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

SBIR 第一阶段：用于分布式控制机器人平台的自主伸缩执行器

• 批准号: 1345887
• 负责人: John McEntee
• 金额: $ 14.93万
• 依托单位: onCue Automation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1345887&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Autonomous; Telescoping; Actuators

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.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将促进一系列“智能”产品的开发。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多种用途的机器人技术。该概念使用自主伸缩支柱和互连集线器，可以轻松组装成智能机制。支柱包括一种称为球转子的新型紧凑传动装置，它能够在单级中具有非常高的机械优势。每个支柱都有一个独立的可编程控制系统，该系统通过嵌入式网络与其链接的其他支柱进行通信，为机器人的编程运动提供多任务控制系统。新设备将比现有替代品功能更强大，并且由于更简单而更便宜。 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该概念的可行性。拟议的研究重点是了解支柱的性能。 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，并且材料的限制被理解？所有这些都是确保可靠工作设备所必需的。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力与这种新颖的自动化解决方案的多功能性、易于编程、更强的功能和（预计）显着降低的成本密切相关。 我们预计早期采用者包括自动化供应商（易于组装定制机制，并且成本更低）、制造业（易于组装更简单的自动化以提高生产率）和学术市场（学生在不同配置中重复使用自主支柱）。较低的成本还将使许多活动中的应用成为可能，而这些活动目前因费用和专业知识的需要而被排除在自动化之外。 我们的愿景是通过使基本组件变得廉价且用户友好来触发大量有用的智能机制的开发。当个人电脑从昂贵的专用大型机发展成为公众日常依赖的设备时，这将产生类似的影响。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才数量、开辟新市场至关重要。它可以保持美国的经济优势，尤其是在全球自动化竞赛中。成本较低且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更高价值就业机会的关键。