A compact and light-weight modular robot for safe and reliable operations in unstructured environment

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Robotics is currently expanding rapidly to human and space environments, generating new research challenges as robots attempt to interact, assist, serve, and explore with humans. Synergetic integration of dexterous and safe robotic arms with high performance mobile platforms is essential in tackling the challenges. In concert with the robotics technology advancement, the proposed compact light-weight modular robot is to support research to develop enabling techniques for mobile manipulators that can work safely and efficiently in unstructured human or space environment. The new techniques to be developed include design and control methods for 1) intelligent multiple mode mobile manipulator control for door opening; 2) spring assisted dexterous and safe onboard robotic arm development and control; 3) mobile robot slippage estimation and compensation, and tip-over prediction and prevention; 4) onboard arm assisted micro rover control for space sample acquisition; 5) health monitoring and fault detection including collision detection; and 6) hybrid motion system that combines macro mobile manipulator with a micro robot arm for large range precise motion control. Tackling these challenging research issues, the applicant, co-applicant and their research groups will expand and integrate several fundamental robot design and control strategies being developed, including multiple mode control, spring assisted manipulation, active beacon based control of navigation and sample acquisition, force measurement and balancing based tip-over prevention, and power efficiency estimation based health monitoring. The research activities using the proposed robot has the potential to generate unique ways to design and control mobile manipulators for working in unstructured environments, leading to high quality research contributions and providing solutions to problems directly faced by Canadian industry and space exploration missions. Several students will be involved in the design and construction of the proposed robot, which itself represents significant training opportunities in addition to research activities to be supported by the proposed robot.