自由漂浮空间机器人路径优化的Legendre伪谱法

基于Legendre 伪谱法研究自由漂浮空间机器人非完整路径规划的最优控制问题. 自由漂浮是空间机器人执行任务常用的工作模式,其路径优化是空间机器人完成复杂空间任务的基础. 由于空间机器人不具有固定基座,机械臂和载体之间存在非完整约束,使得自由漂浮空间机器人路径规划完全不同于地面机器人而变得具有挑战性. 本文提出自由漂浮空间机器人路径规划的最优控制伪谱方法. 首先,利用多体动力学理论建立自由漂浮空间机器人动力学模型,给定系统的初始和目标位形,选取机械臂关节耗散能最小为性能指标,并考虑实际控制输入受限,建立其路径规划的Bolza 问题. 然后,应用Legendre 伪谱法,将状态和控制变量在Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto (LGL) 点上离散,并构造Lagrange 插值多项式逼近系统状态和控制变量,将连续路径优化问题离散化为非线性规划问题求解. 最后通过数值仿真表明,应用Legendre 伪谱法求解自由漂浮空间机器人非完整路径规划问题,得到的机械臂和载体最优运动轨迹,较好地满足各种约束条件,且计算精度高、速度快,并具有良好的实时性.      

3-PRS并联机器人惯量耦合特性研究

惯量是影响机器人动态性能的主要因素,并联机器人因其多支链耦合的结构特点,关节空间各驱动轴出现惯量耦合的动力学特性,在高速、高加速度运动时易引起控制超调、振动等现象,破坏机器人的动态性能,因此研究并联机器人惯量耦合特性具有重要意义. 以3-PRS 并联机器人为例,通过虚功原理求得惯量矩阵,提出惯量耦合指标,该耦合指标表征了并联机器人在工作空间不同位姿时各驱动轴的耦合惯量大小,并给出了该耦合指标在机器人工作空间内的分布规律. 进一步在一台3-PRS 并联机器人样机上进行了实验验证,结果表明耦合惯量会改变驱动轴负载,负载的改变将最终影响动态性能. 同时各驱动轴的负载变化量随着惯量耦合指标的变大而变大,与理论分析有较好的一致性. 研究成果可帮助评价并联机器人的动力学耦合特性,并可用于并联机器人的结构参数优化及伺服参数调试以提高机器人的动态性能.      

A new approach of joint trajectories for cartesian path approximation of mechanical manipulators

Summary The path planning of the industrial robots is usually done in joint space to reduce the on-line computational amount. To do this, a sequence of Cartesian knots chosen carefully must be transformed into joint space. The joint trajectories are often interpolated by polynomial functions, usually by cubic splines. This paper presents a new method for joint trajectories approximation. The method requires to transform the positions, velocities and accelerations of the knots. It can reduce the number of needed points and consequently the total computational amount, and can realize the joint trajectories in real-time. A comparison to the usual cubic spline approach is shown by an illustrative example.

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Sommario La programmazione delle traiettorie Cartesiane dei robots industriali è fatta spesso nello spazio dei giunti per ridurre la quantità di calcolo on-line. Per fare questo, una sequenza di punti Cartesiani scelti attentamente deve essere trasformata nello spazio dei giunti. Le traiettorie dei giunti vengono interpolate dalle funzioni polinomiali, quasi sempre da splines cubici. Questo lavoro presenta un nuovo metodo per approssimare le traiettorie dei giunti; il metodo richiede di trasformare le posizioni, le velocità e le accelerazioni dei punti Cartesiani. Il metodo può ridurre il numero dei punti scelti e di conseguenza la quantità di calcolo totale, e può realizzare le traiettorie dei giunti in tempo reale. Un confronto con l'approccio di splines cubici è illustrato da un'esempio semplice.

     

L'espace articulaire de la Robotique Industrielle est un espace vectorielIndustrial Robotics joint space is a vector space

The mathematical modelling of industrial robots is based on the vectorial nature of the n-dimensional joint space of the robot, defined as a kinematic chain with n degrees of freedom. However, in our opinion, the vectorial nature of the joint space has been insufficiently discussed in the literature. We establish the vectorial nature of the joint space of an industrial robot from the fundamental studies of B. Roth on screws. To cite this article: B. Tondu, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

基于真实工况下的工业机器人关节转角辨识与分析

本文基于多目视觉测量系统,对真实工况下连续运动的工业机器人进行关节转角的实时重构．该方法通过机器人运动前后的坐标集,在对刚体运动进行最优拟合的条件下,采用最小二乘法获得了各关节的旋转矩阵与平移向量．在此基础上,在考虑相邻关节牵连运动的前提下,获得了各关节的相对旋转矩阵．结合罗德里格斯变换理论通过相对旋转矩阵,确定了各关节转角．仿真与实验分析,验证了该方法的有效性与正确性．在该测量与辨识体系下,初步确定了各关节转角随机器人运动的真实状态．2与3杆臂由于物理尺寸呈细长形状,连杆挠度较大,这时变形误差与振动建立了关系,角振动幅度很大,曲线随机性较强．其余杆臂由于刚度较大,关节转角曲线呈光滑状态．     

The Kinematics and the Full Minimal Dynamic Model of a 6-DOF Parallel Robot Manipulator

In this paper we present a particular architecture of parallel robots which has six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) with only three limbs. The particular properties of the geometric and kinematic models with respect to that of a classical parallel robot are presented. We show that inverse problems have an analytical solution. However, to solve the direct problems, an efficient numerical procedure which needs to inverse only a 3 × 3 passive Jacobian matrix is proposed. In a second step, dynamic equations are derived using the Lagrangian formalism where the joint variables are passive and active joint coordinates. Based on the geometrical properties of the robot, the equations of motion are derived in terms of only nine coordinates related by three kinematic constraints instead of 18 joint coordinates. The computational cost of the dynamic model obtained is reduced by using a minimum set of base inertial parameters.     

Disturbance compensation of a dual-arm underwater robot via redundant parallel mechanism theory

Disturbance compensation is one of the major issues for underwater robots to hover as a mobile platform and to manipulate an object in an underwater environment. This paper presents a new strategy of disturbance compensation for a mobile dual-arm underwater robot using internal torques derived from redundant parallel mechanism theory. A model of the robot was analyzed by redundant serial and parallel mechanisms at the same time. The joint torque to operate the robot is obtained from a redundant serial mechanism model with null-space projection due to redundancy. The joint torque derived from the redundant parallel kinematic model is calculated to perfectly compensate for disturbances to the mobile platform and is included in the solution of the joint torque based on the serial redundant model. The resultant joint torque can generate force on the end-effector for required tasks and forces for disturbance compensation simultaneously . A simulation shows the performance of this disturbance compensation strategy. The joint torque based on the algorithm generates the desired task force and the disturbance compensation force together, and a little additional joint torque can generate a large internal force effectively due to the characteristics of a redundant parallel mechanism. The proposed method is more effective than compensation methods using thrusting force on the mobile platform.     

An evolutionary approach for the motion planning of redundant and hyper-redundant manipulators

The trajectory planning of redundant robots is an important area of research and efficient optimization algorithms are needed. The pseudoinverse control is not repeatable, causing drift in joint space which is undesirable for physical control. This paper presents a new technique that combines the closed-loop pseudoinverse method with genetic algorithms, leading to an optimization criterion for repeatable control of redundant manipulators, and avoiding the joint angle drift problem. Computer simulations performed based on redundant and hyper-redundant planar manipulators show that, when the end-effector traces a closed path in the workspace, the robot returns to its initial configuration. The solution is repeatable for a workspace with and without obstacles in the sense that, after executing several cycles, the initial and final states of the manipulator are very close.     

A unified solution to swing-up control for n-link planar robot with single passive joint based on virtual composite links and passivity

This paper concerns the swing-up control of an n-link revolute planar robot with any one of the joints being passive. The goal is to design and analyze a swing-up controller that can bring the robot into any arbitrarily small neighborhood of the upright equilibrium point, at which all the links are in the upright position. We present a unified solution based on the notion of virtual composite link (VCL), which is a virtual link made up of one or more active links. By using the angles of two series of VCLs separated by the passive joint and using the total mechanical energy of the robot, we design a swing-up controller and analyze the global motion of the robot under the controller. The main new results of this paper are: (1) we obtain a lower bound for each control gain related to the angle of each VCL such that the closed-loop system has only one undesired equilibrium point in addition to the upright equilibrium point, and we present an original proof of the conditions on the control gains for a class of n-link underactuation-degree-one planar robots with an active first joint; (2) we provide a bigger control gain region for achieving the control objective than those of previous results on three- and n-link robots with a passive first joint; (3) we validate the theoretical results via numerical simulations on a 4-link robot with the passive joint in each of the four positions. This paper gains an insight into the passivity-based control of underactuated multiple-DOF systems.     

一类新型仿生起竖结构设计及其动力学分析

由于生物能够通过丰富的运动形式完成特定的任务, 仿生设计方法受到了学者们的广泛关注. 蚯蚓在各种环境中具有出色的移动能力和适应性, 受此启发, 仿蠕虫机器人被提出并应用在搜救、医疗等领域. 然而现有的仿蠕虫机器人一般通过体节的轴向变形实现直线运动, 无法实现类似蛇类生物的起竖功能. 为了解决现有的仿蠕虫机器人无法起竖的问题, 本文提出了一种具有非线性多稳态性质的仿生柔性关节, 并在此基础上构建了多节仿生起竖结构以实现类似尺蠖、蛇等生物的起竖功能. 首先, 本文提出了一种仿生起竖关节模型, 推导了多节仿生起竖结构的总势能表达式, 从而建立了多节仿生起竖结构的动力学模型; 随后, 基于多节仿生起竖结构总势能的表达式和多元函数极值原理, 提出了实现需求起竖构型的结构参数设计准则, 利用动力学模型验证了结构参数设计准则的有效性, 并研究了需求构型的触发条件; 最后, 针对不同起竖节数的设计需求, 设计了相应节数的仿生起竖结构. 研究结果表明, 结构参数设计准则能够使得多节仿生起竖结构达到需求的仿生起竖构型, 并在需求构型处保持稳定平衡; 此外, 定义了初始激励与起竖构型的比例系数单调性变量, 并基于仿生起竖结构不同稳态的吸引盆揭示了上述变量构成的构型触发准则, 这为仿生起竖结构的构型切换提供了理论依据. 本文提出的仿生起竖结构对仿蠕虫机器人的功能拓展具有参考价值和指导意义, 也是对仿生设计理论的进一步完善.      

Nonlinear mechanics of flexible cables in space robotic arms subject to complex physical environment

A nonlinear model of a special cable in space robotic arms is developed in space environment. The mechanic effects of control cables in powerful robots can often be neglected. However, in complex space multi-physics environments, involving ultra-low temperature, radiation, and other extreme conditions of outer space, the externally mounted cables (protected by shielding layers) can induce strong nonlinear interference to robot arms; and this can induce further small-range slow rotations or oscillations of the flexible joint of robots at a specific posture, which consequently affect the precision and operation performance of end effectors. Effective mathematical models on nonlinear mechanics of strong cables under multi-physics environments and their effects on weak robots have not been well developed yet. Complex key factors, such as low gravity, nonlinear friction, and unexpected curved surface constraints, have not been extensively investigated either. In this study, considering all these key factors, a Kirchhoff nonlinear mechanical model of cables in complex space environments is developed, and a relatively improved algorithm based on a trust-region strategy is proposed for solving this nonlinear model, based on which the geometry and terminal force of the modeled robot cable can be obtained. The validity and accuracy of the proposed algorithm and theoretical calculation results are verified via experiments. The theoretical findings revealed in this study are significant to future research on the slow rotations and oscillations of weak robot joints in space exploration with robotic arms.

     

Static analysis of a two-member linkage interacting with a given surface

Summary The static interaction of a two-member linkage with a given surface is investigated. Dry friction acts at the point of contact of the linkage with the surface. The linkage has two drives generating torques at its joints. The optimal distribution of the joint torques is determined to maximize the friction force at the point of contact. The dependence of this maximal force on the lengths of the links and on the linkage configuration is investigated. The results obtained can be applied to the analysis and optimization of various robotic systems, in particular, manipulators interacting with rough surfaces and walking machines, especially tube-crawling robots. Received 21 December 1998; accepted for publication 25 February 1999     

DYNAMICS MODELING,SIMULATION, AND CONTROL OF ROBOTS WITH FLEXIBLE JOINTS AND FLEXIBLE LINKS$^{\bf 1)}$

本文探究了铰柔性对机器人动力学响应和动力学控制的影响. 首先, 建立由$n$个柔性铰和$n$个柔性杆组成的空间机器人模型, 运用递推拉格朗日动力学方法, 得到柔性机器人系统的刚柔耦合动力学方程. 在动力学建模过程中, 除了考虑杆件的拉伸变形、弯曲变形、扭转变形以及非线性耦合变形对机器人系统动力学行为的影响, 还考虑了铰的柔性对机器人动力学响应和控制的影响. 其中, 柔性铰模型是基于Spong的柔性关节简化模型, 将柔性铰看成线性扭转弹簧, 不仅考虑了铰阻尼的存在, 还考虑了柔性铰的质量效应. 其次, 编写了空间柔性铰柔性杆机器人仿真程序, 研究铰的刚度系数和阻尼系数对系统动力学响应的影响. 研究表明: 随着柔性铰刚度系数的增大, 柔性机器人的动态响应幅值减小, 振动频率变大. 随着柔性铰阻尼系数的增大, 柔性机器人的动态响应幅值减小, 振动幅值的衰减速度变快. 可通过调节柔性铰的刚度和阻尼来减小柔性铰柔性杆机器人的振动, 因此铰阻尼的研究具有重要工程意义. 最后, 研究了铰柔性在机器人系统动力学控制中的影响. 在刚性铰机械臂和柔性铰机械臂完成相同圆周运动时, 通过逆动力学方法求解得到两种情况下的关节驱动力矩. 研究表明: 引入柔性铰会使控制所需的驱动力矩变小, 对机器人控制的影响显著.     

柔性铰柔性杆机器人动力学建模、仿真和控制

本文探究了铰柔性对机器人动力学响应和动力学控制的影响. 首先, 建立由$n$个柔性铰和$n$个柔性杆组成的空间机器人模型, 运用递推拉格朗日动力学方法, 得到柔性机器人系统的刚柔耦合动力学方程. 在动力学建模过程中, 除了考虑杆件的拉伸变形、弯曲变形、扭转变形以及非线性耦合变形对机器人系统动力学行为的影响, 还考虑了铰的柔性对机器人动力学响应和控制的影响. 其中, 柔性铰模型是基于Spong的柔性关节简化模型, 将柔性铰看成线性扭转弹簧, 不仅考虑了铰阻尼的存在, 还考虑了柔性铰的质量效应. 其次, 编写了空间柔性铰柔性杆机器人仿真程序, 研究铰的刚度系数和阻尼系数对系统动力学响应的影响. 研究表明: 随着柔性铰刚度系数的增大, 柔性机器人的动态响应幅值减小, 振动频率变大. 随着柔性铰阻尼系数的增大, 柔性机器人的动态响应幅值减小, 振动幅值的衰减速度变快. 可通过调节柔性铰的刚度和阻尼来减小柔性铰柔性杆机器人的振动, 因此铰阻尼的研究具有重要工程意义. 最后, 研究了铰柔性在机器人系统动力学控制中的影响. 在刚性铰机械臂和柔性铰机械臂完成相同圆周运动时, 通过逆动力学方法求解得到两种情况下的关节驱动力矩. 研究表明: 引入柔性铰会使控制所需的驱动力矩变小, 对机器人控制的影响显著.      

关节混合空间控制下的冗余绳驱并联机器人绳力分布特性分析

绳驱并联机器人是由绳索代替刚性杆件的一类特殊机器人,其中绳索具有只能承受拉力而不能承受压力的特点,冗余绳驱并联机器人的绳力分配问题是一个难点.在关节混合空间控制中,将冗余的绳索组合采用绳力控制,而其余绳索进行绳长控制.因为不同的绳索组合可能导致不同的控制效果,本研究旨在解决关节混合空间控制条件下,力控绳索组合的选择问题.以二冗余绳驱并联机器人为例,通过向量空间基变换方法,实现了冗余绳驱系统绳力在拉力索张力空间的表达.基于拉力索张力空间,计算了绳力控制绳索组合的对称最大误差带,用于找到合适的绳索组合用于力控.使用多体动力学仿真手段,对关节混合空间的控制效果和对称最大误差带解析解计算方法的正确性进行了模拟验证.在同时考虑绳长和绳力控制误差的条件下,发现当选择不合适的绳索组合时,绳力误差会被显著放大,说明了本文针对绳力分布特性分析的意义.本文提出的对称最大误差带概念同时也为关节混合空间控制策略下的绳力控制器设计提供指导.     

并联机器人刚度与静力学研究现状与进展

并联机器人的刚度与静力学分析, 对于机构力学性能研究具有重要的理论价值和意义. 本文围绕杆支撑、绳牵引和钢带传动 3 种结构形式, 详细阐述了国内外并联机构刚度和静力学分析的研究现状. 着重从有限元、解析模型和性能分析 3 方面分析了杆支撑并联机构的刚度研究进展. 讨论了有关绳牵引并联机构中绳拉力、动载荷频率、绳牵引预紧力与刚度、静力学之间关系的研究成果. 根据钢带并联机器人结构的特殊性, 对钢带并联机构的刚度与静力学分析中可能遇到的失稳与振动问题进行了探讨. 最后, 对并联机器人技术发展情况进行总结与展望, 指出随着刚度分析与静力学分析的不断深入, 并联机器人的力学理论将会日趋成熟和完善, 为并联机器人机构优化设计提供更深入、系统的理论依据.      

软体机器人结构机理与驱动材料研究综述

软体机器人是一类新型机器人,具有结构柔软度高,环境适应性好,亲和性强,功能多样等特点,有着十分广阔的研究和应用前景. 智能材料在软体机器人结构设计及实际应用中扮演了重要的角色,其特殊的驱动机制极大拓展了软体机器人的功能. 介绍了软体机器人的发展和研究现状,按其应用场合及功能总结了几种典型的软体机器人. 从仿生机理的角度,介绍了蠕虫、弯曲爬行虫、鱼类游动等几类仿生运动机理以及其相应的软体机器人. 还按不同驱动类型将软体机器人归纳为气动、形状记忆合金、离子交换聚合物金属复合材料、介电高弹体、响应水凝胶、化学燃烧驱动等类型. 介绍了软体机器人的制作方法与工艺,分析了目前软体机器人研究的主要挑战,提出对未来研究的展望.      

Treadmill walking of the pneumatic biped Lucy: Walking at different speeds and step-lengths

Actuators with adaptable compliance are gaining interest in the field of legged robotics due to their capability to store motion energy and to exploit the natural dynamics of the system to reduce energy consumption while walking and running. To perform research on compliant actuators we have built the planar biped Lucy. The robot has six actuated joints, the ankle, knee and hip of both legs with each joint powered by two pleated pneumatic artificial muscles in an antagonistic setup. This makes it possible to control both the torque and the stiffness of the joint. Such compliant actuators are used in passive walkers to overcome friction when walking over level ground and to improve stability. Typically, this kind of robots is only designed to walk with a constant walking speed and step-length, determined by the mechanical design of the mechanism and the properties of the ground. In this paper, we show that by an appropriate control, the robot Lucy is able to walk at different speeds and step-lengths and that adding and releasing weights does not affect the stability of the robot. To perform these experiments, an automated treadmill was built Published in Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 134–142, July 2008.     

Distributed finite-time control for coordinated circumnavigation with multiple non-holonomic robots

Nonlinear Dynamics - The finite-time coordinated circumnavigation problem for multiple non-holonomic robots is investigated in this paper. All robots are required to be evenly circled a target, and...     

Framework of modelling concentric tube robot and comparison on computational efficiency

The continuum concentric tube robots (CCTRs) are infinite degree-of-freedom robots with elastic structure. The CCTRs have no distinct links/dedicated backbones and joints as the rigid-link robots and conventional continuum robots do. Their simple and flexible structure, along with the capability to be navigated actively, can benefit minimally-invasive surgical applications. However, modelling of the CCTRs is challenging due to the compliance of structure, and a significant number of frames involved. A framework is developed in this work, linking two modelling approaches. Furthermore, two variations of modelling approaches are derived by treating the key equations in different ways. The computational efficiencies of four modelling approaches are compared, in terms of the overall iteration time, number of iterations and the time for single iteration. The effect of iteration accuracy and step size on computational efficiency are investigated as well.