SBIR Phase I: Autonomous Telescoping Actuators For Distributed-Control Robotic Platforms

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将使一个家庭的发展？聪明吗自动化元件可以相互连接，以比当前解决方案低得多的成本提供用于各种目的的机器人。该概念使用自主伸缩支柱和互连枢纽，可以很容易地组装成智能机制。支柱包括一种称为球转子的新型紧凑型传动装置，该传动装置能够在单级中实现非常高的机械优势。每个支柱都有一个独立的，可编程的，控制系统，与其他支柱，它是通过嵌入式网络连接到提供一个多任务控制系统的机器人？的程序化动作。新设备将比现有的替代品更有能力，而且更便宜，因为它更简单。 该项目将通过生产和测试该技术所涉及的基本组件的功能原型来测试这一概念的可行性。建议的研究重点是了解的支柱的性能。 这些将被测试，测量和建模，以确保有用的工作速度和负载的范围是已知的，应力是可持续的，材料的限制是了解？所有这些都是确保可靠的工作设备所必需的。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力与这种新型自动化解决方案的多功能性、易于编程、更大的能力和（预计）显著降低的成本有关。 我们预计早期采用者将包括自动化供应商（易于组装定制机制，成本较低），制造业（易于组装的更简单的自动化，以提高生产力）和学术市场（学生在不同的配置中重复使用自主支柱）。较低的成本也将使许多活动的应用程序，目前被排除在自动化的费用和需要的专业知识。 我们的愿景是通过使基本组件便宜和用户友好来引发广泛的有用的智能机制的开发。这将与个人电脑从昂贵的专用大型机演变为普通大众日常依赖的设备时的影响相平行。普及机器人技术对于增加在非传统领域应用机器人解决方案的人数，打开新市场至关重要。它可以为美国保留经济优势，特别是在全球自动化竞赛中。低成本、易于实施的机器人技术将提高美国相对于低成本外国劳动力的竞争力。这是提高美国制造业潜力和创造新的高价值就业机会的关键。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enable development of a family of ?smart? automation elements that can be interlinked to provide robotics for a wide range of purposes at a significantly lower cost than current solutions. The concept uses autonomous telescoping struts and interconnecting hubs that can be readily assembled into smart mechanisms. The struts include a novel compact transmission called a ball rotor that is capable of very high mechanical advantages in a single stage. Each strut has an independent, programmable, control system that communicates with the other struts it is linked to over an embedded network providing a multitasking control system for the robot?s programmed motions. The new device will be more capable than existing alternatives and less expensive because it is simpler. This project will test the viability of the concept by producing and testing functioning prototypes of the basic components involved in the technology. The proposed research focuses on understanding the performance of the struts. These will be tested, measured and modeled to ensure that the ranges of useful working speeds and loads are known, stresses are sustainable, and material limitations are understood ? all necessary to ensure a dependable working device.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is tied to versatility, ease of programming, greater capabilities and (projected) significantly lower costs of this novel automation solution. We expect early adopters to include automation suppliers (ease of assembling customized mechanisms, and lower costs), manufacturing (readily assembled simpler automation for productivity boosts), and the academic market (students re-use autonomous struts in different configurations). The lower cost will also enable applications in many activities that are currently shut out of automation by the expense and need for specialist knowledge. Our vision is to trigger the development of a vast range of useful, smart mechanisms by making the basic components inexpensive and user-friendly. This will parallel the impact of PCs when they evolved from, expensive, specialized mainframes into the devices that the general public relies on daily. Democratizing access to robotics is crucial to increasing the number of minds that apply robotic solutions in non-traditional areas, opening new markets. It could preserve an economic edge for the US, especially in a global race-to-automate. Lower-cost, and easily implemented robotics will improve US competitiveness vs. low-cost foreign labor. This is key to improving manufacturing potential in the US, and creating new higher value jobs.