ES of the corresponding orbit is recovered. The results can be applied naturally to study the robustness of periodic orbits of continuous-time systems as well. Although our motivation for extending classical Poincare analysis to address ISS stems from the need to design robust controllers for limit-cycle walking and running robots, the results are applicable to a much broader class of systems that exhibit periodic solutions.

Soft and Fast Hopping-Running Robot with Speed of Six Times Its Body Length Per Second.

Existing robots capable of hopping or running mostly rely on rigid actuators, but soft hopping or running robots based on muscle-like actuators have not yet been achieved. In this article, we report a tethered soft robot capable of hopping-running on smooth and rough surfaces with high speed. The hopping-running robot is composed of two soft joints that simulate the foreleg and hind leg driven by dielectric elastomer. The mass, length, width, and height of the robot are 6.5 g, 8.5 cm, 4.8 cm, and 50 cm, respectively. The robot can run at a speed of 51.83 cm/s (6.10 body lengths/s), which is much faster than previously reported locomotion robots driven by soft responsive materials. The robot also shows good adaptability to different terrains, such as marble, wood, rubber, sandpaper, and slopes. The robot can carry a load equal to its weight, can maintain a high locomotion speed, and demonstrates the potential ability to carry its power supply and control circuitry.

ABB Robotic Arm Offline Programming System

The offline programming technology of industrial robots is more and more widely used because it can effectively improve work efficiency. A DXF drawing file is a file generated by CAD that can serve as a bridge for data exchange with other software. Through experiments, this paper combines CAD-generated DXF drawing files with ABB robotic arm to realize data extraction of CAD drawings, and automatic generation and storage of robotic arm running programs, which are imported into the robot arm, so that the robot arm can be made according to CAD. The trajectory on the drawing performs the welding function. The simulation of path planning was carried out under the Robot studio software developed by ABB Robotics to meet the experimental requirements. The realization of this off-line programming system achieves the following two purposes. One is to assist non-control professional teaching, to help understand the simulation and actual production and processing of industrial robot arm; the second is to improve the efficiency of industrial robot arm programming and realize full automation programming.

Theoretical Study of Global Scale Analysis Method for Agile Bionic Leg Mechanism

SummaryAgile bionic leg mechanism (ABLM) has attracted more and more attention in the development of jumping robots and high-speed running robots. However, theoretical study of the global structure for motility characteristics and its evolution is few. By using the modern mathematical tools such as singular theory, geometric topology, and group theory, a global scale analysis method for kinematic performance of mechanisms is proposed. Taking 6-bar with two rings mechanism as an example, a detailed analysis process is studied. The 6-bar ABLM designed by this theory is verified by virtual prototype simulation experiment. The global scale analysis of 4-bar linkage is also carried out by using this method, and the result is compared with the “Grashof criterion” to verify the correctness of this method. It provides a general theory and method for innovative design and global scale analysis of ABLM.

Finite-time control strategy for the running of a telescopic leg biped robot

Designing stable and efficient control methods for walking and running of biped robots has been a challenge over the past years. The goal of this paper is to design a finite-time controller to stabilize the running gait of a compliant leg biped robot. The biped model consists of two springy telescopic legs with flat feet. The robot model has five actuators including a torque actuator at the hip joint, two torque actuators at the ankle joints and two force actuators at the legs prismatic joints parallel to the springs. Dynamic equations of stance phase, flight phase and touchdown event are derived to build the dynamic model of a complete step of running. This robot model has passive periodic running gaits which are unstable. The controller aims to stabilize the gaits around the desired limit cycles and reject disturbances. Finite-time sliding mode control is used to design controller for the stance phase; the flight phase remains passive. Starting from various deviated initial conditions, the state space trajectory of the system with the designed control law is derived and its convergence to the desired trajectory is shown. The result of the controller is also compared with an event-based linear controller from previous references.

Adaptive robust control for a lower limbs rehabilitation robot running under passive training mode

This paper focuses on the problem of the adaptive robust control of a lower limbs rehabilitation robot (LLRR) that is a nonlinear system running under passive training mode. In reality, uncertainties including modeling error, initial condition deviation, friction force and other unknown external disturbances always exist in a LLRR system. So, it is necessary to consider the uncertainties in the unilateral man-machine dynamical model of the LLRR we described. In the dynamical model, uncertainties are (possibly fast) time-varying and bounded. However, the bounds are unknown. Based on the dynamical model, we design an adaptive robust control with an adaptive law that is leakage-type based and on the framework of Udwadia-Kalaba theory to compensate for the uncertainties and to realize tracking control of the LLRR. Furthermore, the effectiveness of designed control is shown with numerical simulations.

Cooperative Path Planning for Multiple Robots With Motion Constraints in Obstacle-Strewn Environment

A cooperative path searching approach is proposed to decouple cooperative path planning for multiple robots into the path planning phase and the trajectory tracking phase. Unexpected local environment changes or failures for some robots will not affect the regular running of other robots. The collision between robots and the motion constraints of robots are not considered in the first phase. A new connection point method suitable for the trap-like map is used to find the shortest path for every robot. Connection point method does not require much computation cost even if the grid map is zoomed in. In the second phase, a cooperative search tracking approach based on modified coevolution pigeon-inspired optimization algorithm is proposed to enable every robot to track the grid path obtained by the connection point method. A competition mechanism with serial number priority is used to cope with collisions between robots. The numerical simulations are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Comparison of Running by Biped Running Robot and Athlete

Comparison of Running by Biped Running Robot and Athlete

Development of Wheel Type Robot Running on the Ceiling

Development of Wheel Type Robot Running on the Ceiling

Human intention estimation based on hidden Markov model motion validation for safe flexible robotized warehouses

With the substantial growth of logistics businesses the need for larger warehouses and their automation arises, thus using robots as assistants to human workers is becoming a priority. In order to operate efficiently and safely, robot assistants or the supervising system should recognize human intentions in real-time. Theory of mind (ToM) is an intuitive human conception of other humans' mental state, i.e., beliefs and desires, and how they cause behavior. In this paper we propose a ToM based human intention estimation algorithm for flexible robotized warehouses. We observe human's, i.e., worker's motion and validate it with respect to the goal locations using generalized Voronoi diagram based path planning. These observations are then processed by the proposed hidden Markov model framework which estimates worker intentions in an online manner, capable of handling changing environments. To test the proposed intention estimation we ran experiments in a real-world laboratory warehouse with a worker wearing Microsoft Hololens augmented reality glasses. Furthermore, in order to demonstrate the scalability of the approach to larger warehouses, we propose to use virtual reality digital warehouse twins in order to realistically simulate worker behavior. We conducted intention estimation experiments in the larger warehouse digital twin with up to 24 running robots. We demonstrate that the proposed framework estimates warehouse worker intentions precisely and in the end we discuss the experimental results.