SBIR Phase I: Spherical Actuated Exploration Ballistic Legged System (Spaceballs)

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是创建球形、驱动的探索弹道腿系统(“Spaceball”)机器人系统。它将能够滚动和行走，作为一种新型的通用无人地面车辆(UGV)。它能够在各种高度非结构化的环境中运行，使其能够支持灾难恢复、人道主义救援和第一响应者应用程序；农业监测；工业检查任务；以及最终的行星探索，如测量月球表面。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目专注于开发实现Spaceball的关键使能技术--紧凑型、高带宽、高功率线性电磁执行器的设计、开发和表征。多体物理模拟将被用来确定潜在操作场景所需的执行器性能特性，从而为线性执行器原型的设计提供信息。开发的原型将通过试验台实验进行表征，以评估执行器的功率和带宽，这将反过来用于开发执行器运动控制。为了证明开发的原型的可行性，执行器将安装在单自由度试验台上，以实验表征系统的最大跳跃高度、跳跃带宽和滚动运动所需的运动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to create the Spherical, Actuated Exploration Ballistic Legged System (“Spaceballs”) robotic system. It will be able to roll and walk, serving as a novel, general purpose unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). Its ability to operate in diverse, highly unstructured environments enables it to support disaster recovery, humanitarian relief, and first responder applications; agricultural monitoring; industrial inspection tasks; and ultimately planetary exploration, such as surveying the lunar surface.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project focuses on the development of the key enabling technology to realize Spaceballs -- the design, development, and characterization of a compact, high-bandwidth, high-power linear electromagnetic actuator. Multi-body physics simulations will be used to determine required actuator performance characteristics for potential operational scenarios to inform the design of a linear actuator prototype. The developed prototype will be characterized via testbed experiments that evaluate actuator power and bandwidth, which will in turn be used to develop actuator motion controls. To demonstrate the feasibility of the developed prototype, the actuator will be installed in a single degree of freedom testbed to experimentally characterize the system’s maximum jump height, hopping bandwidth, and movements required for rolling locomotion.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.