A Wireless Compact Control Unit (WiCCU) for Untethered Pneumatic Soft Robots

L. Manfredi, A. Cuschieri
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引用次数: 5

Abstract

The performance of a soft pneumatic robot (SPR) relies on the synergy between the mechanical design and the control unit that implements a closed-loop control between sensors and actuators. Most controllers are designed by using off-the-shelf components. Although commercial parts present high precision and reliability, they are heavy and bulky, limiting the realisation and design of untethered robots. The present study describes a wireless pneumatic control unit of a compact and light design that can control up to 3 pneumatic chambers. The unit includes pressure sensors and high precision miniaturised proportional valves. To simplify both the electrical cabling and the air tubes connections, a compact manifold is used to connect valves and pressure sensors. The control unit uses a Bluetooth RS232 serial module for a wireless communication. The mechatronic design is reported describing the electronic hardware, the manifold solution, and the firmware implementation. Experiments report i) the control of a linear pneumatic actuator (LPA), and ii) a simultaneous activation of 3 LPAs connected to a base providing 3 degrees of freedom (DOFs).
用于无系绳气动软机器人的无线紧凑型控制单元(WiCCU)
软气动机器人(SPR)的性能依赖于机械设计和控制单元之间的协同作用,实现传感器和执行器之间的闭环控制。大多数控制器都是使用现成的组件设计的。尽管商用部件具有高精度和可靠性,但它们笨重笨重,限制了无系绳机器人的实现和设计。本研究描述了一种紧凑轻便的无线气动控制单元,可以控制多达3个气动室。该装置包括压力传感器和高精度微型比例阀。为了简化电气布线和空气管连接,使用了一个紧凑的歧管来连接阀门和压力传感器。控制单元采用蓝牙RS232串行模块进行无线通信。报告了机电一体化设计,描述了电子硬件、流形解决方案和固件实现。实验报告i)线性气动执行器(LPA)的控制,以及ii)连接到提供3个自由度(dof)的基座上的3个LPA的同时激活。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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