Abstract
This chapter is dedicated to tackling the issues related to the design and locomotion control of a hybrid wheeled jumping monitoring platform. The studied robot consists of a body mounted on a wheeled platform and of a jump acceleration module. An approach to making design decisions regarding the structure of the investigated robot is proposed. To select the kinematic structure of the robot, classifications of possible variants of hybrid jumping platforms and accelerating modules are presented. Methods for controlling the function of the accelerating modules and the analysis of their work is carried out. Various implementations of jumping motion are discussed; these implementations are characterized by different combinations of relative links movements during various stages of motion. Each of the proposed jump motion types requires the development of a control system, which is also discussed in this chapter.
TopBackground: The Basic Concepts Of A Jumping Locomotion
Jumping robots can be represented as consisting of a body 1 and an acceleration module 2 (figure 1 A). The principle of their movement is as follows: the relative accelerated movement of the acceleration module links leads to the situation when the object hits the surface and separates from it.
Figure 1. A) Jumping robot scheme; B) jump characteristics
Key Terms in this Chapter
Landing: Position of the robot at the time of transition from the flight phase to the positioning phase after landing, when the robot begins to contact with the supporting surface.
Takeoff: Position of the robot at the time of transition from the acceleration phase to the flight phase, i.e. at the time of zeroing the normal reaction at the contact point of the robot with the supporting surface.
Positioning Before Takeoff: Change of relative positions of the robot links for making the jump with the required characteristics.
Positioning After Landing: Relative movements of the robot links, which ensure the transfer of the robot to a position that allows it to maintain vertical stability after the jump and which appears final for the given jump and the initial for the next one.
Jump: Movement of the body with a temporary one-time planned loss of contact with the supporting surface, caused by repulsion from the support point with an initial velocity directed at an angle to the horizon.
Height of the Jump: Distance traveled by the center of mass of the robot in the vertical direction from the moment of takeoff from the surface to the end of the jump.
Flight: Movement of the robot without contact with the supporting surface, during which relative movements of the links are possible in order to make a landing in one way or another.
Angle of Rotation in Flight: Greatest angle at which the robot body rotates relative to the angle at the time of the jump while taking off the surface.
Acceleration: Accelerated movement of some parts of the robot relative to others when the latter are on the surface.
Length of the Jump: Distance traveled by the center of mass of the robot in the horizontal direction from the moment of takeoff from the surface to the end of the jump.