Expandable Robotic Arm Segment Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional robotic arms are ill-suited for accessing confined spaces due to their bulky kinematic and structural properties, which lead to interference with obstacles and inefficiencies in navigating narrow paths, known as the 'Last One Foot Problem, with no effective solution currently available to assist human workers in these tasks.
Innovation Solution
A robotic arm comprising a series of expandable segments that can be individually actuated to extend and tilt, allowing it to snake through tight spaces by sequentially expanding from the proximal end to the distal end, with a controller managing the expansion and tilt to avoid obstacles and reach target positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional robotic arms are used, then structural strength and stability are maintained, but the ability to access confined spaces deteriorates due to bulky kinematic properties
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is divided into multiple telescopic segments that can extend and retract independently. Each segment contains its own actuation mechanism, allowing the arm to segment its volume and adapt its configuration to navigate through confined spaces while maintaining structural integrity through the segmented design.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm employs a telescopic structure where segments are nested within each other, similar to nested dolls. This allows the arm to compact its volume when retracted and expand when needed, enabling access to confined spaces without permanently increasing the overall size of the robotic system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If robotic arms navigate through narrow passages, then access to confined spaces is improved, but computational complexity increases due to path planning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm uses dynamic telescopic segment extension and retraction during motion, allowing real-time adaptation to obstacles and changing spatial constraints. This dynamic configuration capability reduces the need for complex pre-computed paths, as the arm can adjust its geometry during execution to simplify navigation through narrow passages.
3Length of moving object
If robotic arms are extended to reach distant targets, then reachability is improved, but peak power usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm extends and retracts its telescopic segments in a periodic, staged manner rather than extending all segments simultaneously. This periodic extension approach distributes the power demand over time, reducing peak power usage while achieving the same overall reachability by sequentially deploying segments as needed during the motion trajectory.
Data Source
AI summary
Expandable robotic arms are described. A robotic arm may include a series of expandable segments connected to each other. Further, each of the expandable segments may be individually controlled to expand and/or tilt with one or two tilt degrees of freedom. In operation, the robotic arm may expand sequentially segment by segment from a proximal most segment to a distal most segment to reach a target position and orientation from an initial position and orientation. A variety of methods and algorithms for pathfinding and otherwise operating such a robotic arm are also described.