|
Robotics
Articles
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 | 11
| 12
Learn about
robotics
So you want to build a robot? A good
place to start is with the servo control systems - the robot's muscles!
"What is servo control?" Imagine a simple motor. If you connect it to a
battery, it will start spinning. If you connect two batteries, it will
spin faster. Now imagine you tell the motor to turn precisely 180 degrees
(1/2 revolution) and stay there no matter how many batteries there are.
That's servo control. Central to the task of servo control is the concept of
negative feedback. As an example of negative feedback, consider what happens
when you are hungry. Hopefully, you will be able to get something to eat. As
you eat, you become less and less hungry until you eventually stop eating.
This is the idea of negative feedback. Imagine if the opposite were true and
eating made you hungrier. You would eat until you exploded - out of control!
Please don't build a robot that acts like that.
Read more...
PC Based Robot Workcell
Controller Software
EPSON RC+ is EPSON's high performance
PC based Robot Workcell Controller Software. By taking advantage of the
strengths of open PC architecture (fast CPU's, reliable high performance
hardware, access to 1000's of standard hardware and software products, well
known Windows 2000 Operating System, etc.), EPSON RC+ provides the power and
flexibility required for today's Robot Workcells while maintaining the ease
of use and reliability EPSON Robots and Controls are famous for.
Read more...
Small Robot Motion
Control: The Dilberts
This paper describes the servo and
motion control techniques used in my robots Dilbert and Dilbert II. Both
robots use small DC permanent magnet motors and some sort of encoder scheme
that allows the control programs to measure, in absolute terms, how much
each motor shaft turns. Dilbert uses modified Hitec R/C servos as the drive
motors. The servos are gutted of all electronics and I only retain the motor
and gear train. Dilbert also has a home made encoder system printed directly
on the drive wheels with a home made quadrature readout using two Hamamatsu
photo reflexive detectors. The Hitec servos are rated at about 1.2 seconds
per revolution (RPS) at 4.8 v (standard R/C application). On Dilbert the
motors are driven from a 9.6v supply and the motors spin the output shaft at
a little over 2 RPS.Dilbert II uses modified Maxon gear head motors from
some surplus thermal printers. The original motors are gears down quite a
bit, so I removed two stages of gearing. I also turned a custom axle that is
press fit on the output shaft that has a commercial encoder wheel attached.
Dilbert II output shaft rotates roughly 12 RPS with a supply voltage of
14.4v.
Read more...
MOTION Control & ROBOTICS
Motion control is using power to
control the movement of a mechanical system. Most motion control is now
performed using electric motors, so that will be our primary focus. Motors can
be AC or DC, rotary or linear. Motion control can be as simple as applying
power to the motor to using complex motion controllers for multi-axis
contouring. Most of the motion control that we see falls into one of
several categories.
Read
more...
Software Algorithms Lead To New Robot Motion Control
Advanced software
algorithms developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology are the foundation
for a new robotic motion control system that will help manufacturers reduce the
labor involved in routine inspection and material handling tasks. Produced by
Atlanta-based CAMotion, Inc., the PC-based software provides greater
intelligence for automated operations, allowing off-the-shelf, low-cost robotic
equipment to handle tasks previously requiring more precise and much heavier
components. CAMotion, whose name is derived from "computer assisted motion," is
a member company of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia
Tech.
Read more...
Algorithms for
Planning and Control of Robot Motion
As modern robots address real-world
problems in dynamic, unstructured, and open environments, novel challenges arise
in the areas of robot control algorithms and motion planning. These challenges
stem from an increased need for autonomy and flexibility in robot motion and
task execution. Adequate algorithms for control and motion planning will have to
capture high-level motion strategies that adapt to sensor feedback. The
technical committee for Algorithms for planning and Control of Robot Motion
promotes algorithms research, both basic and application-driven, towards these
objectives. Read
more...
Robot
Motion: Planning and Control (Artificial Intelligence)
 The
present surge of interest in robotics can be expected to continue through the
1980s. Major research efforts are springing up throughout industry and in the
universities. Senior and graduate level courses are being developed or planned
in many places to prepare students to contribute to the development of the field
and its industrial applications. Robot Motion will serve this emerging
audience as a single source of information on current research in the field.
Read more...
|
