This master thesis is focused on Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robotic Systems. Their description is made at first and then possibilities of their use are listed. The next chapter concerns Molecubes modular system. The design of similar system where the construction of the individual modules is described follows. The transformations of coordinated systems in the individual modules are described and the calculation of forward kinematics and simulation of inverse kinematics is made at the end of the thesis.

The goals of this diploma thesis were to get acquainted with the model of the robotic arm Beta 6 from Merkur Company. Next design connections between control board and PLC from Rockwell Automation. Then design and realize Add-On instruction for movement in 3D space with appropriate visualization.

The aim of the thesis is to propose and make a robot, which is made of identical modules. These modules are able to connect or disconnect themselves and thanks to this feature new structures of robot can be achieved. This problem is solved by the design proposal of a module, which is capable to rotate in two axis and has connection connectors for other modules. Communication is carried out by Wi-fi connection to the computer and angles required for reconfiguration are calculated by inverse kinematics in Matlab program. On these modules the reconfiguration test was succesfully demonstrated.

This report will cover the work involved in building a quadruped robot which should to a certain extent resemeble a four-legged mammal. The introduction will present information related to what has inspired the project, purpose/aim, specifications, limitations and research questions. Most important in the introduction are probably the purpose/aim and research questions. Mainly, the goal was to have the robot be able to self-balance and later also be able to walk to some degree if possible. The first research question concerns how well a PID controller would affect the stability of the robot and the second question is about answering if referencing a fourlegged mammal is a good idea when building a quadruped robot. Theory and methods were combined and written as one chapter. This way relevant information could be provided in the appropriate places as the method for creating the robot was described. The chapter dives into the primary parts of the robot which are the choice of components, construction, inverse kinematics and last but not least the code including the implementation of a PID. The results show that PID regulation improves stability and performance, but PI regulation actually performed the best. Furthermore, the question regarding referencing a four-legged mammal remains inconclusive even though the model was sufficient for the task.

Today, there is an increasing demand for smart robots that can make decisions on their own and cooperate with humans in changing environments. The application areas for robotic arms with camera vision are likely to increase in the future of artificial intelligence as algorithms become more adaptable and intelligent than ever. The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to develop a robotic arm that recognises arbitrarily placed objects with camera vision and has the ability to pick and place the objects when they appear in unpredictable positions. The robotic arm has three degrees of freedom and the construction is modularised and 3D-printed with respect to maintenance, but also in order to be adaptive to new applications. The camera vision sensor is integrated in an external camera tripod with its field of view over the workspace. The camera vision sensor recognises objects through colour filtering and it uses an edge detection algorithm to return measurements of detected objects. The measurements are then used as input for the inverse kinematics, that calculates the rotation of each stepper motor. Moreover, there are three different angular potentiometers integrated in each axis to regulate the rotation by each stepper motor. The results in this thesis show that the robotic arm is able to pick up to 90% of the detected objects when using barrel distortion correction in the algorithm. The findings in this thesis is that barrel distortion, that comes with the camera lens, significantly impacts the precision of the robotic arm and thus the results. It can also be stated that the method for barrel distortion correction is affected by the geometry of detected objects and differences in illumination over the workspace. Another conclusion is that correct illumination is needed in order for the vision sensor to differentiate objects with different hue and saturation. / Idag ökar efterfrågan på smarta robotar som kan ta egna beslut och samarbeta med människor i föränderliga miljöer. Tillämpningsområdena för robotar med kamerasensorer kommer sannolikt att öka i en framtid av artificiell intelligens med algoritmer som blir mer intelligenta och anpassningsbara än tidigare. Syftet med detta kandidatexamensarbete är att utveckla en robotarm som, med hjälp av en kamerasensor, kan ta upp och sortera godtyckliga objekt när de uppträder på oförutsägbara positioner. Robotarmen har tre frihetsgrader och hela konstruktionen är 3D-printad och modulariserad för att vara underhållsvänlig, men också anpassningsbar för nya tillämpningsområden. Kamerasensorn ¨ar integrerad i ett externt kamerastativ med sitt synfält över robotarmens arbetsyta. Kamerasensorn detekterar objekt med hjälp av en färgfiltreringsalgoritm och returnerar sedan storlek, position och signatur för objekten med hjälp av en kantdetekteringsalgoritm. Objektens storlek används för att kalibrera kameran och kompensera för den radiella förvrängningen hos linsen. Objektens relativa position används sedan till invers kinematik för att räkna ut hur mycket varje stegmotor ska rotera för att erhålla den önskade vinkeln på varje axel som gör att gripdonet kan nå det detekterade objektet. Robotarmen har även tre olika potentiometrar integrerade i varje axel för att reglera rotationen av varje stegmotor. Resultaten i denna rapport visar att robotarmen kan detektera och plocka upp till 90% av objekten när kamerakalibrering används i algoritmen. Slutsatsen från rapporten är att förvrängningen från kameralinsen har störst påverkan på robotarmens precision och därmed resultatet. Det går även att konstatera att metoden som används för att korrigera kameraförvrängningen påverkas av geometrin samt orienteringen av objekten som ska detekteras, men framför allt variationer i belysning och skuggor över arbetsytan. En annan slutsats är att belysningen över arbetsytan är helt avgörande för om kamerasensorn ska kunna särskilja objekt med olika färgmättad och nyans.

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Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés à l 'étude d'un micro-robot destiné à la mise en oeuvre d'une technique de chirurgie mini-invasive pour le traitement des anévrismes de l'artère aorte abdominale. Ce micro-robot placé à l'extrémité d'un cathéter, rendant ce dernier actif, permettra la navigation à l'intérieur de l'artère en évitant les contacts avec les parois de celle-ci. Le système sera destiné à l'apprentissage du geste chirurgical et à l'assistance du chirurgienpendant l'opération. De par sa structure et ses propriétés physiques, le micro-robot, pouvantêtre composé de plusieurs modules élémentaires, entre dans la catégorie des robots continuum. Dans notre étude, un module élémentaire est considéré comme étant un robot parallèle. Lesmodèles géométriques et cinématiques inverses ont alors été établis en utilisant les techniques dela robotique parallèle. L'approche de modélisation proposée permet de faire ressortir explicitement du modèle les paramètres géométriques du micro-robot. Une étude sur l'identificationde ces paramètres a été effectuée par le calibrage du modèle géométrique inverse. Des résultatsde simulation sont présentés validant d'une part les modèles développés et d'autre part la méthode de calibrage proposée. Afin de mettre nos modèles en situation, nous avons développé unsimulateur tridimensionnel intégrant le modèle d'un segment de l'artère, le modèle du micro-robotet un syntaxeur à retour de force. La mise en place d'une navigation active, planifiée etguidée dans ce simulateur permet de contraindre les gestes du chirurgien lors de la navigation du micro-robot à l'intérieur de l'artère / In this thesis, we are interested in a micro-robot study for the implementation of a mini-invasivesurgery technique. The medical application concerns the treatment of the artery abdominal aorta aneurysms. This micro-robot located at the extremity of the catheter permits thecatheter movements into the artery avoiding minimizing contacts with the artery walls. The system can be used for the surgical gesture learning and for the surgeon assistance during the medical operation. Because of its structure and its physical properties the micro-robot is considered as a continuum robot. It is composed of one or several elementary modules. In our study we consider each elementary module as a parallel robot. Then the inverse kinematics model has been established by using techniques of parallel robotics. The proposed modelling approach allows the expression of the model according to the micro-robot geometric parameters. A study on the identification of these parameters has been developed by an inverse geometric modelcalibration. The given simulation results validate the developed models on the one hand, the proposed calibration method on the other hand. We have developed a three-dimensional simulator integrating the model of an artery segment, the micro-robot model, and a joystick with force feedback. The implementation of active, planned and guided navigation on this simulator allows to constrain the surgeon gestures during the movements of the micro-robot inside the artery

Este trabalho trata do estudo de robôs de arquitetura paralela, focando na modelagem e otimização dos mesmos. Não foi construído nenhum tipo de protótipo físico, contudo os modelos virtuais poderão, no futuro, habilitar tal façanha. Após uma busca por uma aplicação que se beneficie do uso de um robô de arquitetura paralela, fez-se uma pesquisa por arquiteturas viáveis já existentes ou relatadas na literatura. Escolheu-se a mais apta e prosseguiu-se com os estudos e modelagem cinemática e dinâmica, dando uma maior ênfase na cinemática e dinâmica inversa, esta última utilizando a formulação de Newton - Euler. Foi construído um simulador virtual em ambiente MATLAB 6.5, dotado de várias capacidades como interpolação linear e circular, avanço e uso de múltiplos eixos coordenados. Seu propósito principal é o de demonstrar a funcionalidade e eficácia dos métodos utilizados. Depois foi incorporado ao simulador um algoritmo de cálculo do volume de trabalho da máquina que utiliza alguns dados do usuário para calcular o volume, que pode ser aquele atrelado a uma postura em particular ou o volume de trabalho de orientação total. Algoritmos para medir o desempenho da máquina quanto à uniformidade e utilização da força dos atuadores foram construídos e também incorporados ao simulador, que consegue mostrar o elipsóide de forças ao longo de quaisquer movimentos executados pela plataforma móvel. Quanto à otimização, parte do ferramental previamente construído foi utilizado para que se pudesse chegar a um modelo de uma máquina que respeitasse restrições mínimas quanto ao tamanho e forma de seu volume de trabalho, mas ainda mantendo o melhor desempenho possível dentro deste volume. / This work is about the study of parallel architecture robots, focusing in modeling and optimization. No physical prototypes were built, although the virtual models can help those willing to do so. After searching for an application that could benefit from the use of a parallel robot, another search was made, this time for the right architecture type. After selecting the architecture, the next step was the kinematics and dynamics analysis. The dynamics model is developed using the Newton ? Euler method. A virtual simulator was also developed in MATLAB 6.5 environment. The simulator?s main purpose was to demonstrate that the methods applied were correct and efficient, so it has several features such as linear and circular interpolations, capacity to use multiple coordinate systems and others. After finishing the simulator, an algorithm to calculate the machine workspace was added. The algorithm receives as input some desired requirements regarding the manipulator pose and then calculates the workspace, taking into consideration imposed constraints. Lastly, algorithms capable to measure the manipulator?s performance regarding to its actuator and end-effector force relationship were also incorporated into the simulator that calculates the machine?s force ellipsoid during any movement, for each desired workspace point. For the optimization procedures, some previously developed tools were used, so that the resulting model was capable to respect some workspace constraints regarding size and shape, but also maintaining the best performance possible inside this volume.

A contribuição e objetivo desta tese é desenvolver um modelo de redes neurais artificiais, baseado em princípios de memória associativa, capaz de resolver o problema de planejamento e controle ponto a ponto de trajetória de um braço mecânico imerso em um ambiente parcialmente conhecido e/ou sujeito a ruídos. O modelo proposto é formado por dois planos: plano seqüência temporal e plano ângulo. Para o plano seqüência temporal, o novo modelo proposto chamado de Memória Associativa Multidirecional Temporal (TMAM) é capaz de armazenar e recuperar n-tuplas de informações, lidar com informações ruidosas e/ou incompletas e aprender seqüências temporais. TMAM utiliza representação contínua e realimentação autoassociativa. O plano ângulo é formado pelo modelo RBF que é responsável por produzir as informações de ângulos das juntas do braço mecânico. A composição dos dois planos forma o sistema completo que é responsável pelo planejamento e controle ponto a ponto de trajetória. Em resumo, o sistema recebe informações do ponto origem e do ponto alvo, estabelece uma trajetória para atingir o ponto alvo a partir do ponto de origem e transforma os pontos espaciais da trajetória em valores de ângulos das juntas. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o modelo TMAM é capaz de recuperar, interpelar e extrapolar pontos nas seqüências, é capaz de gerar trajetórias, de memorizar seqüências de diferentes tamanhos e de lidar com duas trajetórias ao mesmo tempo. O modelo apresenta também rápido treinamento. O modelo RBF é capaz de recuperar as saídas desejadas apresentando um erro pequeno e é capaz de receber um padrão que apresenta um ponto final inatingível e gerar um conjunto de ângulos que representa um ponto final atingível. / The aim of this project is to develop an artificial neural networks model based on principles of associative memory. This neural network model must be able to solve the problem of trajectory planning and point to point control of a robot arm, which is located in a partially known and/or noisy environment. The proposed model is composed by two surfaces: the temporal sequence surface and the angle surface. For the temporal sequence surface the new propose model Temporal Multidirectional Associative Memmy (TMAM) is able to store and recall n-tuplas of information, to deal with noisy and/or incomplete information and to learn temporal sequences. TMAM uses a continuas representation and autoassociative feedback. A RBF model is used to implement the angle surface, which is liable for producing the angle information for the joint of the robot arm. The two surfaces compose the whole system which is liable for the trajectory planning and system control. Hence, the system receives information about the initial point and the target point, constructs the trajectory to reach the target point from the initial point and converts the spatial points which compose the trajectory, in values of joint angles. The obtained results show that TMAM model can recall, interpolate and extrapolate points in the sequences. The model has the ability of generating new trajectories and memorizing different size of sequences at the same time. This model also shows fast learning. The RBF model can recall the desired outputs with a small error and can receive a pattern which is formed by an unreachable final point and generate a set of angles which, in turn, represent a reachable final point.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία πραγματεύεται την ανάπτυξη ενός αποδοτικού συστήματος ελέγχου που θα επιτυγχάνει τον ακριβή έλεγχο της θέσης ενός λαπαροσκοπικού ρομποτικού εργαλείου που χρησιμοποιεί ‘έξυπνα μορφομνήμονα κράματα’ ως τένοντες-επενεργητές. Το γεγονός ότι το εργαλείο που χρησιμοποιείται είναι με πλεονάζοντες βαθμούς ελευθερίας, καθιστά ιδιαίτερα δύσκολο πρόβλημα την επίλυση της αντίστροφης κινηματικής. Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι, μέσω τεχνικών υπολογιστικής όρασης, να επιλυθεί προσεγγιστικά η αντίστροφη κινηματική ανάλυση της θέσης των αρθρώσεων του ρομποτικού εργαλείου. Ο προτεινόμενος νόμος ελέγχου χρησιμοποιεί την αριθμητική επίλυση των γωνιών των αρθρώσεων από την αντίστροφη κινηματική για την επιτυχή παρακολούθηση της επιθυμητής τροχιάς του ρομποτικού εργαλείου. / This thesis deals with the development of a robust control system responsible for the precise position control of an innovative, SMA-based tendon-driven endoscopic robotic surgical tool. Given the hyper-redundant features of this robotic tool, the solution to the inverse kinematics problem is quite complicated. Henceforth, the main objective of this thesis is the numerical solution of the joints' positions using image processing techniques. The proposed control law utilizes this information for trajectory tracking purposes of the tool's end-effector.