Designs And Prototypes Of Mobile Robots

For several decades now, mobile robots have been integral to the development of new robotic systems for new applications, even in nontechnical areas. Mobile robots have already been developed for such uses as industrial automation, medical care, space exploration, demining operations, surveillance, entertainment, museum guides and many other industrial and non-industrial applications. In some cases these products are readily available on the market. A considerable amount of literature is also available; not all of which pertains to technical issues, as listed in the chapters of this book and its companion. Readers will enjoy this book and its companion and will utilize the knowledge gained with satisfaction and will be assisted by its content in their interdisciplinary work for engineering developments of mobile robots, in both old and new applications. This book and its companion can be used as a graduate level course book or a guide book for the practicing engineer who is working on a specific problem which is described in one of the chapters. The companion volume for this book, Mobile Robots for Dynamic Environments, is also available from Momentum Press.

For several decades now, mobile robots have been integral to the development of new robotic systems for new applications, even in nontechnical areas. Mobile robots have already been developed for such uses as industrial automation, medical care, space exploration, demining operations, surveillance, entertainment, museum guides and many other industrial and non-industrial applications. In some cases these products are readily available on the market. A considerable amount of literature is also available; not all of which pertains to technical issues, as listed in the chapters of this book and its companion. Readers will enjoy this book and its companion. They will utilize the knowledge gained with satisfaction and will be assisted by its content in their interdisciplinary work for engineering developments of mobile robots, in both old and new applications. This book and its companion can be used as a graduate level course book or a guide book for the practicing engineer who is working on a specific problem which is described in one of the chapters. The companion volume for this book, Designs and Prototypes of Mobile Robots, is also available from Momentum Press.

As a segment of the broader science of automation, robotics has achieved tremendous progress in recent decades due to the advances in supporting technologies such as computers, control systems, cameras and electronic vision, as well as micro and nanotechnology. Prototyping a design helps in determining system parameters, ranges, and in structuring an overall better system. Robotics is one of the industrial design fields in which prototyping is crucial for improved functionality. Prototyping of Robotic Systems: Applications of Design and Implementation provides a framework for conceptual, theoretical, and applied research in robotic prototyping and its applications. Covering the prototyping of various robotic systems including the complicated industrial robots, the tiny and delicate nanorobots, medical robots for disease diagnosis and treatment, as well as the simple robots for educational purposes, this book is a useful tool for those in the field of robotics prototyping and as a general reference tool for those in related fields.

Mobile robots have been increasingly applied in many different scenarios, such as space exploration and search and rescue, where the robots are required to travel over uneven terrain while outdoors. This book provides a new framework and the related algorithms for designing autonomous mobile robotic systems in such unknown outdoor environments.

Researchers have obtained robots that display an amazing slew of behaviors and perform a multitude of tasks, including perception of environment, negotiating rough terrain, and pushing boxes. This volume offers a wide spectrum of sample works developed in leading research throughout the world about evolutionary mobile robotics and demonstrates the success of the technique in evolving efficient and capable mobile robots.

During the conceptual design stage of a tracked mobile robot, the designer wishes to verify the robots mobility and manipulation capabilities. Multi-body-dynamics simulation-based virtual prototyping process can be used in the conceptual design stage and can significantly reduce the amount of physical testing required at various design stages, and associated cost. The application of this process for tracked mobile robots has been developed and is shown here. As a test case, it was initially applied to an existing robot and was validated with test results. Later it was applied to a new robot while still in its conceptual design stage. Multi-body-dynamic models of the robots were generated and simulations related to mobility and manipulation tasks were performed. The usefulness of the simulation results to verify and improve the robot design was demonstrated. The above established process can now be applied to new robot designs, during its conceptual design stage.

During the conceptual design stage of a tracked mobile robot, the designer wishes to verify the robot s mobility and manipulation capabilities. Multi-body dynamics simulation-based virtual prototyping process can be used in the conceptual design stage and can significantly reduce the amount of physical testing required at various design stages, and associated cost. The application of this process for tracked mobile robots has been developed and is shown here. As a test case, it was initially applied to an existing robot and was validated with test results. Later it was applied to a new robot while still in its conceptual design stage. Multi-body dynamic models of the robots were generated and simulations related to mobility and manipulation tasks were performed. The usefulness of the simulation results to verify and improve the robot design was demonstrated. The above established process can now be applied to new robot designs, during its conceptual design stage.

Introduction to Mobile Robot Control provides a complete and concise study of modeling, control, and navigation methods for wheeled non-holonomic and omnidirectional mobile robots and manipulators. The book begins with a study of mobile robot drives and corresponding kinematic and dynamic models, and discusses the sensors used in mobile robotics. It then examines a variety of model-based, model-free, and vision-based controllers with unified proof of their stabilization and tracking performance, also addressing the problems of path, motion, and task planning, along with localization and mapping topics. The book provides a host of experimental results, a conceptual overview of systemic and software mobile robot control architectures, and a tour of the use of wheeled mobile robots and manipulators in industry and society. Introduction to Mobile Robot Control is an essential reference, and is also a textbook suitable as a supplement for many university robotics courses. It is accessible to all and can be used as a reference for professionals and researchers in the mobile robotics field. Clearly and authoritatively presents mobile robot concepts Richly illustrated throughout with figures and examples Key concepts demonstrated with a host of experimental and simulation examples No prior knowledge of the subject is required; each chapter commences with an introduction and background

The aim of this book is to encompass progresses of mobile robotics and associated technologies applied for multi-robot systems' design and development. Design of control system is a complicated matter, which needs the application of information technologies to integrate the robots into a sole network. Human-robot interface becomes a challenging task, particularly when we try to employ smart methodologies for brain signal processing. Several advancements in path planning and navigations, inclusive of parallel programming, can be seen and generated. Electrophysiological signals can be utilized to control distinct devices like cars, video games, wheelchairs, etc. Training of the mobile robot operators is an extremely challenging task due to various factors associated with execution of distinct tasks. The book will appeal to a broad range of readers including veteran researchers as well as scientists.