Design and Control of Minimalist Robots Using Dynamic Underactuated Manipulation

本研究的目标是利用动态欠驱动机器人操作构造灵巧而机械简单的机器人机械手和零件送料机。“动态”是指机器人利用动态力量来帮助控制零件的运动；“欠驱动”表示机械手的自由度小于它要控制的部件。这是机器人操作的一种极简方法——它寻求最简单的操纵器，就执行器的数量而言，能够控制所有部件的自由运动。这种机械手将是廉价的、轻量级的和模块化的。由于机械臂的自由度比零件小，额外的零件自由度用相对于机械臂的运动来描述——滑动、滚动和自由飞行。与拾取放置不同的是，机械手不会牢牢地抓住零件。动态欠驱动操纵的目的是利用冲击、滑动、滚动和自由飞行动力学来实现对零件运动的有效控制，用智能运动规划和控制取代机器人系统的一些机械复杂性。本研究探讨动态欠驱动操纵的可控制性、运动规划、反馈控制，以及零件进给和空间操纵的应用。

The goal of this research is to construct dexterous yet mechanically simple robot manipulators and parts feeders using dynamic underactuated robotic manipulation. ``Dynamic'' means that the robot exploits dynamic forces to help control the motion of the part; ``underactuated'' indicates that the manipulator has fewer degrees-of-freedom than the part(s) it is to control. This is a minimalist approach to robotic manipulation--it seeks the simplest manipulators, in terms of the number of actuators, capable of controlling the motion of all part freedoms. Such manipulators will be cheap, lightweight, and modular. Because the manipulator has fewer freedoms than the part, the extra part freedoms are described by motion relative to the manipulator--slipping, rolling, and free flight. Unlike pick-and-place, the part is not firmly grasped by the manipulator. The purpose of dynamic underactuated manipulation is to exploit impact, slipping, rolling, and free flight dynamics to achieve effective control of the motion of the part, replacing some mechanical complexity of a robot system with intelligent motion planning and control. This research explores controllability, motion planning, and feedback control of dynamic underactuated manipulation, and applications including parts feeding and manipulation in space.