Improved control and simulation models of a tricycle collaborative robot

The objective of collaborative manufacturing is to create the synergism from the collaboration of manufacturing resources. Most of the studied collaborations are made among intelligent machines; however, the collaboration can be realized even between machines and human being, and a collaborative robot (Cobot) belongs to the latter. A cobot is a robot designed to assist human beings as a guide or assistor in a constrained motion. Various prototypes have been developed and the potentials of these robots have been demonstrated. The research presented in this paper focuses on the control and simulation models of a tricycle cobot with three steered wheels, with the following two contributions: (i) A concise model for the closed-loop control is developed. Existing closed-loop control has been implemented in an intuitive way, and some control parameters have to be determined by a trial-and-error method. (ii) A simulation model is proposed to validate the control algorithms. No simulation model is available and the control models of other existing systems have to be validated experimentally. The developed control and simulation models have been implemented. Graphic simulation is also developed. Case studies are provided and the simulation results are analyzed.

[1]  Michael A. Peshkin,et al.  A general framework for cobot control , 2001, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[2]  K. Kosuge,et al.  Passive omnidirectional walker - design and control - , 2005, ICAR '05. Proceedings., 12th International Conference on Advanced Robotics, 2005..

[3]  Brian Peacock,et al.  Cobots for the automobile assembly line , 1999, Proceedings 1999 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.99CH36288C).

[4]  J. Edward Colgate,et al.  Cobots: collaborative robots (haptic interface) , 1999 .

[5]  J. Edward Colgate,et al.  Cobot architecture , 2001, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[6]  Alexander Belyaev.  Plane and Space Curves . Curvature . Curvature-based Features , .

[7]  Iwan Ulrich,et al.  The GuideCane-applying mobile robot technologies to assist the visually impaired , 2001, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part A.

[8]  Greg Paula.  Cobots for the assembly line , 1997 .

[9]  Antony J. Hodgson,et al.  Control of minimally constrained cobots , 2002, J. Field Robotics.

[10]  J. Edward Colgate,et al.  Cobot control , 1997, Proceedings of International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[11]  ES Boy,et al.  Motion guidance experiments with Scooter Cobot , 2003, 11th Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2003. HAPTICS 2003. Proceedings..

[12]  R. Brent Gillespie,et al.  An Assistive Cobot for Aid in Self Care Activities , 2002 .