Back pain is one of the largest drivers of workplace injury and lost productivity in industries a... more Back pain is one of the largest drivers of workplace injury and lost productivity in industries around the world. Back injuries were one of the leading reasons in resulting in days away from work at 38.5% across all occupations, increasing for manual laborers to 43%. While the cause of the back pain can vary across occupations, for materiel movers it is often caused from repetitive poor lifting. To reduce the issues, the Aerial Porter Exoskeleton (APEx) was created. The APEx uses a hip-mounted, powered exoskeleton attached to an adjustable vest. An onboard computer calculates the configuration of the user to determine when to activate. Lift form is assisted by using a novel lumbar brace mounted on the sides of the hips. Properly worn, the APEx holds the user upright while providing additional hip torque through a lift. This was tested by having participants complete a lifting test with the exoskeleton worn in the “on” configuration compared with the exoskeleton not worn. The APEx ha...
... The robots are coupled using a decentralized scheme where a lead robot(s) plans a trajec-... ... more ... The robots are coupled using a decentralized scheme where a lead robot(s) plans a trajec-... 6 Page 22. is mounted on a mobile base. The motion control problem is decoupled me-chanically from the force control problem, allowing for easy control of the entire system. ...
... The arm is natu-rally compliant (because of the springs) and this gives the arm the ability t... more ... The arm is natu-rally compliant (because of the springs) and this gives the arm the ability to exert controllable grasp forces and coun-teract ... However, this design is not very compact. ... Our motor con-trol board includes the microcontroller as well as the driver chip, LMD18201. ...
Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, 2000
The mechanics, design, and control of a three degree-of-freedom in-parallel, pneumatically actuat... more The mechanics, design, and control of a three degree-of-freedom in-parallel, pneumatically actuated manipulator are presented. The manipulator consists of two platforms connected by three serial chains. The kinematic design is such that the three relative degrees of freedom between the two plates allow the manipulator to accomodate uncertainties and sustain impacts while contacting and interacting with unknown environments. In particular, the manipulator is naturally compliant in translation along the approach direction as well as in rotations about axes perpendicular to the approach direction, while it is stiff in other directions. In this paper, an overview of the manipulator kinematics, a description of the manipulator system and the associated hardware, and experimental results on the dynamic behavior of a protoytpe are presented.
We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manip... more We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manipulators focusing on tasks that require grasping, manipulation and transporting large and possibly flexible objects without special purpose fixtures. Because each robot has an independent controller and is autonomous, the coordination and synergy are realized through sensing and communication. The robots can cooperatively transport objects and march in a tightly controlled formation, while also having the capability to navigate autonomously. We describe the key aspects of the overall hierarchy and the basic algorithms, with specific applications to our experimental testbed consisting of three robots. We describe results from many experiments that demonstrate the ability of the system to carry flexible boards and large boxes as well as the system's robustness to alignment and odometry errors.
Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, 2000
We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinatingmultiple mobile robots with manipu... more We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinatingmultiple mobile robots with manipulators focusing on tasks that requiregrasping, manipulation, and transporting large and possibly flexible objectswithout special purpose fixtures. Because each robot has an independentcontroller and is autonomous, the coordination and synergy are realizedthrough sensing and communication. The robots can cooperatively transportobjects and march in a tightly controlled formation, while...
We describe a novel design for a compliant arm that can be mounted on a mobile robot. Because the... more We describe a novel design for a compliant arm that can be mounted on a mobile robot. Because the arm is compliant, a mobile robot can manipulate or interact with objects that are not precisely positioned in the environment. The main features of the arm are the in-parallel architecture and a novel control scheme that allows us to easily control the Cartesian stiffness or impedance in the plane. Springs are added in series to the limbs of the parallel manipulator. We analyze one limb and the manipulator to determine its performance when either controlling the force applied to an object or controlling its stiffness. Further, we present experimental results that show the performance of the compliant arm.
The mechanics, design, and control of a 3-degrees-of-freedom, in-parallel, pneumatically actuated... more The mechanics, design, and control of a 3-degrees-of-freedom, in-parallel, pneumatically actuated manipulator are presented. The manipulator consists of two platforms connected by three serial chains. The kinematic design is such that the three relative degrees of freedom between the two plates allow the manipulator to accomodate uncertainties and sustain impacts while contacting and interacting with unknown environments. In particular, the manipulator is naturally compliant in translation along the approach direction as well as in rotations about axes perpendicular to the approach direction, while it is stiff in other directions. In this article, an overview of the manipulator kinematics, a description of the manipulator system and the associated hardware, and experimental results on the dynamic behavior of a prototype are presented. 0 1994 John Wiley 6 Sons, Inc.
IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 2002
We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manip... more We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manipulators focusing on tasks that require grasping, manipulation and transporting large and possibly flexible objects without special purpose fixtures. Because each robot has an independent controller and is autonomous, the coordination and synergy are realized through sensing and communication. The robots can cooperatively transport objects and march in a tightly controlled formation, while also having the capability to navigate autonomously. We describe the key aspects of the overall hierarchy and the basic algorithms, with specific applications to our experimental testbed consisting of three robots. We describe results from many experiments that demonstrate the ability of the system to carry flexible boards and large boxes as well as the system's robustness to alignment and odometry errors.
E xciting new robots are being developed that will operate in a different environment from tradit... more E xciting new robots are being developed that will operate in a different environment from traditional industrial factories or research laboratories. Researchers are working worldwide to create robots that are integrated into our daily lives. For the advancement of these new robots, compliant, safe, and new actuators are one of the important issues turning energy into safe motion. The biological counterpart is the muscle tendon structure that has functional performance characteristics and a neuromechanical control system that has far more superior capabilities. The superior power to weight ratio, force to weight ratio, and sensing characteristics limit the development of machines that can match motion, safety, and energy efficiency of a human or other animal. One of the key differences of biological systems is their adaptable compliance or variable stiffness compared with the traditional stiff electrical drives used for the standard industrial robotic applications, which require accurate, reference-trajectory tracking. More and more applications such as robots in close human or robot proximity, legged autonomous robots, and rehabilitation devices and prostheses demand a different set of design specifications, for which the use of compliant actuators can be beneficial as compared with the traditional stiff actuation schemes.
The main goal of the paper is to present a framework and basic control algorithms for coordinatin... more The main goal of the paper is to present a framework and basic control algorithms for coordinating a small team of robots in tasks that involve grasping large objects and transporting them in a two-dimensional environment with obstacles. Each robot consists of a mobile platform and an arm. Some arms are passive while others are active. Our previous work (1998)
This paper addresses the design and control of autonomous mobile platforms manipulating and trans... more This paper addresses the design and control of autonomous mobile platforms manipulating and transporting a grasped object. Each platform i s equipped with a manipulator arm. In order t o hold a n object in a stable grasp, the arms have t o apply and maintain appropriate contact forces t o ensure force closure.
Proceedings Ieee International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Oct 14, 2003
... Jenuwine and Midha [9] have developed an exact constant-force mechanism made of seven rigid l... more ... Jenuwine and Midha [9] have developed an exact constant-force mechanism made of seven rigid links and two spring links. Howell [lo] has further miniaturized these interesting compliant systems. ... Jenuwine and Midha [I51 make use of an extension of the loop closure method. ...
Back pain is one of the largest drivers of workplace injury and lost productivity in industries a... more Back pain is one of the largest drivers of workplace injury and lost productivity in industries around the world. Back injuries were one of the leading reasons in resulting in days away from work at 38.5% across all occupations, increasing for manual laborers to 43%. While the cause of the back pain can vary across occupations, for materiel movers it is often caused from repetitive poor lifting. To reduce the issues, the Aerial Porter Exoskeleton (APEx) was created. The APEx uses a hip-mounted, powered exoskeleton attached to an adjustable vest. An onboard computer calculates the configuration of the user to determine when to activate. Lift form is assisted by using a novel lumbar brace mounted on the sides of the hips. Properly worn, the APEx holds the user upright while providing additional hip torque through a lift. This was tested by having participants complete a lifting test with the exoskeleton worn in the “on” configuration compared with the exoskeleton not worn. The APEx ha...
... The robots are coupled using a decentralized scheme where a lead robot(s) plans a trajec-... ... more ... The robots are coupled using a decentralized scheme where a lead robot(s) plans a trajec-... 6 Page 22. is mounted on a mobile base. The motion control problem is decoupled me-chanically from the force control problem, allowing for easy control of the entire system. ...
... The arm is natu-rally compliant (because of the springs) and this gives the arm the ability t... more ... The arm is natu-rally compliant (because of the springs) and this gives the arm the ability to exert controllable grasp forces and coun-teract ... However, this design is not very compact. ... Our motor con-trol board includes the microcontroller as well as the driver chip, LMD18201. ...
Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, 2000
The mechanics, design, and control of a three degree-of-freedom in-parallel, pneumatically actuat... more The mechanics, design, and control of a three degree-of-freedom in-parallel, pneumatically actuated manipulator are presented. The manipulator consists of two platforms connected by three serial chains. The kinematic design is such that the three relative degrees of freedom between the two plates allow the manipulator to accomodate uncertainties and sustain impacts while contacting and interacting with unknown environments. In particular, the manipulator is naturally compliant in translation along the approach direction as well as in rotations about axes perpendicular to the approach direction, while it is stiff in other directions. In this paper, an overview of the manipulator kinematics, a description of the manipulator system and the associated hardware, and experimental results on the dynamic behavior of a protoytpe are presented.
We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manip... more We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manipulators focusing on tasks that require grasping, manipulation and transporting large and possibly flexible objects without special purpose fixtures. Because each robot has an independent controller and is autonomous, the coordination and synergy are realized through sensing and communication. The robots can cooperatively transport objects and march in a tightly controlled formation, while also having the capability to navigate autonomously. We describe the key aspects of the overall hierarchy and the basic algorithms, with specific applications to our experimental testbed consisting of three robots. We describe results from many experiments that demonstrate the ability of the system to carry flexible boards and large boxes as well as the system's robustness to alignment and odometry errors.
Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, 2000
We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinatingmultiple mobile robots with manipu... more We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinatingmultiple mobile robots with manipulators focusing on tasks that requiregrasping, manipulation, and transporting large and possibly flexible objectswithout special purpose fixtures. Because each robot has an independentcontroller and is autonomous, the coordination and synergy are realizedthrough sensing and communication. The robots can cooperatively transportobjects and march in a tightly controlled formation, while...
We describe a novel design for a compliant arm that can be mounted on a mobile robot. Because the... more We describe a novel design for a compliant arm that can be mounted on a mobile robot. Because the arm is compliant, a mobile robot can manipulate or interact with objects that are not precisely positioned in the environment. The main features of the arm are the in-parallel architecture and a novel control scheme that allows us to easily control the Cartesian stiffness or impedance in the plane. Springs are added in series to the limbs of the parallel manipulator. We analyze one limb and the manipulator to determine its performance when either controlling the force applied to an object or controlling its stiffness. Further, we present experimental results that show the performance of the compliant arm.
The mechanics, design, and control of a 3-degrees-of-freedom, in-parallel, pneumatically actuated... more The mechanics, design, and control of a 3-degrees-of-freedom, in-parallel, pneumatically actuated manipulator are presented. The manipulator consists of two platforms connected by three serial chains. The kinematic design is such that the three relative degrees of freedom between the two plates allow the manipulator to accomodate uncertainties and sustain impacts while contacting and interacting with unknown environments. In particular, the manipulator is naturally compliant in translation along the approach direction as well as in rotations about axes perpendicular to the approach direction, while it is stiff in other directions. In this article, an overview of the manipulator kinematics, a description of the manipulator system and the associated hardware, and experimental results on the dynamic behavior of a prototype are presented. 0 1994 John Wiley 6 Sons, Inc.
IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 2002
We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manip... more We describe a framework and control algorithms for coordinating multiple mobile robots with manipulators focusing on tasks that require grasping, manipulation and transporting large and possibly flexible objects without special purpose fixtures. Because each robot has an independent controller and is autonomous, the coordination and synergy are realized through sensing and communication. The robots can cooperatively transport objects and march in a tightly controlled formation, while also having the capability to navigate autonomously. We describe the key aspects of the overall hierarchy and the basic algorithms, with specific applications to our experimental testbed consisting of three robots. We describe results from many experiments that demonstrate the ability of the system to carry flexible boards and large boxes as well as the system's robustness to alignment and odometry errors.
E xciting new robots are being developed that will operate in a different environment from tradit... more E xciting new robots are being developed that will operate in a different environment from traditional industrial factories or research laboratories. Researchers are working worldwide to create robots that are integrated into our daily lives. For the advancement of these new robots, compliant, safe, and new actuators are one of the important issues turning energy into safe motion. The biological counterpart is the muscle tendon structure that has functional performance characteristics and a neuromechanical control system that has far more superior capabilities. The superior power to weight ratio, force to weight ratio, and sensing characteristics limit the development of machines that can match motion, safety, and energy efficiency of a human or other animal. One of the key differences of biological systems is their adaptable compliance or variable stiffness compared with the traditional stiff electrical drives used for the standard industrial robotic applications, which require accurate, reference-trajectory tracking. More and more applications such as robots in close human or robot proximity, legged autonomous robots, and rehabilitation devices and prostheses demand a different set of design specifications, for which the use of compliant actuators can be beneficial as compared with the traditional stiff actuation schemes.
The main goal of the paper is to present a framework and basic control algorithms for coordinatin... more The main goal of the paper is to present a framework and basic control algorithms for coordinating a small team of robots in tasks that involve grasping large objects and transporting them in a two-dimensional environment with obstacles. Each robot consists of a mobile platform and an arm. Some arms are passive while others are active. Our previous work (1998)
This paper addresses the design and control of autonomous mobile platforms manipulating and trans... more This paper addresses the design and control of autonomous mobile platforms manipulating and transporting a grasped object. Each platform i s equipped with a manipulator arm. In order t o hold a n object in a stable grasp, the arms have t o apply and maintain appropriate contact forces t o ensure force closure.
Proceedings Ieee International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Oct 14, 2003
... Jenuwine and Midha [9] have developed an exact constant-force mechanism made of seven rigid l... more ... Jenuwine and Midha [9] have developed an exact constant-force mechanism made of seven rigid links and two spring links. Howell [lo] has further miniaturized these interesting compliant systems. ... Jenuwine and Midha [I51 make use of an extension of the loop closure method. ...
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