33 research outputs found
Rotary Microspine Rough Surface Mobility
No full textRotary microspine rough surface climbing extends previous successful linear implementations of bio inspired robots. Arrays of independently compliant rotary microspines are used to build wheels that enable the robots to seamlessly transition from horizontal to vertical surfaces, rapidly mount curbs, and climb stairs and rough walls. Building off of a basic first implementation of a rotary microspine robot, this work presents many improvements to the rotary microspine wheels and several new configurations of robotic platforms including miniaturized insect sized robots weighing less than 10 g. Rapid iteration of microspine designs was accomplished using shape deposition manufacturing allowing new wheel concepts to go from design to testing in one to three days. New configurations of robots with a powered wheel in the tail have improved reliability and demonstrated new capabilities like climbing heavily painted curbs and overhanging face angle stairs. Another platform climbed a six story building. These results are presented in the following thesis and in video documentation
Feasibility study of an ice climber for vents exploration on Enceladus
No full textThe porpoise of this thesis is to expose the results of the feasibility study regarding the realisation of a vent climber for a future landing mission on Enceladus. It exposes the various condition we expect to find in the vents, and briefly expose the physical models taken in account. Then it focuses on the analysis of the possible configurations for a descending module, the comparisons of those and the definition of a realistic descending module obtained through a top to bottom approach. The thesis shows the various system and architectures that we analysed and the pros and cons we have identified. Finally, it shows our “first iteration design”, the verification, analysis, limits and the potentiality of such architecture. The whole work is supposed to become a starting point and reference for future development in the topic
Neuromorphic tactile sensor array based on fiber Bragg gratings to encode object qualities
No full textEmulating the sense of touch is fundamental to endow robotic systems with perception abilities. This work presents an unprecedented mechanoreceptor-like neuromorphic tactile sensor implemented with fiber optic sensing technologies. A robotic gripper was sensorized using soft and flexible tactile sensors based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) transducers and a neuro-bio-inspired model to extract tactile features. The FBGs connected to the neuron model emulated biological mechanoreceptors in encoding tactile information by means of spikes. This conversion of inflowing tactile information into event-based spikes has an advantage of reduced bandwidth requirements to allow communication between sensing and computational subsystems of robots. The outputs of the sensor were converted into spiking on-off events by means of an architecture implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and applied to robotic manipulation tasks to evaluate the effectiveness of such information encoding strategy. Different tasks were performed with the objective to grant fine manipulation abilities using the features extracted from the grasped objects (i.e., size and hardness). This is envisioned to be a futuristic sensor technology combining two promising technologies: optical and neuromorphic sensing
Milli-watt radioisotope power to enable small, long-term robotic “Probe” space exploration
No full textTerrain Traversing Device Having a Wheel with Microhooks
No full textA terrain traversing device is described. The device includes an annular rotor element with a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on the periphery of the annular rotor element. Each microspine hook has an independently flexible suspension configuration that permits the microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface at a preset initial engagement angle and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle when the annular rotor element is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface. Improvements related to the design, fabrication and use of the microspine hooks in the device are also described
Systems and Methods for Implementing Flexible Members Including Integrated Tools Made from Metallic Glass-Based Materials
No full textSystems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement flexible members that include integrated tools made from metallic glass-based materials. In one embodiment, a structure includes: a flexible member characterized by an elongated geometry and an integrated tool disposed at one end of the elongated geometry; where the flexible member includes a metallic glass-based material
Puffer: Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot
No full textA repeatably reconfigurable robot, comprising at least two printed circuit board (PCB) rigid sections, at least one PCB flexible section coupled to the at least two PCB rigid sections, at least one wheel, hybrid wheel propeller, wheel and propeller, or hybrid wheel screw propeller rotatably coupled to at least one of the at least two PCB rigid sections and at least one actuator coupled to the at least two PCB rigid sections, wherein the at least one actuator folds and unfolds the repeatably reconfigurable robot
Dynamic Characterization of a Pop-Up Folding Flat Explorer Robot (PUFFER) for Planetary Exploration
No full text
