Planning algorithms are impacting technical disciplines and industries around the world, including robotics, computer-aided design, manufacturing, computer graphics, aerospace applications, drug design, and protein folding. This coherent and comprehensive book unifies material from several sources, including robotics, control theory, artificial intelligence, and algorithms. The treatment is centered on robot motion planning but integrates material on planning in discrete spaces. A major part of the book is devoted to planning under uncertainty, including decision theory, Markov decision processes, and information spaces, which are the “configuration spaces” of all sensor-based planning problems. The last part of the book delves into planning under differential constraints that arise when automating the motions of virtually any mechanical system. Developed from courses taught by the author, the book is intended for students, engineers, and researchers in robotics, artificial intelligence, and control theory as well as computer graphics, algorithms, and computational biology.

Planning Algorithms: Introductory Material

Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Rigid Motions and Homogeneous Transformations. 3. Forward and Inverse Kinematics. 4. Velocity Kinematics-The Jacobian. 5. Path and Trajectory Planning. 6. Independent Joint Control. 7. Dynamics. 8. Multivariable Control. 9. Force Control. 10. Geometric Nonlinear Control. 11. Computer Vision. 12. Vision-Based Control. Appendix A: Trigonometry. Appendix B: Linear Algebra. Appendix C: Dynamical Systems. Appendix D: Lyapunov Stability. Index.

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Robot Modeling and Control

Paper: The internal model principle of control theory

Human skin is a remarkable organ. It consists of an integrated, stretchable network of sensors that relay information about tactile and thermal stimuli to the brain, allowing us to maneuver within our environment safely and effectively. Interest in large-area networks of electronic devices inspired by human skin is motivated by the promise of creating autonomous intelligent robots and biomimetic prosthetics, among other applications. The development of electronic networks comprised of flexible, stretchable, and robust devices that are compatible with large-area implementation and integrated with multiple functionalities is a testament to the progress in developing an electronic skin (e-skin) akin to human skin. E-skins are already capable of providing augmented performance over their organic counterpart, both in superior spatial resolution and thermal sensitivity. They could be further improved through the incorporation of additional functionalities (e.g., chemical and biological sensing) and desired properties (e.g., biodegradability and self-powering). Continued rapid progress in this area is promising for the development of a fully integrated e-skin in the near future.

25th Anniversary Article: The Evolution of Electronic Skin (E-Skin): A Brief History, Design Considerations, and Recent Progress

This book, written by two major figures in adaptive control, provides a wealth of material for researchers, practitioners, and students. While some researchers in adaptive control may note the absence of a particular topic, the book‘s scope represents a high-gain instrument. It can be used by designers of control systems to enhance their work through the information on many new theoretical developments, and can be used by mathematical control theory specialists to adapt their research to practical needs. The book is strongly recommended to anyone interested in adaptive control.

Adaptive Control

A device for repairing a pipe internally includes a body and a drill assembly mounted on the body. The body is provided with runners for gliding along the pipe wall. The drill assembly has upper and lower arms, pivotable between a closed position in which the arms occupy a radial area not substantially greater than adiameter of the body and an open position in which the arms bear against substantially opposing points of the pipe wall to stabilize the drill assembly within the pipe. In the preferred embodiment for repairing pipe joints a hydraulic drill head bears against the pipe wall when the arms are in the open position and drills a hole for a sealant nozzle mechanism mounted on the upper arm, which swings into position over the drill head to inject a sealant into the pipe joint through the drill hole and seal the joint.

Device for repairing pipes

Dynamic control of coordinated redundant robots with torque optimization

The authors investigate the Lyapunov stability property of a control scheme for the bilateral master-slave teleoperator, first introduced by the authors in 1990. Given the nominal models of the master and slave dynamics, and using an approximate feedback linearization control, based on the earlier work of M.W. Spong and M. Vidyasagar (1987), it is shown that Lyapunov stability can be obtained under the assumption that the deviation of the model from the true system satisfies certain norm inequalities. From these norm inequalities, it is shown that the tracking error (position/velocity and force/torque) is bounded and that sufficient conditions for Lyapunov stability can be achieved. The control scheme is illustrated using the simulation of a 30-degree-of-freedom master-slave teleoperator, and the results are presented. >

A new control scheme for bilateral teleoperating systems: Lyapunov stability analysis

Since the advent of robotics, manipulators have, in practice, been confined to specific application areas This limitation can be attributed to their geometrical and physical characteristics such as having fixed link lengths, fixed angular ranges, relatively large size and mass, and their torque capabilities This paper describes the design of a heavy-duty hydraulic manipulator, the Guelph Arm, which is uniquely flexible in its applications, The features of this robot include compactness, reconfigurability, variable link lengths, large torque and low, overall mass The Guelph Arm is modeled and, the design and implementation of an industrial controller is given The use of this robot in neurophysiological experiments is reported

Design and control of a reconfigurable industrial hydraulic robot

Inflating a fighter-pilot's anti-G suit to the correct pressure is facilitated by the pressure regulator design. Using Preview Control, the movement of the control stick is used to predict what the G-force on the aircraft will be in the time ahead. A computer determines what pressure is needed in the suit to safeguard the pilot at that G-force. The size of the air-flow aperture in the regulator is defined by overlapping windows (30,32) in the housing and rotor of the regulator. The rotor is moved to give the correct overlap by means of a servo motor or stepper motor (38), which positions the rotor in response to the computer output. The very fast, stable, response of the regulator to the computer input enables the suit pressure to follow the G-forces predicted by Preview Control with great accuracy.

Andrew A. Goldenberg

Papers

Device for repairing pipes

Dynamic control of coordinated redundant robots with torque optimization

A new control scheme for bilateral teleoperating systems: Lyapunov stability analysis

Design and control of a reconfigurable industrial hydraulic robot

Anti-g suit with pressure regulator