Dynamically Stable Single Wheeled Robots in Human Environments

拟议的研究建立在NSF资助IIS-0308067获得的结果基础上。这项研究的目标是深入了解如何在与人交互的移动机器中实现动态敏捷性，以及如何在正常的家庭和工作环境中操作。该工作利用并进一步开发了一种新型的动态稳定滚动机研究平台，称为“ballbot”。本着极简主义的精神，这台机器只用一个球形轮子来平衡和移动。这使得机器又高又窄，有一个高的质心，对轻推和推挤做出顺从的反应，并在任何方向上快速移动。目的是阐明围绕敏捷机器在人类环境中运行的许多问题；尤其是穿越狭窄、杂乱的房间的能力，以及在人群中发挥强大作用的能力。该项目的一个关键方面是研究一对动态显著的二自由度臂的添加。这将允许通过手臂的动态摆动来开发球机器人身体运动的控制策略。从与一系列障碍类型的意外碰撞中自动恢复，以及有目的地操纵人类环境，例如，在平衡时携带未知负载，打开/关闭抽屉和门，将仅使用固有的传感能力进行研究。将获得对敏捷动力平台的开发的见解，这些平台可以与研究界正在进行的感知、导航和认知方面的工作相结合，以产生真正有能力的智能移动机器人，用于与人的身体接触。这样的机器人，如果能够实现并且经济上可行，将起到帮助老年人或残疾人的作用；在公共场所提供指导和协助；在教育和娱乐方面提供帮助；执行家庭清洁和家务管理；或者拿取和搬运日常用品

The proposed research builds on results obtained from NSF grant IIS-0308067. The goal of the research is to gain deeper understanding of how dynamic agility can be achieved in mobile machines interacting with people and operating in normal home and workplace environments. The work utilizes and further develops a novel dynamically stable rolling machine research platform referred to as a "ballbot." In the spirit of minimalism, the machine balances and locomotes using only a single spherical wheel. This enables the machine to be tall and narrow, have a high center of mass, respond compliantly to nudges and shoves, and rapidly move in any direction. The purpose is to illuminate many of the issues surrounding the operation of agile machines in human environments; in particular the ability to traverse narrow, cluttered rooms and to function robustly in the presence of people. A key aspect of the project is to investigate the addition of a pair of dynamically significant two-degree-of-freedom arms. This will allow the development of control strategies for movement of the ballbot body by dynamic swinging of the arms. Automatic recovery from unplanned collisions with a spectrum of obstacle types as well as purposeful manipulation of the human environment, e.g., carrying unknown loads while balancing, and opening/closing drawers and doors will be investigated using only intrinsic sensing abilities. Insights will be gained toward the development of agile motive platforms that can be combined with the research community's ongoing work in perception, navigation, and cognition, to yield truly capable intelligent mobile robots for use in physical contact with people. Such robots, if realizable and economically viable, would function as aids to elderly or disabled persons; provide guidance and assistance in public spaces; help with education and entertainment; perform domestic cleaning and housekeeping; or fetch and carry everyday objects