Robotics

Robot Operating System (ROS) is an open source, flexible software framework* used for building and controlling robots. Despite its name, ROS should not be confused with a traditional operating system because it runs on top of existing operating systems like Linux or Ubuntu. It does not replace an operating system; it only provides tools, conventions, and software libraries* for robot building and development. A robot can be considered as a system made up of many small programs, each handling a specific job like controlling motors, processing sensor information, detecting objects, and planning navigation. ROS acts as a unifying layer that enables all these parts to communicate and operate in smooth […] Read More

In this post we will take a look at robot simulators and physics engines which should be discussed together. Robot Simulator: Basically a robot simulator is a computer program that facilitates building and testing of robots in a virtual environment. Some key points: Firstly, robot simulators help save great deal of time and money by elimination of physical prototypes and testing, at least during a major part of the design except the very last stages. Errors can be corrected, the simulations and tests can be reset, and any desired changes can be made far more easier than in real world for all aspects of the robot such as its sensors, […] Read More

Actuation in robotics means the systems that enable physical movement. The most common ways of actuation are by electric motors, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, which we will introduce below. But note that there are other actuation systems as well, achieved by shape memory alloys, piezoelectric action, electromagnetism, movement achieved through thermal properties of materials and more. Now let’s take a closer look at Electric motor, Pneumatic and Hydraulic actuation.  Electric Motor Actuation:  This is the most common way, where, movement is achieved by electric motors, which can run on AC or DC power.  Electric motors offer a high degree of precision and motion control and may be used for almost […] Read More

Optimizing mobile robot power efficiency The basic physical body of the robot should be understood and optimized first. Robot should be as lightweight as possible, unless high mass (for weight or inertia) is needed for a specific reason. Friction between moving parts should be minimized except for the parts that need a certain amount of friction. The components must be energy efficient, such as motors, sensors, microcontrollers. Sensor data should be obtained and processed efficiently, to avoid unnecessary data and processing. For this, data from multiple sensors should be efficiently integrated. Also see “sensor fusion” Some tasks use a lot of power such as image processing, analysis of input data, […] Read More

The purpose of a robotic gripper is to effectively manipulate and grasp objects. First of all, the system for gripping must be chosen. Such as two or more finger grippers, parallel jaw grippers, suction grippers and other types. Some grippers are designed for only specific types of objects, which makes the design easier. Let’s list some key factors to consider: Gripping force. This should be balanced at each instant and position, in order to be sufficient to hold and manipulate the object but not too much, in order to avoid damage. Dealing with delicate objects is especially a challenge. Sensors: It is important to get feedback from the object being […] Read More

When building bipedal robots (robots that walk on 2 legs), ensuring stability is a primary objective. The following strategies are among the most important: 1- First of all, before even considering the rest, we need to make the physical shape and mass distribution as good as possible for a proper, stable stance. This simply means-the center of mass is as low as possible, (for example placing heavier components at the bottom and or making upper components of lighter weight material-the mass is distributed as evenly as possible-the mass bears on as wide surface area as possible (this can be achieved by positioning and proportioning of sizes of legs and feet […] Read More