scholarly journals Mechanical and Control Design of an Industrial Exoskeleton for Advanced Human Empowering in Heavy Parts Manipulation Tasks

Robotics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Mauri ◽  
Jacopo Lettori ◽  
Giovanni Fusi ◽  
Davide Fausti ◽  
Maurizio Mor ◽  
...  

Exoskeleton robots are a rising technology in industrial contexts to assist humans in onerous applications. Mechanical and control design solutions are intensively investigated to achieve a high performance human-robot collaboration (e.g., transparency, ergonomics, safety, etc.). However, the most of the investigated solutions involve high-cost hardware, complex design solutions and standard actuation. Moreover, state-of-the-art empowering controllers do not allow for online assistance regulation and do not embed advanced safety rules. In the presented work, an industrial exoskeleton with high payload ratio for lifting and transportation of heavy parts is proposed. A low-cost mechanical design solution is described, exploiting compliant actuation at the shoulder joint to increase safety in human-robot cooperation. A hierarchic model-based controller with embedded safety rules is then proposed (including the modeling of the compliant actuator) to actively assist the human while executing the task. An inner optimal controller is proposed for trajectory tracking, while an outer safety-based fuzzy logic controller is proposed to online deform the task trajectory on the basis of the human’s intention of motion. A gain scheduler is also designed to calculate the inner optimal control gains on the basis of the performed trajectory. Simulations have been performed in order to validate the performance of the proposed device, showing promising results. The prototype is under realization.

Author(s):  
Alessandro Mauri ◽  
Jacopo Lettori ◽  
Giovanni Fusi ◽  
Davide Fausti ◽  
Maurizio Mor ◽  
...  

Exoskeleton robots are a rising technology in industrial contexts to assist humans in onerous applications. Mechanical and control design solutions are intensively investigated to achieve a high performance human-robot collaboration (e.g., transparency, ergonomics, safety, etc.). However, the most of the investigated solutions involve high-cost hardware, complex design solutions and standard actuation. In the presented work, an industrial exoskeleton for lifting and transportation of heavy parts is proposed. A low-cost mechanical design solution is proposed, exploiting compliant actuation at the shoulder joint to increase safety and transparency in human-robot cooperation. A hierarchic model-based controller is then proposed (including the modeling of the compliant actuator) to actively assist the human while executing the task. An inner optimal controller is proposed for trajectory tracking, while an outer fuzzy logic controller is proposed to online deform the task trajectory on the basis of the human’s intention of motion. A gain scheduler is also designed to calculate the optimal control gains on the basis of the performed trajectory. Simulations have been performed in order to validate the performance of the proposed device, showing promising results. The prototype is under realization.


Author(s):  
J. Rastegar ◽  
L. Liu ◽  
M. Mattice

Abstract An optimal simultaneous kinematic, dynamic and control design approach is proposed for high performance computer controlled machines such as robot manipulators. The approach is based on the Trajectory Pattern Method (TPM) and a fundamentally new design philosophy that such machines in general and ultra-high performance machines in particular must only be designed to perform a class or classes of motions effectively. In the proposed approach, given the structure of the manipulator, its kinematic, dynamic and control parameters are optimized simultaneously with the parameters that describe the selected trajectory pattern. In the example presented in this paper, a weighted sum of the norms of the higher harmonics appearing in the actuating torques and the integral of the position and velocity tracking errors are used to form the optimality criterion. The selected optimality criterion should yield a system that is optimally designed to accurately follow the specified trajectory at high speed. Other objective functions can be readily formulated to synthesize systems for optimal performance. The potentials of the developed method and its implementation for generally defined motion patterns are discussed.


Author(s):  
A. Zubizarreta ◽  
E. Portillo ◽  
I. Cabanes ◽  
M. Marcos ◽  
Ch. Pinto

Due to their high performance when executing high-speed and accurate tasks, parallel robots have became the focus of many researchers and companies. However, exploiting the full potential of these robots requires a correct mechatronic design, in which the designed mechanism has to be controlled by a suitable control law in order to achieve the maximum performance. In this paper a novel Validation and Control Environment (VALIDBOT) is proposed as a support for the control design and experimental testing stages of these robots. The proposed open and flexible environment is designed to meet rapid prototyping requirements, offering a high level framework for both students and researchers. The capabilities of the environment are illustrated with an application case based on a 5R parallel robot prototype in which a modified CTC controller is tested.


Author(s):  
Salam Ibrahim Khather

The most important components of the distributed generation frameworks is the GTIs which is an interface amidst the utility and the source of energy. The recent years have seen an increased interest in the design and usage of GTIs due to its smaller weight and size, low cost and higher efficiency. But the problem of leakage currents in the transformerless inverter that is dependant on its topology and control scheme needs to be looked into carefully. Also, the high performance of the GTI requires a stringent control and various control systems are being developed and applied to the GTIs. This paper reviews the various topologies that are classified based on the attributes of the leakage current and the method of decoupling. Further it reviews and compares the different control techniques applied to the GTIs with respect to the frame of reference, controller, modulation technique and the control parameters considered.


Author(s):  
Yu Xiao ◽  
Chunguang Ren ◽  
Xiaoqing Han ◽  
Peng Wang

HybridAC/DC microgrids(HMG) are emerging as an attracting method for integrating the AC/DC distributed energy resources(DERs) with the features of high-performance and low-cost. In the isolated hybrid AC/DC microgrid (IHMG), the key problem is how to balance the power variation and regulate the voltage and frequency. Various energy storage systems (ESS)and interlinking converter (IC) technologies are viable for this application. The present study proposes a novel unified power flow model to evaluate and compare the abilities of the ESS with different connection topologies and ICs with different control approaches to maintain the voltage and frequency stability of the IHMG. In order to investigate the performance of the proposed scheme, five operation modes of the IHMG are defined and explained. The classification is based on the connection topologies and control modes of the ESS/IC in the IHMG. Then, a set of generic PF equations are derived. Moreover, three binary matrices are applied in the construction of the unified power equations. These matrices are used for describing the running state of the IHMG. Finally, in order to verify the proposed scheme, it is applied to several case studies of the IHMG. The operation characteristics of multi-DC subgrids IHMG in different modes, particularly when an external disturbance occurs, are investigated.


In a real time system, monitoring and control of various parameters of the field is vital .In order to achieve high yields and quality , exact parameters of soils and its necessary inputs to soil need to be put in action. Pest and diseases are also important factors in decline of yield and quality. Considering the various applications of this area, the present paper explains the wireless multi-sensing node for remote monitoring and control system for agricultural applications. This is design with a number of good performance front-end devices and circuits suitable for various types of sensors. Any Sensor device elements can be directly connected without the need of extra circuits. The number of input sensors can be reconfigured with time to time as system demand. The paper describes development and the interface of high performance and low-cost typical features elements. The developed system displayed all the measures field parameters and corresponding set point values on the LCD interface and also are stored in external interface memory for future reference. The developed node can be connected to a personal computing system for decision support using wired RS-232 interface or wireless connectivity using the RF modem from Xbee.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850017
Author(s):  
Guoli Song ◽  
Che Hou ◽  
Yiwen Zhao ◽  
Xingang Zhao ◽  
Jianda Han

Design of the hollow modular joint plays an important role in modern robot layout, fixation, and wiring. In this paper, a hollow modular joint that meets the requirement of a minimally invasive surgical robot is proposed. The mechanical and control design is sequentially illustrated, and the torque sensor and its optimization are provided. Furthermore, a free-force control method is introduced. To analyze the designed module, the simulation of the redundant robot, comprised of the designed joint in seven degrees of freedom, is presented. The results of analyses showed that the designed hollow modular joint is valid and effective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haosen Yang ◽  
Guowu Wei ◽  
Lei Ren ◽  
Zhihui Qian ◽  
Kunyang Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract This paper presents the design, analysis, and development of an anthropomorphic robotic hand coined MCR-hand II. This hand takes the advantages of both the tendon-driven and linkage-driven systems, leading to a compact mechanical structure that aims to imitate the mobility of a human hand. Based on the investigation of the human hand anatomical structure and the related existing robotic hands, mechanical design of the MCR-hand II is presented. Then, using D-H convention, kinematics of this hand is formulated and illustrated with numerical simulations. Furthermore, fingertip force is deduced and analyzed, and mechatronic system integration and control strategy are addressed. Subsequently, a prototype of the proposed robotic hand is developed, integrated with low-level control system, and following which empirical study is carried out, which demonstrates that the proposed hand is capable of implementing the grasp and manipulation of most of the objects used in daily life. In addition, the three widely used tools, i.e., the Kapandji score test, Cutkosky taxonomy, and Kamakura taxonomy, are used to evaluate the performance of the hand, which evidences that the MCR-hand II possesses high dexterity and excellent grasping capability; object manipulation performance is also demonstrated. This paper hence presents the design and development of a type of novel tendon–linkage-integrated anthropomorphic robotic hand, laying broader background for the development of low-cost robotic hands for both industrial and prosthetic use.


Author(s):  
Hernán Gonzalez Acuña ◽  
Alfonso René Quintero Lara ◽  
Ricardo Ortiz Guerrero ◽  
Jairo de Jesús Montes Alvarez ◽  
Hernando González Acevedo ◽  
...  

This chapter describes a Mechatronics Design methodology applied to the design of a mobile robot to climb vertical surfaces. The first part of this chapter reviews different ways to adhere to vertical surfaces and shows some examples developed by different research groups. The second part presents the stages of Mechatronics design methodology used in the design, including mechanical design, electronics design, and control design. These stages describe the most important topics for optimally successful design. The final part provides results that were obtained in the design process and construction of the robot. Finally, the conclusions of this research work are presented.


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