Motion planning for redundant manipulators poses special challenges because the required inverse kinematics are difficult and not complete. This thesis investigates and proposes methods for motion planning for these systems that do not require inverse kinematics and are potentially complete. These methods are also compared in performance to standard inverse kinematics based methods.

L’analyse biomécanique du mouvement humain en utilisant des systèmes optoélectroniques et des marqueurs cutanés considère les segments du corps comme des corps rigides. Cependant, le mouvement des tissus mous par rapport à l'os, c’est à dire les muscles et le tissu adipeux, provoque le déplacement des marqueurs. Ce déplacement est le fait de deux composantes, une composante propre correspondant au mouvement aléatoire de chaque marqueur et une composante à l’unisson provoquant le déplacement commun des marqueurs cutanés lié au mouvement des masses sous-jacentes. Si nombre d’études visent à minimiser ces déplacements, des simulations ont montré que le mouvement des masses molles réduit la dynamique articulaire. Cette observation est faite uniquement par la simulation, car il n'existe pas de méthodes capables de dissocier la cinématique des masses molles de celle de l’os. L’objectif principal de cette thèse consiste à développer une méthode numérique capable de distinguer ces deux cinématiques. Le premier objectif était d'évaluer une méthode d'optimisation locale pour estimer le mouvement des masses molles par rapport à l’humérus obtenu avec une tige intra-corticale vissée chez trois sujets. Les résultats montrent que l'optimisation locale sous-estime de 50% le déplacement des marqueurs et qu’elle conduit à un classement de marqueurs différents en fonction de leur déplacement. La limite de cette méthode vient du fait qu'elle ne tient pas compte de l’ensemble des composantes du mouvement des tissus mous, notamment la composante en unisson. Le second objectif était de développer une méthode numérique qui considère toutes les composantes du mouvement des tissus mous. Plus précisément, cette méthode devait fournir une cinématique similaire et une plus grande estimation du déplacement des marqueurs par rapport aux méthodes classiques et dissocier ces composantes. Le membre inférieur est modélisé avec une chaine cinématique de 10 degrés de liberté reconstruite par optimisation globale en utilisant seulement les marqueurs placés sur le pelvis et la face médiale du tibia. L’estimation de la cinématique sans considérer les marqueurs placés sur la cuisse et le mollet permet d'éviter l’influence de leur déplacement sur la reconstruction du modèle cinématique. Cette méthode testée sur 13 sujets lors de sauts a obtenu jusqu’à 2,1 fois plus de déplacement des marqueurs en fonction de la méthode considérée en assurant des cinématiques similaires. Une approche vectorielle a montré que le déplacement des marqueurs est surtout dû à la composante à l’unisson. Une approche matricielle associant l’optimisation locale à la chaine cinématique a montré que les masses molles se déplacent principalement autour de l'axe longitudinal et le long de l'axe antéro-postérieur de l'os. L'originalité de cette thèse est de dissocier numériquement la cinématique os de celle des masses molles et les composantes de ce mouvement. Les méthodes développées dans cette thèse augmentent les connaissances sur le mouvement des masses molles et permettent d’envisager l’étude de leur effet sur la dynamique articulaire. / Biomechanical analysis of human movement using optoelectronic system and skin markers considers body segments as rigid bodies. However the soft tissue motion relative to the bone, including muscles, fat mass, results in relative displacement of markers. This displacement is the results of two components, an own component which corresponds to a random motion of each marker and an in-unison component corresponding to the common movement of skin markers resulting from the movement of the underlying wobbling mass. While most studies aim to minimize these displacements, computer simulation models have shown that the movement of the soft tissue motion relative to the bones reduces the joint kinetics. This observation is only available using computer simulations because there are no methods able to distinguish the kinematics of wobbling mass of the bones kinematics. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a numerical method able to distinguish this different kinematics. The first aim of this thesis was to assess a local optimisation method for estimating the soft tissue motion using intra-cortical pins screwed into the humerus in three subjects. The results show that local optimisation underestimates of 50% the marker displacements. Also it leads to a different marker ranking in terms of displacement. The limit of local optimisation comes from the fact that it does not consider all the components of the soft tissue motion, especially the in-unison component. The second aim of this thesis was to develop a numerical method that accounts for all the component of the soft tissue motion. More specifically, this method should provide similar kinematics and estimate large marker displacement and distinguish the two components to conventional approaches. The lower limb is modeled using a 10 degree of freedom chain model reconstructed using global optimisation and the markers placed only on the pelvis and the medial face of the shank. The original estimate of joint kinematics without considering the markers placed on the thigh and on the calf avoids the influences of these markers displacement on the kinematic model reconstruction. This method was tested on 13 subjects who performed hopping trials and obtained up to 2.1 times of marker displacement depending the method considered ensuring similar joint-kinematics. A vector approach shown that marker displacements is more induce by the in-unison component. A matrix approach combining the local optimisation and the kinematic model shown that the wobbling mass moves around the longitudinal axis and along the antero-posterior axis of the bone. The originality of this thesis is to numerically distinguish the bone kinematics from the wobbling mass kinematics and the two components of the soft tissue motion. The methods developed in this thesis increases the knowledge on soft tissue motion and allow future studies to consider their movement in joint kinetics calculation.

The use of robotics has recently seen significant growth in various domains such as unmanned ground/underwater/aerial vehicles, smart manufacturing, and humanoid robots. However, one of the most important and essential capabilities required for long term autonomy, which is the ability to operate robustly and safely in real-world environments, in contrast to industrial and laboratory setup is largely missing. Designing robots that can operate reliably and efficiently in cluttered and changing environments is non-trivial, especially for high degree-of-freedom (DoF) systems, i.e. robots with multiple actuators. On one hand, the dexterity offered by the kinematic redundancy allows the robot to perform dexterous manipulation tasks in complex environments, whereas on the other hand, such complex system also makes controlling and planning very challenging. To address such two interrelated problems, we exploit robot motion synthesis from three perspectives that feed into each other: end-pose planning, motion planning and motion adaptation. We propose several novel ideas in each of the three phases, using which we can efficiently synthesise dexterous manipulation motion for fixed-base robotic arms, mobile manipulators, as well as humanoid robots in cluttered and potentially changing environments. Collision-free inverse kinematics (IK), or so-called end-pose planning, a key prerequisite for other modules such as motion planning, is an important and yet unsolved problem in robotics. Such information is often assumed given, or manually provided in practice, which significantly limiting high-level autonomy. In our research, by using novel data pre-processing and encoding techniques, we are able to efficiently search for collision-free end-poses in challenging scenarios in the presence of uneven terrains. After having found the end-poses, the motion planning module can proceed. Although motion planning has been claimed as well studied, we find that existing algorithms are still unreliable for robust and safe operations in real-world applications, especially when the environment is cluttered and changing. We propose a novel resolution complete motion planning algorithm, namely the Hierarchical Dynamic Roadmap, that is able to generate collision-free motion trajectories for redundant robotic arms in extremely complicated environments where other methods would fail. While planning for fixed-base robotic arms is relatively less challenging, we also investigate into efficient motion planning algorithms for high DoF (30 - 40) humanoid robots, where an extra balance constraint needs to be taken into account. The result shows that our method is able to efficiently generate collision-free whole-body trajectories for different humanoid robots in complex environments, where other methods would require a much longer planning time. Both end-pose and motion planning algorithms compute solutions in static environments, and assume the environments stay static during execution. While human and most animals are incredibly good at handling environmental changes, the state-of-the-art robotics technology is far from being able to achieve such an ability. To address this issue, we propose a novel state space representation, the Distance Mesh space, in which the robot is able to remap the pre-planned motion in real-time and adapt to environmental changes during execution. By utilizing the proposed end-pose planning, motion planning and motion adaptation techniques, we obtain a robotic framework that significantly improves the level of autonomy. The proposed methods have been validated on various state-of-the-art robot platforms, such as UR5 (6-DoF fixed-base robotic arm), KUKA LWR (7-DoF fixed-base robotic arm), Baxter (14-DoF fixed-base bi-manual manipulator), Husky with Dual UR5 (15-DoF mobile bi-manual manipulator), PR2 (20-DoF mobile bi-manual manipulator), NASA Valkyrie (38-DoF humanoid) and many others, showing that our methods are truly applicable to solve high dimensional motion planning for practical problems.

This paper proposes the position control of an articulated manipulator of two degrees of freedom driven by induction motors with a controller in the current loop. The work includes the mechanical modeling of the handler that will be developed from the direct and inverse kinematics and position control of induction motors operating system and uncoupled allocated in the manipulator. Thus, we developed two strategies for control of manipulators with two degrees of freedom, one using the scheme for field-oriented vector control and other means of indirect sliding mode control (Sliding-Mode Control - SMC). These control strategies are applied to current loop of induction motors that drive the manipulator. The parameters of the position controller of manipulator are taken into account in calculating the controller parameters of the current control loop, in order to obtain satisfactory results in the positioning the degrees of freedom. In addition, we performed a comparative study between the indirect field-oriented vector control and sliding mode control applied to the current loop. The advantage of the SMC compared to the indirect field-oriented vector control due to the first had in its control law, developed in this thesis, the use of position degree of freedom manipulator applied directly in the control law, while the second acted only as a disturbed rejection controller for the position loop. The Proportional-Integral (PI) was used in the position and speed loops for both current control algorithms to provide a standard for comparison between. For the purpose of implementing the control system individually for each engine and motors coupled to the manipulator used a digital signal processor. / O presente trabalho propÃe o controle de posiÃÃo de um manipulador articulado de dois graus de liberdade acionado a partir de motores de induÃÃo trifÃsicos com um controlador na malha de corrente. O trabalho contempla a modelagem mecÃnica do manipulador que serà desenvolvida a partir das cinemÃticas direta e inversa e o controle de posiÃÃo dos motores de induÃÃo atuando desacoplados do sistema e alocados no manipulador. Deste modo, foram desenvolvidas duas estratÃgias de controle de manipuladores com dois graus de liberdade, uma utilizando o esquema por controle vetorial de campo orientado indireto e outra atravÃs de controle por modos deslizantes (Sliding Mode Control â SMC). Estas estratÃgias de controle sÃo aplicadas a malha de corrente dos motores de induÃÃo que acionam o manipulador. Os parÃmetros do controlador de posiÃÃo dos manipuladores sÃo levados em consideraÃÃo no cÃlculo dos parÃmetros do controlador da malha de controle de corrente, de modo a se obter resultados satisfatÃrios no posicionamento dos graus de liberdade. AlÃm disso, foi realizado um estudo comparativo entre o controle vetorial de campo orientado indireto e o controle de modos deslizantes aplicado na malha de corrente. A vantagem do SMC em relaÃÃo ao controle vetorial de campo orientado indireto deveu-se a que o primeiro possuÃa em sua lei de controle desenvolvida nesta tese a utilizaÃÃo direta da posiÃÃo do grau de liberdade do manipulador, enquanto que o segundo atuava somente como um controlador com rejeiÃÃo ao distÃrbio. O controlador Proporcional-Integral (PI) foi utilizado nas malhas de posiÃÃo e velocidade de modo a fornecer um padrÃo de comparaÃÃo confiÃvel entre os controladores de corrente. Com a finalidade de implementar o sistema de controle de cada motor individualmente e dos motores acoplados ao manipulador utilizou-se um processador digital de sinais.

In this dissertation it is reported the results of a comprehensive comparative study involving seven machine learning algorithms applied to the task of approximating the inverse kinematic model of 3 robotic arms (planar, PUMA 560 and Motoman HP6). The evaluated algorithm are the following ones: Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Least Squares Support Vector Regression (LS-SVR), Minimal Learning Machine (MLM), Gaussian Processes (GP), Adaptive Network-Based Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) and Local Linear Mapping (LLM). Each algorithm is evaluated with respect to its accuracy in estimating the joint angles given the cartesian coordinates which comprise end-effector trajectories within the robot workspace. A comprehensive evaluation of the performances of the aforementioned algorithms is carried out based on correlation analysis of the residuals. Finally, hypothesis testing procedures are also executed in order to verifying if there are significant differences in performance among the best algorithms. / Nesta dissertaÃÃo sÃo reportados os resultados de um amplo estudo comparativo envolvendo sete algoritmos de aprendizado de mÃquinas aplicados à tarefa de aproximaÃÃo do modelo cinemÃtico inverso de 3 robÃs manipuladores (planar, PUMA 560 e Motoman HP6). Os algoritmos avaliados sÃo os seguintes: Perceptron Multicamadas (MLP), MÃquina de Aprendizado Extremo (ELM), RegressÃo de MÃnimos Quadrados via Vetores-Suporte (LS-SVR), MÃquina de Aprendizado MÃnimo (MLM), Processos Gaussianos (PG), Sistema de InferÃncia Fuzzy Baseado em Rede Adaptativa (ANFIS) e Mapeamento Linear Local (LLM). Estes algoritmos sÃo avaliados quanto à acurÃcia na estimaÃÃo dos Ãngulos das juntas dos robÃs manipuladores em experimentos envolvendo a geraÃÃo de vÃrios tipos de trajetÃrias no volume de trabalho dos referidos robÃs. Uma avaliaÃÃo abrangente do desempenho de cada algoritmo à feito com base na anÃlise dos resÃduos e testes de hipÃteses sÃo executados para verificar se hà diferenÃas significativas entre os desempenhos dos melhores algoritmos.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:08:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao - Fernando Goncalves Abadia.pdf: 2172647 bytes, checksum: 521c16d1c14b335efd25247e9a66c082 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-19 / Rehabilitation robotics involves the development of active devices for various processes in the health field. In the rehabilitation case, it replace the physical assistance by a robotic device, under the supervision of the therapist. According to some authors, there is much evidence that repetitive movements can help in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. Therefore, there is feasibility of building a low cost robotic manipulator of an anthropomorphic arm with few degrees of freedom in the rehabilitation of patients in early brain injury phase (muscle hypotony phase). The objective of the study outlined here is to determine, through simulation, the appropriate kinematic of an anthropomorphic robotic manipulator that best approximate the functional movements to be relearned by stroke patients. The kinemetry was the method used to measure the characteristics of these movements. The data acquisition was performed from three subjects who performed the movements of combing hair, drinking from cup, bring it to his mouth and waving, greeting movement. These data were compared with the direct and inverse kinematics of the simulated manipulator in MatLab environment. The results showed that, despite the limitations of movements, the simulated manipulator is feasible for rehabilitation of patients who are in the initial phase of stroke, with a low cost of implementation. / A reabilitação robótica é uma ciência que permite o desenvolvimento de dispositivos ativos para vários processos no campo da saúde. No caso da reabilitação, substitui a assistência física por um dispositivo robótico, sob a supervisão do terapeuta. Segundo alguns autores, há muitas evidências de que os movimentos repetitivos podem ajudar na reabilitação de pacientes vítimas de choques traumáticos ou de acidente vascular encefálico - AVE. Nesta perspectiva há viabilidade de se construir um manipulador robótico de um braço antropomórfico com poucos graus de liberdade na reabilitação dos pacientes na fase inicial do AVE (fase de hipotonia muscular) visando baixos custos. Neste aspecto, o objetivo do presente projeto é determinar, por meio de simulação, as apropriadas modelagens da cinemática de um manipulador robótico de um braço antropomórfico que melhor se aproximem dos movimentos funcionais a fim de serem reaprendidos pelos pacientes. A cinemetria foi o método utilizado para avaliar as características cinemáticas destes movimentos, a partir da coleta de dados realizada com uma amostra constituída por três sujeitos, que realizaram os movimentos de pentear os cabelos, pegar um copo e levá-lo à boca e acenar cumprimentando. Estes dados foram comparados à cinemática direta e inversa do manipulador simulado em ambiente MatLab. Os resultados mostraram que, apesar das limitações dos movimentos, o manipulador simulado é viável para reabilitação de pacientes que se encontram na fase inicial do AVE, apresentando um baixo custo de implementação.

A l'aide de deux réactions de transfert (d,3He), la première avec MUST2 au GANIL et la deuxième avec le split-pole à Orsay, nous avons déterminé la position des états trous de protons dans les noyaux riches en neutrons : le 71Cu (N=42) et le 69Cu (N=40).A partir de la désintégration beta et de la spectroscopie laser, on sait que l'état excité f5/2 chute brutalement en énergie pour N>40 et devient même l'état fondamental dans le 75Cu. Cette chute en énergie a été expliqué par des travaux théoriques notamment à cause de la force tenseur entre les protons et les neutrons. La prédiction sur le partenaire spin-orbite f7/2 est qu'il devrait sentir également un effet à cause de cette force. Expérimentalement, les états trous de proton f7/2 ne sont pas connus pour N>40. Dans le 71Cu, deux états 7/2- sont connus autour de 1 MeV d'énergie d'excitation et sont des possibles candidats pour correspondre à cet état trou de proton. L'expérience au GANIL a eu lieu en mars 2011. Un faisceau secondaire de 72Zn à 38 AMeV a été produit par fragmentation et purifié à travers le spectromètre LISE. La réaction de transfert en cinématique inverse a été étudié à l'aide des télescopes MUST2 plus quatre détecteurs de silicium de 20 micromètres dans le but d'identifier les 3He de basse énergie. Le spectre en énergie d'excitation du 71Cu a été reconstruit grâce à la méthode de la masse manquante, les distributions angulaires ont été extraite et comparé avec un modèle de réaction utilisant les codes DWUCK4 et DWUCK5. A partir de ce travail au GANIL, aucun état n'a été peuplé autour de 1 MeV concluant que le centroid de la force réside à plus haute énergie d'excitation.Nous avalons également mesuré une nouvelle fois la les états trous de proton dans le 69Cu avec la même réaction de transfert mais cette fois en cinématique directe à Orsay dans le but d'étendre les données actuelles sur ce noyau où 60% de la force f7/2 est manquante et dans le but également d'avoir une analyse consistante des facteurs spectroscopiques entre les deux noyaux. Cette analyse consistante nous permet de pouvoir comparer l'évolution du centroid de la force entre les deux isotopes quand l'orbite neutron g9/2 commence à se remplir. Dans cette seconde expérience, nous avons utilisé un faisceau de deuton à 27 MeV produit par le tandem et une cible de 70Zn. Nous avons pu extraire trois nouvelles distributions angulaires et mesurer une nouvelle partie de la force f7/2.Enfin, pour pouvoir interpréter nos résultat, des calculs modèle en couche ont été effectué par le groupe de Strasbourg avec le code Antoine. L'espace de valence utilisé consiste en un coeur 48Ca avec les orbitales protons f7/2, p3/2, f5/2, p1/2 et les orbitales neutron p3/2, f5/2, p1/2, g9/2, d5/2. Les calculs inclus jusqu'à 8p-8h et montrent que la force se situe en effet à haute énergie d'excitation et qu'aucun état de trou de proton n'est calculé autour de 1 MeV. / In two (d,3He) transfer reactions with MUST2 at GANIL and the split-pole at Orsay, we have determined the position of the proton-hole states in the neutron-rich 71Cu (N=42) and 69Cu (N=40) isotopes. We have found that in 71Cu the hole strength of the f7/2 orbital lies at higher excitation energies than expected. From beta-decay and laser spectroscopy, the f5/2 first excited particle state in these isotopes was known to come down rapidly in energy when passing N=40 and even become the ground state in 75Cu. This sudden energy shift has been explained in a number of theoretical works. The prediction for the f7/2 spin-orbit partner was that it would change in energy too through a related effect. Experimentally, the f7/2 proton-hole state is not known for N>40. In 71Cu two 7/2- states around 1 MeV are candidates to be a proton-hole.The experiment at GANIL took place in March 2011. A secondary beam of 72Zn at 38 AMeV was produced by fragmentation and purified through the LISE spectrometer. The transfer reaction in inverse kinematics was studied with the MUST2 detectors plus four 20 micrometer silicon detector to identified the 3He of low kinetic energy. The excitation spectrum of 71Cu was reconstruct thanks to the missing mass method and the angular distributions were extracted and compared with a reaction model using the DWUCK4 and DWUCK5 code. From this work no states have been populated around 1 MeV concluding that the centroid of the f7/2 lies at higher excitation energy. We then remeasured the single-particle strength in 69Cu in the corresponding (d,3He) reaction at Orsay in March 2013 in order to extend the existing data where 60% of the f7/2 strength is missing and make sure that there is a consistent analysis of spectroscopic factors between both isotopes in order to well understood and well quantify the evolution of the f7/2 orbital when we start filling the g9/2 orbital. In this second experiment we have performed the reaction in direct kinematics using a deuteron beam at 27 MeV provided by the tandem and a target of 70Zn. In this work we were able to extract three new angular distributions and we have measured a new part of the f7/2 strength.Finally in order to interpret the results we have obtained from those two experiments, state-of-the-art shell-model calculations have been carried out in collaboration with the Strasbourg group using the Antoine code. The valence space consists in a core of 48Ca with the valence orbitals for protons f7/2, p3/2, f5/2, p1/2 and the orbitals p3/2, f5/2, p1/2, g9/2, d5/2 for neutrons. The calculations have been done allowing 8p-8h and show that the strength is indeed at high energy and no f7/2 proton-hole state lies around 1 MeV in 71Cu.

This diploma thesis deals with a design and implementation of an embedded device (module), used to control a robotic manipulator. The module instructs servomotors of the manipulator to move according to the commands received via USB interface. The module consists of two double-sided printed circuit boards. The first one allows connection to the CAN bus, redundant and thus reliable power supply for servomotors as well as the whole module. The second board, compute oriented one, embeds powerful microcontroller used to communicate with the servomotors and to solve the kinematics tasks. As a part of the thesis a graphical user interface as well as a web-oriented interface were developed. Both interfaces allow full control of the manipulator. All the communicating buses, tools and methods used during the design and implementation phases of the work are described in the thesis. Finally, measurements proved improvement of the motion smoothness and response times in several orders of magnitude in comparison to the previous system.

The thesis aims to put in practice control unit of industrial robot ROB 2-6. The control unit is put in practice with the use of processor from the ARM STM32F100 family. Altogether with the control module it is supposed to be also realized HMI which will enable program loading and servicing of the control unit. The visualization model and algorithm of track planning is also realized within this work.

This master thesis discusses about designing and realization of a control system for a 6-axis robotic arm. The controlling system consist in a microcontroller LPC1756 with its firmware implemented under the Real-time operating system FreeRTOS and GUI application, running on a PC. The Microcontroller communicates with the PC through a serial line via SLIP protocol. Theoretically, it will deal with an explanation of the important terms, and describes the used robotic arm and its controlling unit. The practical part describes kinematics problems solving, firmware’s realization and GUI application.