Spherical Induction Motors for Mobile Robots

研究目标和方法：本研究的目标是创造第一台无限制旋转的球形感应电机，并对其性能进行表征，主要用作球形机器人车轮。与传统的机械方法相比，结果提供了更低的机械复杂性和更高的性能。该方法专注于电感原理，严重依赖于材料表征、3D磁场模拟、实体建模、电子电路设计和实时软件开发，并考虑到主要应用于动态稳定的单轮机器人。智能优点：该研究开发了一种球形感应电机，允许直接产生扭矩并绕任意轴旋转，最大限度地减少机械摩擦或间隙。这些结果为一种新型电机提供了范例，允许与更传统的解决方案进行定量比较。这一成功的结果简化了机构，提高了性能，降低了动态稳定单轮移动机器人的成本。布罗德影响：研究了直接驱动球面驱动技术中可能具有普遍适用性的重要问题。这项研究加强了一种已经是移动机器人运动的新的和不同的方法，进一步促进了世界各地公众对动态稳定的移动机器人的强烈兴趣。除了为从事该项目的学生提供研究经验外，卡内基梅隆大学两个不同系提供的课程工作也得到了加强，使学生接触到电磁设计、制造和表征等问题。外展活动让高中生接触到实践研究。与日本东北学府大学有很强的国际合作。

Research Objectives and Approaches:The objective of this research is to create the first spherical induction motor with unlimited rotation and to characterize its performance, principally for use as a spherical robot wheel. The outcome offers reduced mechanical complexity and higher performance when compared with traditional mechanical methods. The approach concentrates on the inductance principle, depending heavily on material characterization, 3D magnetic simulation, solid modeling, electronic circuit design, and real-time software development, keeping in mind the primary application to dynamically stable single-wheel robots. Intellectual Merit:The research develops a spherical induction motor permitting direct torque generation and rotation about arbitrary axes with a minimum of mechanical friction or backlash. The results provide an exemplar for a new class of motor, permitting quantitative comparisons with more traditional solutions. The successful outcome simplifies mechanics, improves performance, and lowers the cost of dynamically stable single-wheel mobile robots.Broader Impacts:The research investigates important issues in the technology of direct drive spherical actuation which are likely to be generally applicable. The research enhances what is already a new and different approach to mobile robot locomotion, furthering the strong public interest in dynamically stable mobile robots around the world. Besides research experiences for students working on the project, course work offered by two different departments at Carnegie Mellon University is enhanced, exposing students to issues of electromagnetic design, manufacturing, and characterization. The outreach activities expose high school students to hands-on research. There is strong international collaboration with Tohoku Gakuin University in Japan.