[Feature article] Introduced in the video.Robots by functional part [Undercarriage]

What kind of image do you have when you hear the keyword "robot"?
(Although the analogy may be a little old ...) You may think of something that imitates the human figure, such as Astro Boy or Tetsujin 28-go, so-called humanoids.

Some of the most famous robots with head, torso, arm, and leg functions like humans are as follows.

Also, I think it's easy to imagine not only humanoid robot pets but also animal robot pets.

It can be said that these robots are recognized as being closer to us by having a "body" that is recognized as a living thing.

This time, we will introduce robots from all over the world from the perspective of individually possessing the functions of living things, rather than robots with such bodies.For each functional partI picked it up.We will also introduce videos of each product released by each manufacturer, so please see the actual movement and what you can do.

This article is the "Undercarriage-Those with the function of movement".
"Hands / arms-things that have the function of handling objects" Click here for more information..

 

 

Undercarriage-things that have the function of movement

Introducing this time is a robot that has a means of movement by equipping it with mechanisms such as wheels and legs.It is expected to be used for transporting something to a destination or recognizing and investigating the surrounding environment. I will.

The quadruped walking robot "Big Dog" developed by Boston Dynamics in the United States in 2005 may have surprised some people at that time (the video is from 4).

Big Dog Overview (Updated March 2010)

 

Boston Dynamics is also developing a humanoid robot "Atlas".The acrobatic movement in this video and the posture maintenance performance that enables it are also tremendous.

More Parkour Atlas

 

Vehicle type robot

A type of robot that moves by rotating tires.There are various types such as a type with small tires under the main body, a type with tires on both sides of the main body like a car, and a type with Mecanum wheels (*) that can move in all directions.

iRobot Create 2 / iRobot (USA)

An affordable robot development platform based on the famous "Roomba" cleaning robot. You can move it by connecting it to an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, or you can move it by connecting it to a PC and the attached cable.It is used as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) resource for learning the basics of robotics and computer science in the field of education and development.

The appearance of moving on the floor is exactly "green rumba", but the point is that you can create your own robot by programming software and customizing hardware.hereYou can also see an example project using iRobot Create 2.

Hack it. Build it. Share it. | Create 2 Programmable Robot | iRobot®

 

Neobotix GmbH (Germany)

A mobile robot manufactured by Neobotix of Germany, which has been developing and manufacturing robots for over 20 years.Multiple models are available for use in industrial settings and as a research robot platform for different movement methods and effective loads.We also have a lineup of mobile manipulators that integrate manipulators and robot arms with each mobile robot, and automatic transportation system robots in factories.

Introduced in the video below is the MPO-500, a model that uses Mecanum wheels (*) that can move in all directions.You can move with a high degree of freedom by making full use of the four tires, such as sliding to the side, diagonally moving, and rotating on the spot.

Mobiler Mecanum Roboter MPO-500 – Omnidirektionales Fahrverhalten

* About Mecanum wheels

Omnidirectional wheel design for ground vehicles that can move in any direction. Mecanum wheels are based on tireless wheels, with rubber rollers mounted diagonally around the wheel rim with a rotation axis of 45 degrees to the wheel plane and 45 degrees to the axle. I will.Each wheel is an independent non-steering drive wheel that, when rotated, produces propulsion perpendicular to the roller axle.This mechanism enables linear motion and rotation of the vehicle by adjusting the rotation speed and direction of rotation of each wheel.

Example:
– Move all four wheels in the same direction and at the same speed to move back and forth
– If you move diagonal wheels in the same direction and at the same speed, they will move sideways.
– If you move one of the diagonal wheels in the same direction and at the same speed, it will move diagonally.
– If you move the left and right wheels in the same direction and at the same speed, they will rotate on the spot.

See also: Wikipedia: Mecanum wheel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecanum_wheel

 

Rover Pro / Rover Robotics (USA)

A robust robot with IP67 dustproof and waterproof performance to withstand all kinds of outdoor environments.With a payload of up to 100 kg and a high torque 2050KV in-runner brushless motor, it has a longer life and quieter operation than robots with brush motors.The drive part can be selected from 2WD with front wheel drive, 4WD with front and rear wheel drive, and Flipper that can also operate up stairs.

At about 12 seconds in the video below, the Flipper model is equipped with teardrop-shaped wheels that allow you to climb up and down stairs and rotate your aircraft dexterously.

Open Rover from Rover Robotics

The website of Rover Robotics, the manufacturer of Rover Pro, has a comparison chart of various vehicle-type mobile robots for different purposes.Please refer.

Docs Rover: FAQ> Is the Rover a good fit for my application?

Leg robot

A robot that moves using a mechanism that plays the role of multiple legs, such as bipedal walking like a human, quadrupedal walking like an animal, and dexterous movement of multiple legs like a spider to move forward.Complex terrain that is difficult for vehicle-type mobile robots to step on, such as undulating terrain and activities at disaster sites, is being considered.

Ghost Series / Ghost Robotics (USA)

A four-legged robot research and development platform for commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UGV) development, advanced gait research / simulation, and machine learning.This Q-UGV is suitable for various environments, such as climbing stairs and vertical obstacles (fences, etc.), and walking in a well-balanced manner even in places such as rocks, sands, and ice.

The following is an introduction video of Spirit 40, the latest model in the Ghost Spirit series for research and development.From the beginning of the video, I was kicked off with my foot and it looks like I'm sorry, but even if I lose my posture, I dexterously rotate sideways and rebuild.The second half of the video shows a light run on asphalt and grass (6.5 feet per second).

Spirit series: Spirit 40 small Q-UGV for Swarm, ISR, Subterranean Domain and General R & D

 

Pupper Robot / Cypress Software Inc. (USA)

A low-cost, customizable and programmable open source compact quadruped robot designed for "anyone to participate in robot research".Stanford Student Robotics (Stanford University research team) in the United States Stanford Pupper Is the base, and Cypress Software handles a set of parts necessary for building a robot and an assembled robot.

The following video is a video published by Stanford Student Robotics. As the name "Pupper" suggests, you can see the gesture of sitting and looking at you, and the movement of jumping small.

Stanford Pupper

 

Those that have the functions of hands / arms and undercarriage

By combining the "handling of objects" of the hands and arms with the "movement" of the undercarriage, the robot will be able to perform more specific tasks (behavior similar to humans).

Stretch RE / hello robot (USA)

A mobile manipulator equipped with a thin telescopic arm gripper that replaces the human arm on an autonomous mobile robot equipped with a 3D camera, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with 9 degrees of freedom, LiDAR, and an in-vehicle computer.The Compliant gripper, which comes by default, is a great gripper with springs and rubber suction cups that act as fingertips.Since it can come into contact with an object with high frictional force, it can also grab small objects such as tablets.

Research Editions are currently on sale for research purposes, but videos envision Strech in people's lives (hello robots are former Google employees Aaron Edsinger and Georgia. Founded by Professor Charlie Kemp of the Institute of Technology, we are working on the development of mobile manipulators to make the elderly, disabled and caregivers more prosperous and easier to live by utilizing robots).

Stretch RE1 Launch

 

In addition, "Neobotix", which was mentioned in the section on vehicle-type robots, also has a large number of "Mobile Manipulator Series" with a robot arm attached to the mobile base.This is expected to be used mainly for industrial purposes in factories and the like.

Neobotix mobile Roboterplatformen

 

Extra – A combination of two functions for movement

Finally, I would like to introduce the small robot developed by the Aerospace Robotics and Control Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology, which is also called "LEONARDO".

The name LEONARDO is "LEgs ONboAERD drOIt is named after "ne", and if you look closely, four propellers are attached to the parts corresponding to both bowls in a drone-like arrangement.It is a unique bipedal walking robot that keeps its posture and balances walking by rotating the propeller.

LEONARDO Bipedal Robot with Thrusters

 

Other functional parts Links to articles

* We will inform you on this page as soon as it is ready for publication.