Kinematics is a modular robotic construction kit, consisting of kinetic modules and adaptor blocks, which can be connected freely and without the use of cables. Kinematics is suitable for children from the age of 5 years and upwards, and with no computer skills being necessary, they may build interactive robots which have the ability to move.

Exploring and playing with the Kinematic Blocks introduces children to the world of mechanics, sensors and renewable energy. The construction kit is a highly entertaining and useful teaching tool with an intuitive interface. The adaptor blocks enable Kinematics to be connected to other leading construction kits.

Robot Examples

The highly creative modular robotic system, Kinematics, allows a wide range of applications. It is possible to construct models based on bionics as well as autonomously moving vehicles – anything is possible. Only a few examples are available now but in the next couple months many new models will be added.

Additional Kits And Components

Kits

In addition to the extant basic construction kit we intend to offer a series of additional kits, which will enable the user to add specialized motion modules and passive components. These additions will greatly extend the design possibilities and opens a whole new world to kinematics users. The range of possibilities will be grouped in different themed sets, which will cover topics such as: renewable energies, sensor technology as well as the field of bionics. Special purpose modules, including solar panels, grabbing tools or sensor modules are currently in the development stage but will be available soon. The following robot examples will give you an idea of the whole Kinematics range.

Components

To enhance the modular robotic system, Kinematics offers various additional components to enable children (from the age of 8 years) to build more complex mobile models. Besides small gear drive components, tooth belts and steering wheels are planned. This will enable the user to build very detailed models, closer to reality. By playing with the robotic construction kit and exploring different types of movement, children attain substantial knowledge about the world of movement, mechanics and robotics.

Research & Development

The Kinematics Construction Kit was invented by Leonhard Oschütz at the Bauhaus University Weimar (field of studies: Product Design, supervisor: Prof. Wolfgang Sattler) in 2009. As a part of a semester project Leo built a first prototype (Prototype I), patented it and presented it at various international conferences and trade fairs.

During his master’s thesis in 2011, and in close collaboration with the University of Applied Science, Jena, Prototype I was then further developed to Prototype II. This process involved visual and structural revision of all the modules. A small batch was finally injection molded, assembled and ready to test. The new features of Prototype II were patented in the summer of 2012.

Since late 2011 Leo, Matthias and Christian have been working together on the project. The team is supervised by “Gründerwerkstatt NEUDELI, Weimar” and acquired an EXIST-start-up grant from the European Union and plan to set up a limited company, as a spin-off, within the next few months. The aim of this company is the product development of the construction kit and the exploitation of Kinematics IP rights under a licensing agreement.

Links

http://www.robotee.com/index.php/kinematics-modular-robotic-building-blocks-81010/
http://www.kinematicblocks.com/en/
http://robotland.blogspot.com/2013/04/kinematics-next-generation-robotic.html
http://www.kinematicblocks.com/en/baukasten/der-baukasten/

Videos

http://youtu.be/A4ozXEWLhqw
http://vimeo.com/kinematicblocks

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As engineers and scientists are able to create more capable robots, managing system complexity becomes a risky proposition. As a result, developers are forced to discover new methodologies to help mitigate the risk associated with complex and novel designs. One such methodology is to develop early phase prototypes that can help reduce the risk associated with developing robotic applications. Prototyping offers benefits to engineers by providing early feedback into the design process while engaging potential clients, customers and investors.

Here are some tips that will help you prototype your next robotic system

1. Ideas are Cheap
With the advent of the Internet, ideas are being shared faster and more cheaply than at any time in history. Technologies like YouTube and Twitter drive cost and time involved with sharing an idea to virtually nothing. The most costly part of creating a new robotic system is not in coming up with the idea, but rather in determining whether the idea holds any economic value.

By creating a robotic prototype, you can show potential customers and investors an idea in a concrete form. This provides a platform for you to solicit feedback and test whether the idea has value in the marketplace; something that is challenging to do when an idea only exists on a whiteboard or technical specification document.

2. Don’t Optimize for Cost While Prototyping
As engineers, we’re tempted to always aim for the best and most elegant solution. When creating the final customer-facing robot, this is an admirable and necessary trait. However, when designing a prototype system, this is not always desirable. A potential pitfall when creating the electromechanical system is getting caught in endless cost optimization while selecting processors, memory, sensors and motors, trying to squeeze as much performance out of each of these subsystems. The same can hold true for the software engineers on staff, constantly refining and optimizing code, resulting in slipping deadlines. This process of optimization can often become a giant time sink at the beginning of the project, a time when it is most important to validate whether the project is possible and economically viable. Many projects run out of money and time before anyone ever sees what the engineers have been working on.

While cost is an important factor, the goal of the prototype is to create a platform that is within a striking distance of profitability. The robotic team should focus on building a system that clearly demonstrates the value the robot offers. Setting this as your bar of success will help your team showcase your technology to the public before running out of capital. Once customers and investors are interested and supportive, your team can then focus on optimizing the design down to an efficient and profitable system.

3. Reconfigurable I/O
Sensors and actuators are what allow a robot to experience and manipulate the world. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the design process, it’s almost impossible to know all the details about the inputs and outputs of the system, including what voltage levels are required, sampling rates, number of channels of input and number of digital lines just to name a few. That being said, incorporating I/O in your prototype is essential in creating a truly functional system. By adding sensory input and control output, engineers prove their design can be implemented in the real world. Creating a paper design, implementing that design in software and even simulating the design in a virtual environment are still largely conceptual exercises. To prove the value of your design to skeptical investors, the prototype needs to receive data and respond accordingly. Additionally, data from prototyping operations helps you refine functional requirements with clients and the rest of the design team based on actual performance.

Choosing a prototyping platform that allows engineers to quickly swap out I/O and try new combinations allows your robot to be dynamic and change as the engineers learn more about the problem they’re trying to solve.

4. Design for Reuse
One aim of the prototype is to be able to move to a subsequent design, either one more optimized and closer to the end product or one that incorporates customer feedback. In either case, the engineering team must decide which components can be used in the next iteration of the design. Extra focus must be given to these components—whether a communication protocol or software algorithm—to ensure that their interfaces and implementations make them as portable as possible in the next phase of development. This involves making sure you have consistent interfaces, decoupling components and maintain a modular design.

5. Demonstrate Your Prototype
It should be easy to demonstrate your robotic prototype. This prototype will become your calling card–the first thing that customers, venture capitalists, and potential employees notice. A prototype that is easy to set up and quickly illustrates what differentiates your product is the best way to generate positive buzz around the company and robot. When pitching your idea, show the demo as quickly as possible. An impressive demo can do so much more for your company and product than simple slides on a projector.

Links: http://www.deskeng.com/articles/aaazmm.htm

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The Legged Robotics Team at ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab is doing research to build fast, versatile, and efficient quadrupedal robots. This movie illustrates some of the work that was done in the past years. Inspired by nature, the team built different types of electrically driven robots that can do various maneuvers from slow and careful climbing to very robust dynamic trotting.

Further information can be found here: http://leggedrobotics.ethz.ch

Robotics Microlectures are produced in cooperation with Switzerland’s NCCR Robotics (http://nccr-robotics.ch/) and Robohub (http://robohub.org/).

StarlETH 3D Trotting on Treadmill with Obstacles

Trotting experiments with StarlETH on a treadmill with up to 0.7m/s (2.5km/h) over small obstacles. This quadrupedal robot (24kg, 0.2m segment lenght) is driven by 12 series elastic torque actuators and works with onboard state estimation. An external motion capture system is used to continuously adapt the the treadmill velocity.

Maneuver Collection

This is a collection of maneuvers that our quadrupedal robot ALoF can conduct: a turtle like crawling motion (right) that was applied in the ESA Lunar Robotics competition to collect stones from a volcanic crater, standup and walking (middle), and a turnover for recovery from tipping over (left)

Video Links:
1-http://youtu.be/6igNZiVtbxU
2-http://youtu.be/Wuc7mL0hkGo
3-http://youtu.be/F5HsFyirhZI

Resource Link: http://leggedrobotics.ethz.ch/

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A robot which moves freely in a building has to be adapted to an environment made for humans. On its way it may encounter small obstacles ( up to 4 cm of hight, e.g. door steps, sills  etc.) and stairs. These stairs often have nosings or ledges and sometimes open risers. The slope of indoor stairs can vary between  25° and 42°. Sometimes you will find in residental buildings even steeper stairs, especially spiral stairs. In public buildings stairs often have a rise s of 17cm and a run a of 29cm (slope approx. 30°)

*We couldn’t find the correct english word. Some papers dealing with stair climbing robots use “ledges“. On the other hand  “STAIR SAFETY, A Review of the Literature and Data Concerning Stair Geometry and Other Characteristics” , a paper prepared for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, did not use the word “ledge” at all, but you will find a lot about safety riscs caused by “nosings”.

Well-known Stair Climbing Robots

If you search the internet, you will find quite a number of stair climbing robots. There are the famous

-two-legged robots( e.g. Asimo, HRP2 ),
-six-legged robots ( e.g. RHex ), and
-tracked robots, mainly in military or law enforcement applications (e.g. Urbie, packBot).

Looking for wheeled robots you will find only a small selection. Best known probably shrimp of the EPFL Lausanne.  Helios V also climbs up and down stairs. There are also some hybrid designs with rotating legs, a mixture of a wheel and a 1-DOF-leg:  whegs, whegsII and mini-whegs IV   ( and RHex). Mini-whegs IV  uses yet another concept: It jumps from step to step.

In the amateur area are successful stair climbers too, for example the Lego robot P’titgneugneu. It climbs stairs in both directions, but it is not well suited for floors, due to its design especially developed for stair climbing.

Link: http://www.stairbot.de/en_beschreib.htm

STAIR CLIMBING WHEELED ROBOTS

Stair Climbing Robot Design Alternative – 1

This is a demo of SM Robot, a stair-climbing robot designed and constructed by Mechatronic students (DEM6 S2 / Dis 10) of PoliPD’s Mechanical Engineering Department for their final semester project.

Video Link: http://youtu.be/3qWYAOGZVM4

Stair Climbing Robot Design Alternative – 2

Mechatronics, Ariel Unviersity Center

Video Link: http://youtu.be/XzKo6KE2H5A

Stair Climbing Robot Design Alternative – 3

Heriot-Watt EPS Mechanical Engineering, Stair climbing Robot Shrimp 2011

Heriot-Watt University, 5th year Masters Students, Robotics and Cybertronics. Based on the EPFL Shrimp. Designed to accommodate a 5kg payload with wireless operation and on board charging system. The Team includes Thomas McEntee, Alexander Owen-Hill, Lukasz Sznajder and Jonathan Clay. Project supervised by Dr X. Kong and Dr J. Shephard. this is a short cut of the project video.

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/4QDJWIUDSEk

Stair Climbing Robot Design Alternative – 4

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/ERrDB6qYdLw
Resource Link: http://www.stairbot.de/en_beschreib.htm

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by David Rector

What is Linkage 2.0 ?

Linkage is computer aided design software used for quick prototyping of robotic linkage mechanisms. The number of operations needed to add a link and get it connected to other links in the mechanism has been minimized to the lowest number possible making this program ideal for “throwing together” a working machine. The mechanism is edited and animated in the same window allowing for quick analysis and modification while working on a design. It is simplistic for a CAD program but that is the intent.

-Mechanisms can be designed with pivot connectors or sliding connectors.
-Inputs to drive the mechanism can be rotary or linear.
-The number of connections on a link and the number of links is virtually unlimited.

This is a Windows program that has been developed and tested on Windows 7. It has also been run on some Windows XP systems with the most recent service packs installed.

FEATURES OF LINKAGE 2.0

Basics: Work like a vector drawing program,  Have a visual style that matches mechanisms shown in many books, Read and write .linkage2 files that use the XML format.

Design & Simulate: Play, stop, pause, step the simulation at any time during editing, Use pivoting connectors as well as less common sliding connectors, Assign drawing capability to any connector to visualize its path during simulation, Open and simulate a wide variety of included sample mechanisms, Draw points and lines separate from the simulated mechanism, Create any number of rotating and/or linear inputs, Control input positions manually during the simulation if desired.

Export: Print hard copies of the mechanism, Record the simulation in an HD video file, Save a picture of a mechanism in JPEG or PNG format.

DOCUMENTATION

Youtube Example Video: http://youtu.be/fUVEBQfj7SI

DOWNLOAD LINKAGE 2.0

Download Linkage for Windows 7.0 - Runs on Windows 7.

Download Latest Software : http://blog.rectorsquid.com/linkage-mechanism-designer-and-simulator/

Gif Export Not Available Yet – But You can Do it Yourself  

The image below was not created by the Linkage program. It was converted from an AVI file that was created with Linkage. I’m thinking about how I might be able to build in the GIF animation creation feature so that I can get easier-to-view videos that loop. YouTube is nice for sharing with strangers but the lack of a looping feature and the really ugly preview image.

The animated GIF files don’t have a preview and are playing the moment the page is displayed but that is fine. JavaScript might also be a very useful tool that would allow me to present an animated GIF similar to how YouTube videos are presented; a play button over a preview image should be fairly easy other than having to create the preview image manually.

So there it is; a nice animated GIF showing some curved sliding connections in a mechanism.

Links: 

-Youtube Video: http://youtu.be/fUVEBQfj7SI
-http://blog.rectorsquid.com/linkage-mechanism-designer-and-simulator/

http://rectorsquid.com/

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“Algodoo is a perfect aid for children to learn and practice physics at home.”

What is Algodoo ?

Algodoo is a unique 2D-simulation software with a physics engine from Algoryx Simulation AB. Algodoo is designed in a playful, cartoony manner, making it a perfect tool for creating interactive scenes. Explore physics, build amazing inventions, design cool games or experiment with Algodoo in your science classes. Algodoo encourages students and children’s own creativity, ability and motivation to construct knowledge while having fun. Making it as entertaining as it is educational. Algodoo is also a perfect aid for children to learn and practice physics at home.

PROPERTIES of ALGODOO

Functionality: With Algodoo you can create simulation scenes using simple drawing tools like boxes, circles, polygons, gears, brushes, planes, ropes and chains. Easily interact with your objects by click and drag, tilt and shake. Edit and make changes by rotating, scaling, moving, cutting or cloning your objects.

Physical Elements: You can also add more physics in your simulation like fluids, springs, hinges, motors, thrusters, light rays, tracers, optics and lenses. Algodoo also allows you to explore and play around with different parameters like gravity, friction, restitution, refraction, attraction, etc.

Analyze and Visualize: For deeper analysis you can also show graphs or visualize forces, velocities and momentum. You can also enhance your visualization by showing X/Y components and angles.

Algobox – Sharing Scenes: In Algobox, our scene library with over 50 000 scenes, you can easily save and share your creations with friends or browse and download other user made scenes. Algobox is easily accessed from within Algodoo or from this website under Scenes.

Community: With a large and active community, engaging educators, parents and kids you can discuss and share your thoughts about Algodoo.

Technology: Algodoo is based on the latest technologies, from Algoryx Simulation AB, for interactive multiphysics simulation, including variational mechanical integrators and high performance numerical methods.

Algodoo runs on Windows and Mac OS. Algodoo is optimized for the Intel® powered convertible Classmate PC and interactive whiteboard systems like SMART Board.

DOWNLOAD ALGODOO (It is All Free)

Algodoo is now available as a free download. If you want to support the development of Algodoo you can purchase it from the Appstore with all its benefits. Or, you can simply download it for free below, either way is fine with us.

Download and double-click to start the installer, then follow the instructions.

Important: if Algodoo runs slowly, please make sure you update your graphics drivers!

www.algodoo.com

ROBOT DESIGNING WITH ALGODOO

This technology makes it possible to design and test robots in virtual environments before the physical robots are built, which enables robot manufacturers to improve the performance of their products and decrease the time and cost for development.

A Four Legged Robot Design

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/yZPOHQ_1lzM
Download Source File (.phz) – You have to download Algodoo Application to open a .phz file.
– http://www.algodoo.com/algobox/details.php?id=69137
– http://www.robotee.com/DC/81002_Robotee_Algodoo_Source.phz

Algodoo/Phun Internal Combustion Engine Mk. II

Imitation of internal combustion in Algodoo using water expansion with altered settings (increased water density, decreased vaporize time, etc.) The pistons are pushed by expanding water particles. Engine is able to overpower a brake of 150 Nm strength.

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/iwgakSdOM0I

Phun / Algodoo – Huge Supervehicle Suspension Test

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/nlT6H9ELD5M

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What is a Robotic Design ?

A Robotic Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of a robot or a robotic system (as in architectural blueprints, engineering drawing, operation process, circuit diagrams ). Design has different connotations in different fields. In some cases the direct construction of an object (as in pottery, engineering, management, graphic design) is also considered to be design.

More formally a robotic design is defined as; (noun) a specification of a robot, manifested by a robot designer, intended to accomplish goals, in a particular robotic environment, using a set of primitive components, satisfying a set of requirements, subject to constraints; (verb, transitive) to create a robotic design, in an robotic environment

Steps of ROBOT DESIGN PROCESS

Robotee is using RSF (Robotee Solution Framework) which is a Developing Structure for robot developers. RSF is a whole of solutions composed of models, principals and road maps developed in order to standardize quality in robot development processes.

1-DEFINE the PROBLEM and IDENTIFY the OBJECTIVES 

You need to determine what problem you are trying to solve and the objectives you want to reach before you attempt to design and build a robot. Take the time to study a number of different situations and once you have decided what the situation is and you understand exactly what the problem is then write a design brief in a log book (this will become your working document as you work on your robot.)

Many times, robot designers, and engineers do not dream up an idea on their own, but are bombarded by the problems of a customer, society, or the environment that has to be solved to achieve a basic “need.” Without a clear definition of this need and the objectives, the engineering design process cannot begin. Much time and many careers have been wasted in the pursuit of an un-defined target.

Step-1 is a short statement which explains
-the problem that is to be solved
-and the objectives  to be reached.

The problem must be accurately and realistically defined in order to go about the process of solving it.
1. Get a clear picture of the Parameters of the problem.
2. Make a list of the Objectives and rank them in order of importance.
3.Define the Constraints of the problem.
4.Many times a robot cannot do everything that a problem presents. It is important to prioritize and design a machine that can do the most things and do a few things very well.

2-RESEARCH and BRAINSTORM

Research:

Having written a brief, you are now ready to gather information. First you will need to decide what information you require. This will be different from project to project and will also depend on the amount of information and knowledge you already have.

 What is the practical function of the design?  – What must my robot do?
A design’s practical functions can include:

• movement: How will the robot move within its environment?
• manipulation: How will the robot move or manipulate other objects within its environment?
• energy: How is the robot powered?
• intelligence: How does the robot “think?”
• sensing: How will my robot “know” or figure out what’s in its environment?

Research must be focused and incorporate new ideas and a thorough exploration of old similar ideas. Sometimes the old ideas are the best. Ever heard the saying, “Don’t reinvent the wheel?” Old ideas that failed are sometimes great research gold mines; that idea may have failed due to a lack of new technology that may exist now.

- Explore other solutions to the same and similar problems,
– Identify specific details of the design which must be satisfied,
– Identify possible and alternative design solutions
– Plan and design an appropriate structure which includes drawings

Brainstorm:

The first step is to start sketching to get the ideas on paper. Sketching and drawing by hand enables you to tap your creative side. It is important to have accurate and complete sketches in order to translate the idea into hand or CAD drawings and models. This phase also allows for virtual prototyping or testing of the product in the computer. You can find potential, and sometimes costly, flaws in a design before the real world mock-up is constructed.

Draw and talk about ideas with in groups. No ideas are bad ideas. It is important to consider all approaches to a problem. One that did not seem feasible or make sense in the beginning might be the way to go in the end. Not too many projects go through development on the first try or on the best idea at the time. The final project usually consists of a collection of ideas; some that were considered too risky, costly, or just plain crazy.

Solutions must be separated according to their pros and cons. This activity is better accomplished in a group setting. Brainstorming encourages a maximum amount of input from different levels of experience and different approaches to the problem. Alternative solutions can be analyzed and cataloged according to merit and possible use. After these ideas have been distilled to a manageable number, the numbers must be crunched to evaluate the probability and cost of a successful outcome, using the individual solutions. Larger factors come into play here, such as common sense and instinct. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

3-BUILD A PROTOTYPE

The best way to know if a design will work in real-world conditions is to build a prototype.

Sketches and notes are required at this stage. (May be you can  create prototypes using lego for this step. Once you have created a lego prototype, take a digital picture of it.) Print out the picture and jot your notes below the picture in your log book. Once you have settled on a solution, go back over the list of specifications you have made. Make sure that each specification is satisfied.

If an initial design and prototype does not fully solve the problem or specifications, meet the design parameters, or stay within an acceptable cost, a designer may go “back to the drawing board” (or computer). The engineering design process has a loop to go back to the design and refine or redesign.

Now it is the time to produce some working drawings. These are the drawings that will assist you as you begin constructing your robot. (Here again, lego and a digital camera might be your best friend.) You may choose to do your drawings by hand or you might want to use a draw program on the computer to assist you.

4-BUILD YOUR ROBOT

The build process must take into consideration materials, processes, construction limitations, and cost. Companies make substantial investments in factories and the infrastructure to build their designs so the more efficiently a design has been handled, the better off the build will be. Once the build process has begun, the company can begin to hopefully make a return on its investments in the entire design process by marketing and selling the product.

5-TEST YOUR ROBOT

As building work progresses, and the design begins to take shape, you will automatically carry out tests on the design. You will also need to complete systems tests at various stages of the construction. If any of the tests show that you have failure in a joint, or that part of your structure is not meeting specifications, then you will have to make modifications in your plan.

When building  is complete, the entire project must be tested to see if it does the job for which it was designed. An evaluation needs to then be written. This should be a statement outlining the strengths and weaknesses in your design. It should describe where you have succeeded and where you have failed to achieve the aims set out in the specifications.

Here is a list of questions which will help you to prepare this statement.
• How well does the design function?
• Does the design look good?
• Is the product safe to use?
• Did I plan my work adequately?
• Did I find the construction straightforward or difficult?
• Were the most suitable materials used?
• Did it cost more or less than expected?
• How could I have improved my design?

GO TO STEP ONE and RESTART

A design evolves as you go over on this Robot Design Cycle. Usually the first product is called version 1. As the design evolves it gets better on solving the problem.

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