Modular Approach

In
Robotic Design
(An Overview)
 ABSTRACT

Long development times and high costs prevent robots from

being practical for use in many important fields of applications. Robotics is one
particular area attracting growing interest amongst a number of countries. Most of
their work is following along the conventional lines of designing specialized robots to
perform specific tasks. Such robots work tends not to be multi-purpose and their
performance suffers when forced to deal with different environments. This paper
proposes a more versatile solution: modular self-reconfigurable robot. Here a modular
design approach is proposed to produce a rapidly deployable Low cost field robotic
system. An inventory of components such as actuated joints, links, power supplies
and software modules are assembled to produce a field robotic system for a specified
task. This paper proposes using a multipurpose modular self-reconfigurable robot.
These are capable of adapting their very structure to match the tasks and environment
at hand. Their extreme modular construction enables easy in the – field diagnosis and
repair by untrained users.

The key benefits are flexibility, maintainability and robustness.

This paper includes the discussion about modular design and its optimization,
industrial modular manipulators and their design in detail .This paper also gives
information about reconfigurable modular robots with an example- Polybot.

In this paper a design approach based on modular components

for field robots is proposed. It has potential to all robotic systems to be rapidly and
cost effectively designed and fabricated.
 MODULAR APPROACH IN ROBOTIC DESIGN

INTRODUCTION
The approach is based on the use of an inventory of physical robotic
modules such as actuated joints, links and power units that are assembled in different
configuration to perform different tasks. This approach also uses software action
modules that are assembled to produce an execution plan for a given robot assembly
and its task. Using pre-fabricated modules would greatly shorten development times.
Also substantial cist savings would be realized by using an inventory of reusable
‘standard’ modules that could be used for number of applications.

MODULAR SYSTEM LEVEL DESIGN

The key to our approach in the use of modular components for robotic
systems is to apply fundamental engineering principles to reduce the design space in a
series of structuring and tests.
The module inventory includes a set of modular components namely
• Body
• Link
• Rotary joint
• Wheel
• Foot
• Linear joint & Gripper
Combining of these small set of modules in different ways permit
many topologically diverse
robots to be constructed.
Three sample robots
assemblies that can be
produced from this
inventory are shown.

Sample Robot
Assemblies
STEPS IN DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS

Manipulator is an electromechanical system consisting of two basic

building blocks: Links and Actuators.
Step1: Choosing a kinematic configuration that has some desired characteristics such
as reach and dexterity.
Step 2: Parametric modeling of Em actuator
It is performed allowing the designer to calculate the
 Performance parameters such as weight, inertia and torque.
 Design parameters such as material properties and dimensions.
 Intermediate parameters are grouping of several design parameters
such as gear reduction ratio.

Step 3: Construction of global performance maps

Global performance maps are constructed via some design
measures such as Inertia frobenius norm (IFN), end-effector acceleration, end-
 effector static load which measures kinetic energy in system, ability to
acceleration, and ability to apply or resist static loads. The different designs
are achieved by changing the properties of actuators. Evaluating many designs
yield the global performance maps for IFN,acceleration capability,force
capability etc.,
Step 4: Developing constraints
Constraint equations based on physical limitations on actuators such as motor
speed, gear teeth strength.
Step 5: Optimisation techniques are employed to select the actuator parameters that
yield the best design for the given constraints.
Step 6: System level configuration

OPTIMISATION OF MODULAR DESIGN

Due to typical symmetries in module design different assembly
configurations may lead to robotic structures which are kinematically identical. To
enumerate the non isomorphic assembly configurations of a modular robotic system
an Assembly Incidence
Matrix was introduced. Then
symmetries of module
geometry and graph
isomorphism can be used to
define an equivalence
relation on AIMs.
Equivalent AIMs represent
isomorphic robot assembly
configuration based on the
equivalence relation we
propose an algorithm to
generate non-isomorphic
assembly of n-link tree-link
robot with different joint and
link module types.
Modular Design Process
 The genetic algorithm takes a number of robot assemblies
called a generation and combines some attributes from one assembly with those of
another, thus creating a new generation of robot. This process is called Crossover. The
algorithm also adds new characteristics that were not present in previous generation
called Mutation. The genetic algorithm uses assembly rules and filters to produce a
fitness value for a given robot configuration. This fitness value is used to compare one
assembly to another.
Assembly filters make estimates of system performance
measures such as power consumption, applicable forces, static stability and mobility.
Using the techniques of Crossover and Mutation a final robot configuration evolves
after multiple generations.

Genetic Algorithm Representation

ADVANTAGES OF MODULAR RECONFIGURABLE ROBOTS
Infact within certain reasonable constraints a well designed set
of modules can be used to construct a specialized robot for almost any purpose. A
huge number of radically different robots can be constructed with same set of
modules. This provides the potential for cost savings at the factory level: making each
of many different robots from just one or two components.
Flexibility: The properties of robot changes with its form, for one MRR might be
built so as to have six appendages which serves as legs for walking on rough terrain
(insect motion). Another MRR composed from the very same modules might instead
form a long thin snake capable of crawling through cracks and up pipes for access to
denied areas (snake motion). The modules can connect and disconnect under the
robot’s own control. By disconnecting and reconnecting all of its modules a MSRR is
capable of completely changing its fundamental structure.
 Various structures of MSRR
An MSRR can change form enabling to perform multiple tasks. Such
changes also allow it to adapt for locomotion through, or work in a varied
environment.
Self repairable:
If one of the modules in a MSRR fails, then this can be internally
diagnosed. Upon recognizing, the system will simply reconfigure while physically
disconnecting the failed module. Through its ability to self reconfigure an MSRR can
perform a certain amount of running repairs on itself. To continue doing its
commanded job with less modules will require some adaptation such as shortening of
each leg perhaps(if a few modules are borrowed from each)something impossible
with a conventional robot. The combination of graceful degradation through adaptive
control, Self-repair ability, means that many independent failures within the robot can
be sustained without catastrophic failure of entire system.

Conceptual Reconfigurable Robotic Workcell

MODULAR ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS
 ALPHA (Advanced Light Weight Prototype High performance Arm)
- It is a high payload, modular and extremely accurate, all revolute,
7DOF serial robotic manipulator.
 - To achieve high precision under load ALPHA was designed to be
structurally very stiff.
- It was designed to perform Industrial applications such as precision operators
like die production, air frame assembly and fully integrated manufacturing cells.

POLY BOT
-There are three versions (started in 1998). The current version of
polybot consists of just two modules types
The segments are 5 x 5 x 5 cubes with a single degree of freedom and two inter
connect faces.
The nodes are slightly larger cubes stationary but have six interconnect faces.
The communication layer has been augmented by MDCN

A diagram showing some aspects of the third generation

of polybot
References:
1. Cole.j Rapid generation of motion plans for Modular Robotic systems
2. Design and Motion Planning of multi-limb Robotic systems by Madhani, A.
and Dubowsky,S.
3. Rutman, N. Automated design of Modular field robots.
4. A.Casal and M.Yim, Self reconfiguration planning for a class of modular
robots