The determination of kinematic parameters for a parallel robotic system (PRS) is an important and a critical phase to maximize reachable workspace while avoiding singular configurations. Stewart Platform (SP) mechanism is one of the widely known PRS and it is used to demonstrate the proposed technique. In the related literature, GCI (Global Condition Index) and LCI (Local Condition Index) are the commonly used performance indexes which give a measure about the dexterity of a mechanism. In this work, Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method is used to optimize kinematic parameters of a 6dof 3x3 UPU SP in order to reach maximum workspace satisfying small condition numbers. The radius of mobile and base platforms and the lengths of the legs used in the platform are chosen as kinematic parameters to be optimized in a multiobjective optimization problem. Optimization is performed at different stages and the number of optimized kinematic parameters is increased at each level. In conclusion, optimizing selected kinematic parameters at once by using SQP technique presents the best results for the PRS.

Cenk Ery&#x131;lmaz

V. E. Omurlu

SQP Optimization of 6dof 3x3 UPU Parallel Robotic System for Singularity Free and Maximized Reachable Workspace

Aiming at high performance requirements of snake-like robots under complex environment, we present a control system of our proposed design which utilizes a STM32 as the core processor and incorporates real-time image acquisition, multisensor fusion, and wireless communication technology. We use Solidworks to optimize the design of head, body, and tail joint structure of the snake-like robot. The system is a real-time system with a simple-circuit structure and multidegrees of freedom are attributed to the flawless design of control system and mechanical structure. We propose a control method based on our simplified CPG model. Meanwhile, we improve Serpenoid control function and then investigate how different parameters affect the motion gait in terms of ADAMS emulation. Finally, experimental results show that the snake-like robot can tackle challenging problems including multi-information acquisition and processing, multigait stability, and autonomous motion and further verify the reliability and accuracy of the system in our combinatory experiments.

Bingqi Liu

Mingzhe Liu

Xianghe Liu

Xianguo Tuo

Xing Wang

Shibo Zhao

Tingting Xiao

Design and Realize a Snake-Like Robot in Complex Environment

The quality of industrial robots essentially depends on the properties of their kinematic couples. This research has involved conducting an experimental study of the friction torque in a joint of the KUKA KR10 industrial robot and building its model. It has been established that the largest impact on friction in the joint is caused by its axial load and velocity, as well as the temperature of the mechanism, which is generally not homogeneous. It is not possible to measure temperature fields in the joints of a serial industrial robot directly. This study has set forth a method to estimate friction torque taking into account the temperature factor indirectly. For this, we have used the motor temperature available for measuring in combination with special periodical motions, performed by the robot, during which we estimated the actual friction torque in the joint and calculated a temperature correction based on our findings.

Maksim N. Nevmerzhitskiy

Boris S. Notkin

Andrey V. Vara

Konstantin V. Zmeu

Friction Model of Industrial Robot Joint with Temperature Correction by Example of KUKA KR10

Aiming at the problems that are the construction and the layout optimization of the coordinated multirobots system, the concept of an equivalent parallel robot (EPR) is proposed based on parallel thought in this paper. That is, each robot is regarded as a branched chain of the EPR in coordination. Thus, it can be converted into the problem for the type synthesis and the layout of the parallel robot. Firstly, the definition of robotic characteristic (<i>C</i>) set and the corresponding operational rule are given. Then, the minimum occupied area, cycle time, and condition number are used as the optimized objectives. The weight ratio is used to express the importance of the three objectives to meet the requirements of different scenes. Afterwards, based on the theory of <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" id="M1" height="8.8423pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 8.8162 8.8423" width="8.8162pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-68" d="M645 631C614 643 545 666 457 666C215 666 23 519 23 283C23 90 158 -16 337 -16C412 -16 489 2 522 10C543 39 590 127 606 167L580 181C519 89 459 18 348 18C201 18 122 136 122 287C122 464 244 632 435 632C544 632 602 595 608 472L639 475C643 526 645 581 645 631Z"/></g></svg> set, the three translational (3<i>T</i>) operational requirements that can be extended to other degree of freedom (DOF) are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed methods is verified by the DOF analysis and simulation experiment. Moreover, the multiobjective layout problem is optimized based on the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. The results show that the constructed robot combinations and the layout optimization method are satisfactory.

Wanqiang Xi

Yaoyao Wang

Yadong Ding

Bai Chen

Construction and Layout of Coordinated Multirobots System Based on Parallel Thought

For any mobile device, the ability to navigate smoothly in its environment is of paramount importance, which justifies researchers&#x2019; continuous work on designing new techniques to reach this goal. In this work, we briefly present a description of a hard work on designing a Same Fuzzy Logic Controller (S.F.L.C.) of the two reactive behaviors of the mobile robot, namely, &#x201c;go to goal obstacle avoidance&#x201d; and &#x201c;wall following,&#x201d; in order to solve its navigation problems. This new technique allows an optimal motion planning in terms of path length and travelling time; it is meant to avoid collisions with convex and concave obstacles and to achieve the shortest path followed by the mobile robot. The efficiency of employing the proposed navigational controller is validated when compared to the results from other intelligent approaches; its qualities make of it an efficient alternative method for solving the path planning problem of the mobile robot.

Awatef Aouf

Lotfi Boussaid

Anis Sakly

Same Fuzzy Logic Controller for Two-Wheeled Mobile Robot Navigation in Strange Environments

Health emergencies occur in passenger cars where victims do not have immediate access to either layperson or professional, proper medical services, resulting in deterioration of their health or death. Installation of robotic first aid system for passenger-car occupants has been proposed. This study is part of a larger work of designing the system and seeks to identify the safest location inside the vehicle for it to survive any form of impact in a crash and retain the ability to assist the victims. The study population comprised 70 passenger cars (14 automakers across 7 segments) involved in road traffic accidents, which had been recovered by a roadside vehicle assistance company based in Harare, Zimbabwe, and were on the company’s premises on September <span class="nowrap"><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" id="M1" height="12.3641pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -12.1577 21.4 12.3641" width="21.4pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-51" d="M412 140C382 77 369 73 315 73H129L270 222C362 320 402 379 402 466C402 571 322 635 234 635C177 635 130 609 99 576L42 495L64 475C90 514 133 568 201 568C274 568 318 519 318 435C318 349 255 267 193 193C144 135 87 78 32 23V0H405C417 45 427 89 440 131L412 140Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.24,0)"><path id="g113-52" d="M285 378C315 398 338 416 353 432C373 451 384 474 384 503C384 579 325 635 236 635H235C182 635 136 610 108 579L65 516L85 496C110 533 150 575 205 575C258 575 300 543 300 481C300 407 232 369 141 339L147 310C163 315 188 321 211 321C268 321 338 284 338 192C338 94 288 40 217 40C160 40 119 68 93 91C85 98 77 97 69 91C60 84 47 71 46 58C44 46 48 35 62 22C75 10 116 -12 162 -12C234 -12 424 62 424 224C424 297 373 359 285 376V378Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,12.527,-5.741)"><path id="g58-112" d="M185 344V453C137 433 92 421 41 413V386C100 378 104 375 104 310V106C104 41 97 35 33 30V0H268V30C190 35 185 41 185 107V283C206 340 240 371 267 371C282 371 296 364 310 351C316 344 325 343 336 348C357 357 369 378 369 399C369 424 345 451 310 451C262 451 219 397 187 344H185Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,15.875,-5.741)"><path id="g58-98" d="M526 56L493 58C457 61 448 68 448 119V710C411 697 344 682 288 675V646C362 641 367 639 367 573V439C344 448 315 451 300 451C164 451 40 342 40 202C40 61 147 -12 227 -12C239 -12 266 -7 305 16L367 53V-12C427 10 505 21 526 26V56ZM367 88C342 69 306 54 271 54C207 54 133 111 133 229C133 373 219 409 264 409C301 409 342 394 367 359V88Z"/></g></svg>,</span> 2017. Vehicle damage was rated considering direction of force in comparison to a clock-point diagram, area damaged, and the damage severity on a scale of 1 to 7, following an official vehicle damage guide for traffic crash investigators. Data were analysed in Microsoft Office Excel 2016. In cases where vehicles were damaged in more than one area, all areas were recorded, hence 95 points of impact were analysed. Damage direct to the front denoted by 12 on the clock-point was the most common at 26%. This was compatible with the rate of frontal damage on vehicles, which was the highest at 51%, followed by the right and left sides that had 22% and 19%, respectively, the rear at 6%, and lastly the top (due to 2 recorded rollovers) at 2%. 56% of the damaged areas had a severity rating of either 5, 6, or 7. By eliminating all areas which had received damage in the study population, the robotic first aid system’s best chances of car crash survival are at the middle, towards the floor of the vehicle. It is advisable that the system does not depend on components in the proximity of the vehicle’s body as they are prone to damage in crashes. There is need for further research into the magnitude of impact that could reach the middle of different vehicles to define the strength of the robotic first aid system.

Joseph Kurebwa

Tawanda Mushiri

A Study of Damage Patterns on Passenger Cars Involved in Road Traffic Accidents

The paper describes the integration of hardware and software with sensor technology and computer processing to develop the next generation intelligent wheelchair. The focus is a computer cluster design to test high performance computing for smart wheelchair operation and human interaction. The LabVIEW cluster is developed for real-time autonomous path planning and sensor data processing. Four small form factor computers are connected over a Gigabit Ethernet local area network to form the computer cluster. Autonomous programs are distributed across the cluster for increased task parallelism to improve processing time performance<i>. </i>The distributed programs operating frequency for path planning and motion control is 50Hz and 12.3Hz for 0.3 megapixel robot vision system. To monitor the operation and control of the distributed LabVIEW code, network automation is integrated into the cluster software along with a performance monitor. A link between the computer motion control program and the wheelchair joystick control of the drive train is developed for the computer control interface. A perception sensor array and control circuitry is integrated with the computer system to detect and respond to the wheelchair environment. Multiple cameras are used for image processing and scanning laser rangefinder sensors for obstacle avoidance in the cluster program. A centralized power system is integrated to power the smart wheelchair along with the cluster and sensor feedback system. The on board computer system is evaluated for cluster processing performance for the smart wheelchair, incorporating camera machine vision and LiDAR perception for terrain obstacle detection, operating in urban scenarios.

Amiel Hartman

Vidya K. Nandikolla

Human-Machine Interface for a Smart Wheelchair

This paper endeavors to contribute to the field of optimal control via presenting an optimal fuzzy Proportional Derivative (PD) controller for a RPP (Revolute-Prismatic-Prismatic) robot manipulator based on particle swarm optimization and inverse dynamics. The Denavit-Hartenberg approach and the Jacobi method for each of the arms of the robot are employed in order to gain the kinematic equations of the manipulator. Furthermore, the Lagrange method is utilized to obtain the dynamic equations of motion. Hence, in order to control the dynamics of the robot manipulator, inverse dynamics and a fuzzy PD controller optimized via particle swarm optimization are used in this research study. The obtained results of the optimal fuzzy PD controller based on the inverse dynamics are compared to the outcomes of the PD controller, and it is illustrated that the optimal fuzzy PD controller shows better controlling performance in comparison with other controllers.

M. J. Mahmoodabadi

A. Ziaei

Inverse Dynamics Based Optimal Fuzzy Controller for a Robot Manipulator via Particle Swarm Optimization

About this journal

<p><em>Journal of Robotics </em>publishes original research articles as well as review articles on all aspects of automated mechanical devices, from their design and fabrication, to testing and practical implementation.</p>


Journal profile

Meet the editorial board

<p>Chief Editor&nbsp;Professor Yangmin Li is based at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. His research interests include robotics, mechatronics, control and automation.</p>


Editor spotlight

Submit your proposal

Do you think there is an emerging area of research that really needs to be highlighted? Or an existing research area that has been overlooked or would benefit from deeper investigation? Raise the profile of a research area by leading a Special Issue.

Special Issues

Author guidelines

Editorial board

Databases and indexing

Journal of Robotics - Table of contents 2019

title

Journal of Robotics publishes original research articles as well as review articles on all aspects of automated mechanical devices, from their design and fabrication, to testing and practical implementation.

Journal of Robotics