In this thesis, the redundancy resolution and failure analysis of Cable-Driven Parallel Manipulators (CDPM) are investigated. A CDPM consists mainly of a Mobile Platform (MP) actuated by cables. Cables can only apply force in the form of tension. So, to design a fully controllable CDPM, the manipulator has to be redundantly actuated (e.g., by using redundant cables, external force/moment or gravity). In this research, the redundancy resolution of planar CDPMs is investigated at the kinematic and dynamic levels in order to improve the manipulator safety, reliability and performance, e.g., by avoiding large tension in the cables that may result in high impact forces, and avoiding large MP velocities that may cause instability in the manipulator, or on the contrary, by increasing the cable tensions and the stiffness for high-precision applications. The proposed approaches are utilized in trajectory planning, design of controllers, and safe dynamic workspace analysis where collision is imminent and the safety of humans, objects and the manipulator itself are at risk. The kinematic and dynamic models of the manipulator required in the design and control of manipulators are examined and simulated under various operating conditions and manufacturing automation tasks to predict the behaviour of the CDPM. In the presented research, some of the challenges associated with the redundancy resolution are resolved including positive tension requirement in each cable, infinite inverse dynamic solutions, slow-computation abilities when using optimization techniques, failure of the manipulator, and elasticity of cables that has a significant role in the dynamics of a heavy loaded manipulator with a large workspace. Optimization-based and non-optimization-based techniques are employed to resolve the redundancy of CDPM. Depending on the advantages and disadvantages of each method, task requirements, the used redundancy resolution technique, and the objective function suitable optimization-based and non-optimization-based routines are employed. Methodologies that could combine redundancy resolution techniques at various levels (e.g., position, velocity, acceleration, and torque levels) are proposed. / Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-26 22:39:34.35

The process of forest harvesting is highly mechanized in most industrialized countries, with felling and processing of trees performed by technologically advanced forestry machines. However, the maneuvering of the vehicles through the forest as well as the control of the on-board hydraulic boom crane is currently performed through continuous manual operation. This complicates the introduction of further incremental productivity improvements to the machines, as the operator becomes a bottleneck in the process. A suggested solution strategy is to enhance the production capacity by increasing the level of automation. At the same time, the working environment for the operator can be improved by a reduced workload, provided that the human-machine interaction is adapted to the new automated functionality. The objectives of this thesis are 1) to describe and analyze the current logging process and to locate areas of improvements that can be implemented in current machines, and 2) to investigate future methods and concepts that possibly require changes in work methods as well as in the machine design and technology. The thesis describes the development and integration of several algorithmic methods and the implementation of corresponding software solutions, adapted to the forestry machine context. Following data recording and analysis of the current work tasks of machine operators, trajectory planning and execution for a specific category of forwarder crane motions has been identified as an important first step for short term automation. Using the method of path-constrained trajectory planning, automated crane motions were demonstrated to potentially provide a substantial improvement from motions performed by experienced human operators. An extension of this method was developed to automate some selected motions even for existing sensorless machines. Evaluation suggests that this method is feasible for a reasonable deviation of initial conditions. Another important aspect of partial automation is the human-machine interaction. For this specific application a simple and intuitive interaction method for accessing automated crane motions was suggested, based on head tracking of the operator. A preliminary interaction model derived from user experiments yielded promising results for forming the basis of a target selection method, particularly when combined with some traded control strategy. Further, a modular software platform was implemented, integrating several important components into a framework for designing and testing future interaction concepts. Specifically, this system was used to investigate concepts of teleoperation and virtual environment feedback. Results from user tests show that visual information provided by a virtual environment can be advantageous compared to traditional video feedback with regards to both objective and subjective evaluation criteria.

Este trabalho consiste na elaboração de uma estratégia para a geração de trajetórias otimizadas para um robô cilíndrico de cinco graus de liberdade acionado pneumaticamente. Como resultado da aplicação do método desenvolvido obtêm-se as trajetórias no espaço das juntas que resultam no movimento adequado do efetuador do robô, de acordo com algum critério de otimização. Para a obtenção das trajetórias das juntas do robô a partir de uma dada trajetória desejada para o efetuador, resolveu-se o problema de cinemática inversa por meio de uma abordagem algébrica. Para a geração de trajetórias entre os pontos no espaço de trabalho do robô propõe-se a utilização de um algoritmo de aproximação de pontos através de splines compostas por polinômios de sétimo grau. Essa escolha garante a continuidade da função de posição, bem como de suas três primeiras derivadas, sendo essa uma condição necessária para a implantação de importantes leis e estratégias de controle (como, por exemplo, a estratégia em cascata, utilizada com sucesso no controle de sistemas servopneumáticos). O método proposto para a geração de splines possibilita, através do ajuste de parâmetros em função da exigência de cada aplicação, a obtenção de curvas no espaço das juntas com valores otimizados de jerk, aceleração ou velocidade. Para aplicação na geração de trajetórias para o robô, a interpolação dos pontos é realizada no espaço dos atuadores a fim de fornecer ao controlador as curvas de referência para posição, velocidade, aceleração e jerk. Para a demonstração da aplicação do método no seguimento de trajetórias, são utilizadas como referência curvas tridimensionais cujos valores numéricos são comparados com os resultados fornecidos a partir da metodologia proposta. Assim, uma vez calculadas as trajetórias em cada uma das juntas através da cinemática inversa, utiliza-se as transformações homogêneas da cinemática direta do robô, obtidas a partir do método de Denavit-Hartenberg, para obter a trajetória do efetuador e verificar a funcionalidade do modelo resultante. / This work consists of developing a strategy to generate optimized trajectories for a cylindrical robot with five degrees of freedom which is actuated pneumatically. As a result of the application of the developed method, trajectories in joint space are obtained and result in the proper motion of the robot’s end-effector according to a given optimizing criteria. In order to obtain the trajectories of the robot’s joints from a given desired trajectory for the end-effector, the problem of inverse kinematics was solved by an algebraic approach. To generate trajectories between points in the robot’s workspace it was proposed the use of an algorithm for approximation of points through splines composed by seventh degrees polynomials. This choice ensures the continuity of the position function as well as its first three derivatives. It is a necessary condition for the implementation of important laws and control strategies (for example, the cascade strategy which is successfully used in servo-pneumatic control systems). The proposed method to generate splines allows, through the adjustment of parameters taking into account the requirements of each application, the obtainment of curves in the joint space with optimized values of jerk, acceleration and speed. In order to apply the method in the generation of trajectories for the robot, the interpolation of the points is performed in the space of the actuators with the purpose of providing the controller reference curves for position, speed, acceleration and jerk. To demonstrate the application of the method in trajectory tracking, three-dimensional curves are used and their numerical values are compared with the results provided by the proposed methodology. Therefore, once the calculated trajectory in each joint through inverse kinematics is obtained, homogeneous transformations of the direct kinematics of the robot, obtained by Denavit-Hartenberg’s method, are employed to find out the trajectory of the end-effector and verify the functionality of the resulting model.

Gegenstand dieses Beitrags ist eine Methode zur kinetischen Berechnung antriebsentlastender Vorgaben für Rast-in-Rast-Bewegungen bei Mechanismen mit dem Laufgrad 1. Dabei werden die Vorteile der Vorgabe eines Antriebsmomentenprofils über dem Weg aufgezeigt und die numerischen Herausforderungen bei der Anwendung dieser Methode diskutiert. Anhand eines Praxisbeispiels wird diese Methode mit anderen aus dem Stand der Technik bekannten Verfahren verglichen und die entsprechenden Lösungen werden gegenübergestellt. / The subject of this paper is a method for the kinetic calculation of drive relieving rise to dwell motions for mechanisms with the degree of freedom of 1. The advantages of specifying a drive torque profile over the path2 are pointed out. Furthermore the numerical challenges in the application of this approach are discussed. By means of a practical example, both the new method as well as known methods and their corresponding solutions are compared.

Cada vez mais empilhadeiras robóticas são utilizadas para a tarefa de transporte em indústrias e armazéns. O gerenciamento dessas empilhadeiras é a chave para um sistema de transporte eficiente visando maximizar sua taxa de transferência. Um dos principais problemas na operação desses sistemas é a decisão de roteamento das empilhadeiras dentro dos depósitos. Este trabalho propõe um algoritmo de roteamento com a capacidade de realizar a otimização das rotas em tempo-real. Na computação da rota são considerados o desvio de obstáculos, as dimensões e as propriedades físicas das empilhadeiras, pois uma trajetória calculada deste ponto de referência está livre de colisões durante a execução do roteamento. Para realizar os testes foram utilizados os softwares Player/Stage, os quais permitem que simulações do funcionamento do sistema de roteamento sejam realizadas antes que os algoritmos sejam testados em robôs reais. Através dos testes simulados, analisou-se a capacidade de locomoção das empilhadeiras referente ao calculo da melhor rota no ambiente proposto, com o intuito de melhorar o ganho de performance no planejamento de trajetória. / Forklift robots have been increasingly used in transport tasks in industries and warehouses. The key to an efficient transport system is held by a sound management of these forklifts that aim to maximize the transference rate. One of the main problems faced by the transportation systems is routing decision for forklifts within warehouse. The present paper proposes a routing algorithm to calculate optimal routes in real time. Therefore, its computation takes into account obstacle avoidance, the dimension and physical properties of the forklifts, since the calculated path regarding the routing is conflict-free. Simulations were carried out using the software Player/Stage before the algorithms were tested in a real robot. Simulated tests were analyzed in order to observe the locomotion ability of forklifts regarding calculation of the best route in the environment proposed to improve the trajectory planning performance will be assessed.

Este trabalho consiste na elaboração de uma estratégia para a geração de trajetórias otimizadas para um robô cilíndrico de cinco graus de liberdade acionado pneumaticamente. Como resultado da aplicação do método desenvolvido obtêm-se as trajetórias no espaço das juntas que resultam no movimento adequado do efetuador do robô, de acordo com algum critério de otimização. Para a obtenção das trajetórias das juntas do robô a partir de uma dada trajetória desejada para o efetuador, resolveu-se o problema de cinemática inversa por meio de uma abordagem algébrica. Para a geração de trajetórias entre os pontos no espaço de trabalho do robô propõe-se a utilização de um algoritmo de aproximação de pontos através de splines compostas por polinômios de sétimo grau. Essa escolha garante a continuidade da função de posição, bem como de suas três primeiras derivadas, sendo essa uma condição necessária para a implantação de importantes leis e estratégias de controle (como, por exemplo, a estratégia em cascata, utilizada com sucesso no controle de sistemas servopneumáticos). O método proposto para a geração de splines possibilita, através do ajuste de parâmetros em função da exigência de cada aplicação, a obtenção de curvas no espaço das juntas com valores otimizados de jerk, aceleração ou velocidade. Para aplicação na geração de trajetórias para o robô, a interpolação dos pontos é realizada no espaço dos atuadores a fim de fornecer ao controlador as curvas de referência para posição, velocidade, aceleração e jerk. Para a demonstração da aplicação do método no seguimento de trajetórias, são utilizadas como referência curvas tridimensionais cujos valores numéricos são comparados com os resultados fornecidos a partir da metodologia proposta. Assim, uma vez calculadas as trajetórias em cada uma das juntas através da cinemática inversa, utiliza-se as transformações homogêneas da cinemática direta do robô, obtidas a partir do método de Denavit-Hartenberg, para obter a trajetória do efetuador e verificar a funcionalidade do modelo resultante. / This work consists of developing a strategy to generate optimized trajectories for a cylindrical robot with five degrees of freedom which is actuated pneumatically. As a result of the application of the developed method, trajectories in joint space are obtained and result in the proper motion of the robot’s end-effector according to a given optimizing criteria. In order to obtain the trajectories of the robot’s joints from a given desired trajectory for the end-effector, the problem of inverse kinematics was solved by an algebraic approach. To generate trajectories between points in the robot’s workspace it was proposed the use of an algorithm for approximation of points through splines composed by seventh degrees polynomials. This choice ensures the continuity of the position function as well as its first three derivatives. It is a necessary condition for the implementation of important laws and control strategies (for example, the cascade strategy which is successfully used in servo-pneumatic control systems). The proposed method to generate splines allows, through the adjustment of parameters taking into account the requirements of each application, the obtainment of curves in the joint space with optimized values of jerk, acceleration and speed. In order to apply the method in the generation of trajectories for the robot, the interpolation of the points is performed in the space of the actuators with the purpose of providing the controller reference curves for position, speed, acceleration and jerk. To demonstrate the application of the method in trajectory tracking, three-dimensional curves are used and their numerical values are compared with the results provided by the proposed methodology. Therefore, once the calculated trajectory in each joint through inverse kinematics is obtained, homogeneous transformations of the direct kinematics of the robot, obtained by Denavit-Hartenberg’s method, are employed to find out the trajectory of the end-effector and verify the functionality of the resulting model.

With devastating natural disasters on the rise, technological improvements are needed in the field of search and rescue (SAR). Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) would be ideal for the search function such that manned vehicles can be prioritized to distributing first-aid and ultimately saving lives. One of the major reasons that UAVs are under utilized in SAR is that they lack a long flight endurance which compromises their effectiveness. Dirigibles are well suited for SAR missions since they can hover and maintain lift without consuming energy and can be easily deflated for packaging and transportation. This research focuses on extending flight endurance of small-scale airship UAVs through improvements to the infrastructure design and flight trajectory planning. In the first area, airship design methodologies are reviewed leading to the development and experimental testing two hybrid fuel-electric power plants. The prevailing hybrid power plant design consists of a 4-stroke 14cc gasoline engine in-line with a brushless DC motor/generator and variable pitch propeller. The results show that this design can produce enough mechanical and electrical power to support 72 hours of flight compared to 1-4 hours typical of purely electric designs. A power plant configuration comparison method was also developed to compare its performance and endurance to other power plant configurations that could be used in dirigible UAVs. Overall, the proposed hybrid power plant has a 600% increase in energy density over that of a purely electric configuration. In the second area, a comprehensive multi-objective cost function is developed using spatially variable wind vector fields generated from computational fluid dynamic analysis on digital elevations maps. The cost function is optimized for time, energy and collision avoidance using a wavefront expansion approach to produce feasible trajectories that obey the differential constraints of the airship platform. The simulated trajectories including 1) variable vehicle velocity, 2) variable wind vector field (WVF) data, and 3) high grid resolutions were found to consume 50% less energy on average compared to planned trajectories not considering one of these three characteristics. In its entirety, this research addresses current UAV flight endurance limitations and provides a novel UAV solution to SAR surveillance.

Este trabalho consiste na elaboração de uma estratégia para a geração de trajetórias otimizadas para um robô cilíndrico de cinco graus de liberdade acionado pneumaticamente. Como resultado da aplicação do método desenvolvido obtêm-se as trajetórias no espaço das juntas que resultam no movimento adequado do efetuador do robô, de acordo com algum critério de otimização. Para a obtenção das trajetórias das juntas do robô a partir de uma dada trajetória desejada para o efetuador, resolveu-se o problema de cinemática inversa por meio de uma abordagem algébrica. Para a geração de trajetórias entre os pontos no espaço de trabalho do robô propõe-se a utilização de um algoritmo de aproximação de pontos através de splines compostas por polinômios de sétimo grau. Essa escolha garante a continuidade da função de posição, bem como de suas três primeiras derivadas, sendo essa uma condição necessária para a implantação de importantes leis e estratégias de controle (como, por exemplo, a estratégia em cascata, utilizada com sucesso no controle de sistemas servopneumáticos). O método proposto para a geração de splines possibilita, através do ajuste de parâmetros em função da exigência de cada aplicação, a obtenção de curvas no espaço das juntas com valores otimizados de jerk, aceleração ou velocidade. Para aplicação na geração de trajetórias para o robô, a interpolação dos pontos é realizada no espaço dos atuadores a fim de fornecer ao controlador as curvas de referência para posição, velocidade, aceleração e jerk. Para a demonstração da aplicação do método no seguimento de trajetórias, são utilizadas como referência curvas tridimensionais cujos valores numéricos são comparados com os resultados fornecidos a partir da metodologia proposta. Assim, uma vez calculadas as trajetórias em cada uma das juntas através da cinemática inversa, utiliza-se as transformações homogêneas da cinemática direta do robô, obtidas a partir do método de Denavit-Hartenberg, para obter a trajetória do efetuador e verificar a funcionalidade do modelo resultante. / This work consists of developing a strategy to generate optimized trajectories for a cylindrical robot with five degrees of freedom which is actuated pneumatically. As a result of the application of the developed method, trajectories in joint space are obtained and result in the proper motion of the robot’s end-effector according to a given optimizing criteria. In order to obtain the trajectories of the robot’s joints from a given desired trajectory for the end-effector, the problem of inverse kinematics was solved by an algebraic approach. To generate trajectories between points in the robot’s workspace it was proposed the use of an algorithm for approximation of points through splines composed by seventh degrees polynomials. This choice ensures the continuity of the position function as well as its first three derivatives. It is a necessary condition for the implementation of important laws and control strategies (for example, the cascade strategy which is successfully used in servo-pneumatic control systems). The proposed method to generate splines allows, through the adjustment of parameters taking into account the requirements of each application, the obtainment of curves in the joint space with optimized values of jerk, acceleration and speed. In order to apply the method in the generation of trajectories for the robot, the interpolation of the points is performed in the space of the actuators with the purpose of providing the controller reference curves for position, speed, acceleration and jerk. To demonstrate the application of the method in trajectory tracking, three-dimensional curves are used and their numerical values are compared with the results provided by the proposed methodology. Therefore, once the calculated trajectory in each joint through inverse kinematics is obtained, homogeneous transformations of the direct kinematics of the robot, obtained by Denavit-Hartenberg’s method, are employed to find out the trajectory of the end-effector and verify the functionality of the resulting model.

This thesis deals with the extension of the RoScan scanning system features, making its behaviour more secure and adaptivte during scanning of the object on its whole trajectory. This work contains mathematical model of said manipulator, suggested methods to ensure proper behaviour during singularities. New features were added to the RoScan system such as control panel for manipulator control including new format of trajectory log, moving closer or further away from manipulator’s end effector and non adaptive trajectory testing for singularities. Result of this work is ready-to-use.

Gegenstand dieses Beitrags ist eine Methode zur kinetischen Berechnung antriebsentlastender Vorgaben für Rast-in-Rast-Bewegungen bei Mechanismen mit dem Laufgrad 1. Dabei werden die Vorteile der Vorgabe eines Antriebsmomentenprofils über dem Weg aufgezeigt und die numerischen Herausforderungen bei der Anwendung dieser Methode diskutiert. Anhand eines Praxisbeispiels wird diese Methode mit anderen aus dem Stand der Technik bekannten Verfahren verglichen und die entsprechenden Lösungen werden gegenübergestellt. / The subject of this paper is a method for the kinetic calculation of drive relieving rise to dwell motions for mechanisms with the degree of freedom of 1. The advantages of specifying a drive torque profile over the path2 are pointed out. Furthermore the numerical challenges in the application of this approach are discussed. By means of a practical example, both the new method as well as known methods and their corresponding solutions are compared.