Equipment System for the Development of Bio-inspired Inspection Robots

RTI的授权是为纪念大学机器人机械和控制实验室购买一个测试系统，该系统集成了Vicon运动捕捉和Omega.7触觉设备。所要求的系统可以鲁棒地将运动捕捉与实时力和扭矩反馈相结合，从而为自主机器人系统的运动学和动力学行为以及人机交互研究提供理想的测试平台。纪念大学工程与应用科学学院机器人项目的显著增长需要最先进的设备，以便更多的研究人员能够推进他们的研究。建议的设备对于申请人进行高质量的研究和HQP培训计划至关重要。******申请人的研究计划主要集中于开发用于检测和维护的仿生机器人。所研究的机器人是由仿生水下、空中和软连续体机器人组成的综合系统。该计划涵盖了广泛的研究领域，包括机构设计，控制，动态分析和系统集成。该研究为包括石油管道、水下测量、机身、基础设施、采矿、地下测量等在内的许多活动提供了重大好处。仿生机器人与笨重的传统机器人相比，具有高机动性、高效率、灵活性和环境适应性等明显的优势，已成为世界机器人研究的趋势。研究结果将对纽芬兰和加拿大的经济具有高度的工业相关性和效益。通过使用专门设计的机器人来解决纽芬兰石油和天然气工业扩张带来的环境挑战，研究成果将为水下生态系统监测带来显着好处。******通过为我们的仿生机器人提供最先进的测试平台，所要求的系统占了研究的很大一部分，并且不可避免地要实现基本目标。如果没有获得设备，实验方法和模型验证将变得不完整，需要改变，从而降低研究质量，并限制与工业的相关性。Memorial准备在下一代机器人的研究中发挥主导作用，随着学院机器人和机电一体化项目的扩展，该系统将在提高我们的研究水平，为更多的研究人员提供最先进的设备，以及促进与工业界的密切合作方面发挥重要作用。该系统对于HQP的软件开发、远程控制、人机交互和系统集成的专业知识以及演讲技巧的培训也是至关重要的，这对HQP学员未来在机器人行业的职业生涯有很大的帮助。

The RTI grant is requested to purchase a testing system that integrates Vicon motion capture and Omega.7 haptic devices for the Robotic Mechanical and Control Laboratory at Memorial University. The requested system can robustly integrate motion capture with real-time force and torque feedback thus providing an ideal testing platform for autonomous robotic systems for the study of kinematic and dynamic behaviors and human-machine interaction. The significant growth in robotics programs at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University calls for the state-of-the-art equipment that has access to more researchers to advance their research. The proposed equipment is critical for the applicant to conduct high quality research and HQP training programs.******The research program of the applicant mainly focuses on the development of bio-inspired robots for inspection and maintenance. The robots under investigation are integrated systems composed of bio-inspired underwater, aerial and soft continuum robots. This program covers a wide variety of research realms, including mechanism design, control, dynamic analysis and system integration. The research provides significant benefits to several activities, including oil pipelines, underwater survey, airframe, infrastructure, mining, underground survey, among many others. Bio-inspired robots possess distinct advantages over their bulky traditional counterparts for high maneuverability, efficiency, flexibility and adaptivity to environments and has become a trend in worldwide robotics research. Outcomes of the research will have high industrial relevance and benefits to the economy of Newfoundland and Canada. The research outcomes will significantly benefit for the underwater ecosystem monitoring by using specifically designed robots to address the environmental challenges due to the expansion of oil and gas industry in Newfoundland.******By providing the state-of-the-art testing platform for our bio-inspired robots, the requested system accounts for a substantial portion of the research and is inevitable to achieve the essential objectives. If the equipment is not acquired, the experimental methodology and model validation will become incomplete and need to be altered, the quality of research thus being reduced and the relevance with industry being limited. Memorial is poised to take a leading role in the research of the next-generation robots, with an expansion of robotics and mechatronics programs in the faculty, the system will play a significant role in advancing our research level, facilitating access to the state-of-the-art equipment to more researchers, and fostering close collaboration with industry. The system is also critical to HQP training in expertise of software development, remote control, human-machine interaction and system integration as well as presentation skills, which are great merits that can help HQP trainees for their future career in the robotic industry.