STARCLY robot — A novel compact stair climbing robot
26 Aug 2010-Vol. 2
TL;DR: A new design of a robot that is suitable for climbing up and down stairs that combines the advantage of using tracks and the robotic arm linkages to achieve robust climbing under the real-world conditions is described.
Abstract: In this paper, we describes a new design of a robot that is suitable for climbing up and down stairs. This design combines the advantage of using tracks and the robotic arm linkages to achieve robust climbing under the real-world conditions. Simulation models were initially used to develop the climbing sequences and later applied on a real prototype. System architecture of the robot is presented. All experimental and refinement of the climbing sequences was carried out using the prototype and the final product is an autonomous robot that is able to climb the stairs successfully.
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TL;DR: A review on the snake motion and the body structure is provided, which outlines the biological foundation of all snake robots and the mechanical structure of snake robots, especially the structure of elemental snake modules are discussed.
50 citations
22 citations
17 Dec 2015
TL;DR: This work extends the functionality of a novel compliant modular robot to ascend and descend stairs of dimensions that are also typical of an urban setting by equipping the robot's link joints with optimally designed passive spring pairs that resist clockwise and counter clockwise moments generated by the ground during the climbing motion.
Abstract: Stair Climbing is a key functionality desired for robots deployed in Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) scenarios. A novel compliant modular robot was proposed earlier to climb steep and big obstacles. This work extends the functionality of this robot to ascend and descend stairs of dimensions that are also typical of an urban setting. Stair Climbing is realized by equipping the robot's link joints with optimally designed passive spring pairs that resist clockwise and counter clockwise moments generated by the ground during the climbing motion. This 3-module robot is only propelled by wheel actuators. Desirable stair climbing configurations are estimated a-priori and used to obtain the optimal stiffness for springs. Extensive numerical simulation results over different stair configurations are shown. The numerical simulations are corroborated by experimentation using the prototype and its performance is tabulated for different types of surfaces.
15 citations
Cites background from "STARCLY robot — A novel compact sta..."
...Several kinds of robots that are deployed in urban settings, such as Bipedal Robots [1], [2], [3], Wheel-Legged systems [4], [5], Segway Robots [6], [7], Tracked [8], [9], [10] and Modular Robots [11], boast of this feature....
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01 Oct 2018
TL;DR: The design is small and simple enough to potentially be ruggedized as a stair-climbing throwbot, akin to the Recon Scout (but able to climb up stairs) for reconnaissance in military and homeland security applications.
Abstract: This paper presents a (patent-pending) small, quasi-static, minimal-complexity Stair Climbing Robot (SCR). The vehicle design is given simply by adding a third motor to a (Segway-like) Mobile Inverted Pendulum (MIP), enabling it to maneuver up stairs, leveraging feedback control, by planting it's “foot” onto the ground in front of the next step, lifting the chassis/wheel assembly up it's own “leg”, leaning over onto the top of the next step, self uprighting, and repeating for the following step(s). Fore/aft stabilization during leg balancing is given by using the MIP drive wheels as reaction wheels, while left/right stability is given by the width of the foot itself. The design is small and simple enough to potentially be ruggedized as a stair-climbing throwbot, akin to the Recon Scout (but able to climb up stairs) for reconnaissance in military and homeland security applications.
4 citations
Cites background from "STARCLY robot — A novel compact sta..."
...These are usually wheeled vehicles with additional degrees of freedom [4] that leverage feedback to stabilize quasistatic (usually, slow) stair-climbing maneuvers....
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01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored algorithms to autonomously climb stairs using a mobile robot with the ability to traverse obstacles by changing its motions, which operators must know thoroughly, and their solutions validated and tested.
Abstract: Mobile robots havebeendevelopedfor surveillance, operation ofLMA dependsontheoperator's emotional and reconnaissance andinspection aswellasforoperation in physical conditions, andtheyarenotalwaysideal. hazardous environments. Someareintended toexplore notonly Second, climbing stairs inthemanualmoderequires the natural terrains butalso artificial environments, including stairs.operator's knowledge, experiences, skills andtraining. The Thispaper explores algorithms toautonomously climb stairs. The algorithms werederived andimplemented foraspecific mobileproedures ofeclmbin st arecomosed of sevra robot withtheability totraverse suchobstacles bychanging its motions, which operators mustknowthoroughly. This is not tracks configuration. Furthermore, algorithms havebeen preferable siceoperators generally prefer less information to developed forconditions underwhichthemobile robot halts its usea product. Training on ascending stairs isalsonot motion during theclimbing process whenatrisk offlipping overpreferable, aspractices usually include failures. Intheworst orfalling down.Thetechnical problems related tothe case, LMA mightfall offthestairs, resulting inacritical implementation ofsomeofthese functions havebeenidentified damagetothesystem. andanalyzed, andtheir solutions validated andtested. The Finally, themanualmode isunsuitable forteleoperated algorithms and solutions werevalidated experimentally, climbing overablindfold suchasawall, fenceorhedge. An illustrating theeffectiveness ofautonomous climbing ofstairs. operator mustwatchLMAwhileclimbing stairs toconfirm therobot's motions. OnceLMA disappears fromthevisual Keywords-mobile robot, autonomous climbing, control field, itwouldbeoutofcontrol. Evenifitmight bepossible
4 citations
References
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TL;DR: The proposed method achieves robust performance under real-world conditions, without assuming prior knowledge of the stair geometry, the dynamics of the vehicle's interaction with the stair surface, or lighting conditions.
Abstract: In this paper, an algorithm for autonomous stair climbing with a tracked vehicle is presented. The proposed method achieves robust performance under real-world conditions, without assuming prior knowledge of the stair geometry, the dynamics of the vehicle's interaction with the stair surface, or lighting conditions. The approach relies on fast and accurate estimation of the robot's heading and its position relative to the stair boundaries. An extended Kalman filter is used for quaternion-based attitude estimation, fusing rotational velocity measurements from a 3-axial gyroscope, and measurements of the stair edges acquired with an onboard camera. A two-tiered controller, comprised of a centering- and a heading-control module, utilizes the estimates to guide the robot rapidly, safely, and accurately upstairs. Both the theoretical analysis and implementation of the algorithm are presented in detail, and extensive experimental results demonstrating the algorithm's performance are described.
118 citations
TL;DR: A link-type tracked vehicle, developed for potential applications such as fire fighting, handicapped assistance and mine detection in various hazardous environments, and improves energy efficiency, and makes the vehicle simple and small.
Abstract: This paper introduces a link-type tracked vehicle, which is developed for potential applications such as fire fighting, handicapped assistance and mine detection in various hazardous environments. The vehicle consists of three parts—front frame, rear frame and body. The front frame is connected to the rear frame by a rotational passive adaptation mechanism, which is the driving mechanism of the vehicle. This is similar to a link structure such that one frame rotates to the other by external forces between the vehicle and the ground. This passive adaptation mechanism permits good adaptability to uneven terrain including stairs. This link structure also improves energy efficiency, and makes the vehicle simple and small. The body is a control system for remote control of the vehicle. It communicates visual and distance information to the operator, and commands direction and velocity orders.
87 citations
22 Feb 2009
TL;DR: Theoretical analysis and implementation of autonomous staircase detection and stair climbing algorithms on a novel rescue mobile robot to implement a fast, safe and smooth autonomous stair climbing algorithm.
Abstract: Theoretical analysis and implementation of autonomous staircase detection and stair climbing algorithms on a novel rescue mobile robot are presented in this paper. The main goals are to find the staircase during navigation and to implement a fast, safe and smooth autonomous stair climbing algorithm. Silver is used here as the experimental platform. This tracked mobile robot is a tele-operative rescue mobile robot with great capabilities in climbing obstacles in destructed areas. Its performance has been demonstrated in rescue robot league of international RoboCup competitions. A fuzzy controller is applied to direct the robot during stair climbing. Controller inputs are generated by processing the range data from two LASER range finders which scan the environment one horizontally and the other vertically. The experimental results of stair detection algorithm and stair climbing controller are demonstrated at the end.
77 citations
08 May 1994
TL;DR: The design and validation of a feedback system for automatic heading control for stabilization of stair climbing is described and the design incorporates solid-state attitude sensors as inputs to an on-board multiprocessor system.
Abstract: Remotec's Andros VI mobile robot is physically capable of ascending and descending stairs. However, the teleoperated control of the robot climbing stairs is difficult, as the operator's feedback is limited to visual and audio cues only. Our analysis and experiments show that this tracked mobile robot is inherently unstable in open-loop stair climbing, and the robot under telemanipulation is prone to falling. We describe the design and validation of a feedback system for automatic heading control for stabilization of stair climbing. The design incorporates solid-state attitude sensors as inputs to an on-board multiprocessor system. We have experimentally demonstrated stability of the robot in stair climbing, even in the presence of large disturbances and noise. With the addition of the on-board computing, control of the robot is elevated from teleoperation to supervisory control. >
71 citations
13 Oct 1998
TL;DR: A 'biped type leg-wheeled robot' which has ability to pass over stairs with short treads is proposed and the effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed with a successful experiment of going up stairs by this robot.
Abstract: We are studying a wheeled robot with the ability of going up and down stairs. We previously developed a wheeled robot called a 'variable structure type four-wheeled robot' capable of using over a single step, but it cannot negotiate the stair whose tread is short compared with the wheelbase of the robot. In this paper, we propose a 'biped type leg-wheeled robot' which has ability to pass over stairs with short treads. We also propose a trajectory planning method which uses a nominal static walking trajectory as a reference for the dynamic control of the robot and investigate a trajectory control method using computer simulation. We finally confirm the effectiveness of our proposed method with a successful experiment of going up stairs by this robot.
42 citations