Annual Report 2002 - Ãrebro universitet
Annual Report 2002 - Ãrebro universitet
Annual Report 2002 - Ãrebro universitet
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<strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2002</strong> 49<br />
2.3.2 Research projects<br />
(A) Advanced mechatronic systems<br />
Project title: Lightweight Robot Arms<br />
Project leader: Anani Ananiev<br />
Project staff: Docent Ivan Kalaykov, Boyko<br />
Iliev<br />
Funding: KK Foundation and Faculty<br />
Cooperation: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,<br />
Institute of Mechanics<br />
Synopsis:<br />
The objective is to create a lightweight robot arm with an open and re-configurable<br />
architecture for installing on top of mobile platforms (for example the Nomad 200 robot). The<br />
primary need for this arm came from the necessity of implementing mobile manipulation for<br />
the needs of the research in the Mobile Robotics Lab. The secondary goal encountered during<br />
the work on the project was the possibility to extend the application to other types of robotic<br />
tasks with more industrial emphasis, like food industry. Major contributions are large<br />
payload-to-weight ratio, space-saving design, flexible mounting, extremely low maintenance<br />
requirements, advanced open architecture controller.<br />
Two different models are designed and prototyped. The bigger arm corresponds in<br />
dimensions to the specific construction of the Nomad 200 mobile platform, while the smaller<br />
arm can be attached to various constructions, including also desktop installations. The smaller<br />
arm can be used also as a test platform for cooperative robot manipulation. The project is not<br />
directed to produce a PhD-thesis, but is a tool that can be used in other PhD projects.<br />
Results in <strong>2002</strong>:<br />
- The project ended in <strong>2002</strong> with the bigger arm moving on top of Nomad 200 robot and a<br />
desktop version of the smaller arm.<br />
- The arms were demonstrated at Tekniska mässan, Stockholm, October <strong>2002</strong> where they<br />
attracted significant interest. One WIPO international patent is already obtained and<br />
published in 2001.<br />
Future developments:<br />
- Further improvements aiming at achieving better performance have to be made as<br />
expected under the future VINNOVA-Robotdalen initiative.<br />
- Visual feedback and force-sensor feedback is currently under development and will be<br />
demonstrated during 2003.