Engineering Commons^™

Roborodentia Robot: Treadbot, Stephen C. Schmidt

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This document is a summary of my contest entry to the 2018 Cal Poly Roborodentia competition. It is meant to be a process overview and design outline of the mechanical, electrical, and software components of my robot.

Ros-Enabled Framework For A Miniature Hexapod As A Mobile Robot Research Platform, Joseph Michael Kloeppel

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and develop a framework for connected six-legged robots which can be used as a Robotic Operating System (ROS) based research platform. The research presented aims to purvey the necessary engineering and scientific steps needed to evolve a consumer-grade connected toy into a fully functioning and highly capable robotic system. Such a platform can be used to simulate and implement novel biologically inspired swarm research. Crawling robots have the advantage of being able to scale terrains which wheeled mobile robots may not and possess many interesting characteristics. The miniROaCH, miniature ROS-enabled and Crawling …

Applying Heterogeneous Teams Of Robotic Agents Using Hybrid Communications To Mapping And Education, Jonathan M. West

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Robotic agents are being increasingly utilized to carry out tasks that are difficult or dangerous for humans. Many of these missions are best performed by heterogeneous teams of agents with various individual abilities. Communication among agents and with operators is a critical element in the performance and efficiency of these missions. Although radio frequency communications dominate the robotic networking field, they are limited in range and bandwidth due to spectrum congestion and subject to interference from noise or hostile jamming and can be intercepted. Optical communication has many advantages such as higher bandwidth and focused beam, however the line-of-sight requirement …

Min Kao Autonomous Robot Tour Guide, Albert J. Toth, Sunay G. Bhat, Christopher A. Treadway, Ammar S. Abdelwahed, Samuel C. Leach

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Derivative-Free Kalman Filter-Based Control Of Nonlinear Systems With Application To Transfemoral Prostheses, S. Mahmoud Moosavi

ETD Archive

Derivative-free Kalman filtering (DKF) for estimation-based control of a special class of nonlinear systems is presented. The method includes a standard Kalman filter for the estimation of both states and unknown inputs, and a nonlinear system that is transformed to controllable canonical state space form through feedback linearization (FL). A direct current (DC) motor with an input torque that is a nonlinear function of the state is considered as a case study for a nonlinear single-input-single-output (SISO) system. A three degree-of-freedom (DOF) robot / prosthesis system, which includes a robot that emulates human hip and thigh motion and a powered …

Design And Demonstration Of A Physical, Multi-Agent Autonomous Controller Testbed, Eric A. Nees

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Navigation and control algorithms are often tested in a simulated environment before being deployed in physical systems. Although simulated environments provide a controlled setting to carefully evaluate performance, the designed scenarios are sometimes unrealistically ideal and may unintentionally omit circumstances or unmodeled interactions. This thesis presents the design, implementation, and practical demonstration of a physical testbed that enables the testing of multi-agent autonomous strategies in hardware on a small scale. Testing the algorithms at scale allows real-time exploration of the interaction and performance of both human and autonomous algorithms under non-ideal conditions while avoiding the costs and risks of full-scale, …

Multi-Modal Sensory Input And Novel Interfaces For Robotic Prosthetic Devices, Joseph Sanford

Electrical Engineering Dissertations

Automated systems have progressed to begin allowing for Human-robot interaction and collaboration in the workplace and rehabilitation settings. Seamless collaboration between robotic systems and users requires intuitive modes of interaction and systems with advanced sensing capabilities. The research presented below focuses on identifying human intent through safe, intuitive and optimized input method and sensing. In this dissertation novel sensor input modalities for Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) are discussed, fundamental research regarding physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) is presented, and solutions towards optimal placement of sensors to facilitate intuitive interfaces are shown. EMG and Pressure: EMG and intrasocket pressure sensors are used in …

Machine Learning Through Mimicry And Association, Nickolas S. Holcomb

Honors College Theses

Adaptability is a key missing features that has impeded the growth of assistive robotics. In the traditional model, all actions must be explicitly coded by a skilled programmer familiar with the hardware. This project explores a method of teaching a webcam equipped arm type robot new primitive movement using visual demonstrations.

Developing And Testing An Anguilliform Robot Swimming With Theoretically High Hydrodynamic Efficiency, John B. Potts Iii

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

An anguilliform swimming robot replicating an idealized motion is a complex marine vehicle necessitating both a theoretical and experimental analysis to completely understand its propulsion characteristics. The ideal anguilliform motion within is theorized to produce ``wakeless'' swimming (Vorus, 2011), a reactive swimming technique that produces thrust by accelerations of the added mass in the vicinity of the body. The net circulation for the unsteady motion is theorized to be eliminated.

The robot was designed to replicate the desired, theoretical motion by applying control theory methods. Independent joint control was used due to hardware limitations. The fluid velocity vectors in the …

A Continous Rotary Actuation Mechanism For A Powered Hip Exoskeleton, Matthew C. Ryder

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a new mechanical design for an exoskeleton actuator to power the sagittal plane motion in the human hip. The device uses a DC motor to drive a Scotch yoke mechanism and series elasticity to take advantage of the cyclic nature of human gait and to reduce the maximum power and control requirements of the exoskeleton. The Scotch yoke actuator creates a position-dependent transmission that varies between 4:1 and infinity, with the peak transmission ratio aligned to the peak torque periods of the human gait cycle. Simulation results show that both the peak and average motor torque can …

Basketballbot: Education Level Development Of A Fuzzy Controller For A Linear Motor Under Saturation Limits, David L. Mcpherson

Honors Theses

Fuzzy logic seeks to express human modes of reasoning and decision making in a mathematical form. This is evident in its terminology such as “linguistic variables” defined over a “universe of discourse”. By taking human expressions such as “very high” or “pretty cold” and defining them in a mathematical context, expert operator knowledge can be transferred from verbal descriptions into automated control algorithms regardless of the operator’s familiarity with control systems. Because fuzzy logic is designed to be easily comparable with human thought, it makes an excellent first exposure to control systems concepts to high school and undergraduate students. Additionally, …

Ubot-7: The Design Of A Compliant Dexterous Mobile Manipulator, Jonathan Cummings

Masters Theses

This thesis presents the design of uBot-7, the latest version of a dexterous mobile manipulator. This platform has been iteratively developed to realize a high performance-to-cost dexterous whole body manipulator with respect to mobile manipulation. The semi-anthropomorphic design of the uBot is a demonstrated and functional research platform for developing advanced autonomous perception, manipulation, and mobility tasks. The goal of this work is to improve the uBot’s ability to sense and interact with its environment in order to increase the platforms capability to operate dexterously, through the incorporation of joint torque feedback, and safely, through the implementation of passive and …

Modeling, Analysis, And Control Of A Mobile Robot For In Vivo Fluoroscopy Of Human Joints During Natural Movements, Matthew A. Young

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, the modeling, analysis and control of a multi-degree of freedom (mdof) robotic fluoroscope was investigated. A prototype robotic fluoroscope exists, and consists of a 3 dof mobile platform with two 2 dof Cartesian manipulators mounted symmetrically on opposite sides of the platform. One Cartesian manipulator positions the x-ray generator and the other Cartesian manipulator positions the x-ray imaging device. The robotic fluoroscope is used to x-ray skeletal joints of interest of human subjects performing natural movement activities. In order to collect the data, the Cartesian manipulators must keep the x-ray generation and imaging devices accurately aligned while …

Analysis Of A Dual Scissored-Pair,Variable-Speed, Control Moment Gyroscope Driven Spherical Robot, Richard Chase

Wayne State University Dissertations

The objective of this research is to compare barycenter offset based designs of spherical robots to control moment gyroscope (CMG) based designs in order to determine which approach is most effective. The first objective was to develop a list of current state of the art designs in order to gain an overall understanding of what the obstacles in this area of research were. The investigation showed that barycenter offset designs can produce a low, continuous output torque, whereas CMG based designs can usually only produce a high, momentary output torque. The second objective was to develop a CMG based design …

Caddy: A 2005 Roborodentia Entry With Vision And Path Planning Abilities, Taylor Braun-Jones

Computer Engineering

Roborodentia is an autonomous robotics competition held each year during Cal Poly’s Open House. For the 2005 competition, robot entries needed to navigate a maze searching for three randomly placed golf balls, collect them, and then deposit the balls in the “nest” at the end of the maze. A newly added aspect for the 2005 competition included two bonus balls that were placed on a platform behind the wall in two predetermined corners of the maze.

Caddy is a robot that was entered into the 2005 Roborodentia competition. Caddy included a vision system that allowed searching for balls down untraveled …

Evolutionary Ground Reaction Force Control Of A Prosthetic Leg Testing Robot, Ronald Davis.

ETD Archive

Typical tests of prosthetic legs for transfemoral amputees prove to be cumbersome and tedious. These tests are burdened by acclimation time, lack of repeatability between subjects, and the use of complex gait analysis labs to collect data. To create a new method for prosthesis testing, we design and construct a robot that can simulate the motion of a human hip. We discuss the robot from concept to completion, including methods for modeling and control design. Two single-input-single-output (SISO) sliding mode controllers are developed using analytical and experimental methods. We use human gait data as reference inputs to the controller. When …

Cytongrasp: Cyton Alpha Controller Via Graspit! Simulation, Nicholas Wayne Overfield

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses an expansion of the control programs for the Cyton Alpha 7D 1G arm. The original control system made use of configurable software which exploited the arm’s seven degrees of freedom and kinematic redundancy to control the arm based on desired behaviors that were configured off-line. The inclusions of the GraspIt! grasp planning simulator and toolkit enables the Cyton Alpha to be used in more proactive on-line grasping problems, as well as, presenting many additional tools for on-line learning applications. In short, GraspIt! expands what is possible with the Cyton Alpha to include many machine learning tools and …

A Study Of A Novel Modular Variable Geometry Frame Arranged As A Robotic Surface, Christopher James Salisbury

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The novel concept of a "variable geometry frame" is introduced and explored through a three-dimensional robotic surface which is devised and implemented using triangular modules. The link design is optimized using surplus motor dimensions as firm constraints, and round numbers for further arbitrary constraints. Each module is connected by a passive six-bar mechanism that mimics the constraints of a spherical joint at each triangle intersection. A three dimensional inkjet printer is used to create a six-module prototype designed around surplus stepper motors powered by an old computer power supply as a proof-of-concept example.

The finite element method is applied to …

Attitude Estimation And Control Of Vtol Uavs, Andrew D. Roberts

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The theoretical challenge involved in the operation of VTOL UAVs is often divided into two main problems. The first problem involves the development of an estimation scheme which can accurately recover the orientation, or angular position, of the aircraft. The second problem involves the development of algorithms which can be used to reliably control the orientation and/or the position of the vehicle. These two problems are the primary focus of this thesis.

We first consider the problem of attitude estimation. To solve this problem we use vector measurements, and in many cases, a gyroscope (to measure the angular velocity of …

Nonlinear Estimation And Control For Assistive Robots, Zhao Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we document the progress in the estimation and control design of a smart assistive robot arm that can provide assistance during activities of daily living to the elderly and/or users with disabilities. Interaction with the environment is made challenging by the kinematic uncertainty in the robot, imperfect sensor calibration, limited view of angle as well as the fact that most activities of daily living are generally required to be performed in unstructured environments. For monocular visual systems, range (or depth) information is always crucial for target modeling and system control design. In the first part of my …

Fuzzy Logic Control Of An Inverted Pendulum Robot, Kyle Reid

Electrical Engineering

The inverted pendulum is a classical problem in controls. The inherit instabilities in the setup make it a natural target for a control system. Over the years it has been the benchmark for testing new and innovative control theories such as Fuzzy Logic. During the course of this project a software fuzzy logic controller was implemented using a PIC microcontroller. At the conclusion of the experiment an interesting realization was made about the nature of Fuzzy Logic and its applicability in the world of controls.

Scene Segmentation And Object Classification For Place Recognition, Chang Cheng

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation tries to solve the place recognition and loop closing problem in a way similar to human visual system. First, a novel image segmentation algorithm is developed. The image segmentation algorithm is based on a Perceptual Organization model, which allows the image segmentation algorithm to ‘perceive’ the special structural relations among the constituent parts of an unknown object and hence to group them together without object-specific knowledge.

Then a new object recognition method is developed. Based on the fairly accurate segmentations generated by the image segmentation algorithm, an informative object description that includes not only the appearance (colors and …

Multiple Robot Boundary Tracking With Phase And Workload Balancing, Michael Jay Boardman

Master's Theses

This thesis discusses the use of a cooperative multiple robot system as applied to distributed tracking and sampling of a boundary edge. Within this system the boundary edge is partitioned into subsegments, each allocated to a particular robot such that workload is balanced across the robots. Also, to minimize the time between sampling local areas of the boundary edge, it is desirable to minimize the difference between each robot’s progression (i.e. phase) along its allocated sub segment of the edge. The paper introduces a new distributed controller that handles both workload and phase balancing. Simulation results are used to illustrate …

Cooperative Remote Sensing And Actuation Using Networked Unmanned Vehicles, Haiyang Chao

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation focuses on how to design and employ networked unmanned vehicles for remote sensing and distributed control purposes in the current information-rich world. The target scenarios are environmental or agricultural applications such as river/reservoir surveillance, wind profiling measurement, and monitoring/control of chemical leaks, etc. AggieAir, a small and low-cost unmanned aircraft system, is designed based on the remote sensing requirements from environmental monitoring missions. The state estimation problem and the advanced lateral flight controller design problem are further attacked focusing on the small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. Then the UAV-based remote sensing problem is focused with further flight …

The Development Of A Mechatronics And Material Handling Course: Laboratory Experiments And Projects, James Shirley

All Theses

Mechatronic systems integrate technologies from a variety of engineering disciplines to create solutions to challenging industrial problems. The material handling industry utilizes mechatronics to move, track, and manipulate items in factories and distribution centers. Material handling systems, because of their use of programmable logic controllers (PLC), PLC networks, industrial robotics, and other mechatronic elements, are a natural choice for a college instructional environment. This thesis offers insight and guidance for mechatronic activities introduced in a laboratory setting. A series of eight laboratory experiments have been created to introduce PLCs, robotics, electric circuits, and data acquisition fundamentals. In-depth case studies synthesize …

Robotics Control Using Active Disturbance Rejection Control, Ousama Said Khairallah

ETD Archive

Conventional robotics control has been set in stone since the sixties. The world has been waiting too long for a new age of control to change the world of Robotics. Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) is a newly reformed Control methodology. It has been used, in very limited applications, as a replacement for PID control. In this thesis, I will cover the different aspects of the kinematics and dynamics of a robotic manipulator. I will also examine the feasibility of using ADRC to control a robotic manipulator. To explain ADRC, a simple example that demonstrates the concepts and theory of …

The Awe Wall: A Novel Robotic Surface, Martha Kwoka

All Theses

In this thesis, we present fundamental contributions towards AWE, a novel 'Animated Work Environment', which seeks to introduce robotics at the architectural scale to modify environments in real time to the changing needs and moods of their occupants. Part of AWE is a robotic surface, or wall, featuring a multiple folding panel structure. The panels of the AWE wall feature embedded IT and adapt to the current movements and tasks of the user. We describe the overall AWE concept and discuss the construction of the robot surface, its motion planning and its control, and all experiments run to this point.

A Virtual Reality Visualization Ofan Analytical Solution Tomobile Robot Trajectory Generationin The Presence Of Moving Obstacles, Ricardo Elias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual visualization of mobile robot analytical trajectories while avoiding moving obstacles is presented in this thesis as a very helpful technique to properly display and communicate simulation results. Analytical solutions to the path planning problem of mobile robots in the presence of obstacles and a dynamically changing environment have been presented in the current robotics and controls literature. These techniques have been demonstrated using two-dimensional graphical representation of simulation results. In this thesis, the analytical solution published by Dr. Zhihua Qu in December 2004 is used and simulated using a virtual visualization tool called VRML.

Obstacle Avoidance For Small Unmanned Air Vehicles, Brandon R. Call

Theses and Dissertations

Small UAVs are used for low altitude surveillance flights where unknown obstacles can be encountered. These UAVs can be given the capability to navigate in uncertain environments if obstacles are identified. This research presents an obstacle avoidance system for small UAVs. First, a mission waypoint path is created that avoids all known obstacles using a genetic algorithm. Then, while the UAV is in flight, obstacles are detected using a forward looking, onboard camera. Image features are found using the Harris Corner Detector and tracked through multiple video frames which provides three dimensional localization of the features. A sparse three dimensional …

Autonomous Robotic Automation Systemwith Vision Feedback, Jeffery Rosino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a full design, development and application of an autonomous robotic automation system using vision feedback is performed. To realize this system, a cylindrical manipulator configuration is implemented, using a personal computer (PC) based PID controller from National Instruments. Full autonomous control will be achieved via a programmable human machine interface (HMI) developed on a PC using Borland C++ Builder. The vision feedback position control is accomplished using an ordinary "off-the-shelf" web camera. The manuscript is organized as follows; After Chapter 1, an introduction to automation history and its role in the manufacturing industry, Chapter 2 discusses and …