Main Components:
1) Axon Microcontroller
2) 6V 3200mAh Re/ch. Battery
3) 1 Infrared Sensor
4) 2 Light Sensors
5) 21 Hitec Servos
6) Aluminium Brackets

Functions:
1) Walk on four legs
2) Pass through a gap of minimum 8cm
3) Roll up a ramp up to 45º slope
4) Climb a height up to 12 cm
5) Crawl on irregular surfaces

Practical Applications:
1) Military missions
2) Exploration of planets
3) Rescue operations

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For more information, please visit
www.inspectorbots.com

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Thailand Rescue Robot 2010 – Four-R Intro

RRRR rescue robotics team introduce from Nakhon Ratchasima Rajbhat University.

Plasma-RX Robocup Rescue Robot 2008, Suzhou

World Champion Robocup Rescue Robot 2008, Suzhou, China Chulalongkorn University

RoboCup2007 RescueRobot “Independent”

World Robocup Rescue 2009 IRAP_PRO KMUTNB

 Rescue Robot Quince

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The post LEGO 16 Wheeled Robot 11088 appeared first on Robotpark ACADEMY.

NXT Ballbot applies the same technology on two axis:
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eau8y-yhPc
NXT Ballbot Simulation with MsExcel:
http://ballbotexcel.blogspot.com.tr/
Lego NXT TwoWheels es un robot de dos ruedas estabilizado con gran movilidad y posibilidades. Está programado en RobotC y gracias a su interfaz Bluethoot puede ser controlado desde un ordenador o smartphone.
Video Link: http://youtu.be/-KQcUo3JVUs

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Grizzly is easily customizable and offers users incredible strength, an unbeatable control system, and front axle articulation that keeps the vehicle grounded and stable on even the most challenging terrain. In combining power and precision, Grizzly defines a new category of robotics, the Robotic Utility Vehicle (RUV).

With 26″ all-terrain tires, 400Ah power capacity, four high-power motors, front axle articulation and a maximum drawbar of almost 1700lbf, Grizzly has a likeness of a tractor. Combine those features with high precision wheel encoders, onboard current and voltage sensors, IMU, GPS, and any other sensors you could ask for, and you have a precision machine made to do the heavy work.

Links

www.clearpathrobotics.com/grizzly
Youtube Video: http://youtu.be/K71Ov2mcxGU

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A new technology in Tracked Robots, by Osaka University
A simple Robotic Mechanism which can easily move towards all directions

At Innovation Japan 2011, a research group from Osaka University presented Omni-Crawler, a crawler that can be driven in all directions. The group also presented the Omni-Ball, a ball-shaped, omni-directional wheel the principals of which are implemented in the crawler.

“Our current crawler mechanism is designed to move sideways as well. With a conventional crawler, if you position it to enter a narrow space, the crawler has to turn round repeatedly. But this crawler can move sideways as well, so it’s easy to fine-tune its movements. Ordinarily, there’s a lot of energy loss due to turning, but this crawler can be positioned immediately by moving to the side just a little. So we think this crawler can greatly minimize energy loss as well.”

This crawler mechanism utilizes Omni-Ball, a ball-shaped, omni-directional wheel developed by the research group. In Omni-ball, two hemispherical wheels face each other on either side of an axle. In this structure, the two hemispheres can rotate both independently and together as a sphere.

“By rotating the axle dynamically using a motor, we can effectively combine the direction of the driving force and the direction in which the structure moves as a caster. A moving object with at least three of these wheels can generate a driving force in all directions.”

Another prototype application for this crawler mechanism, being co-developed with JAXA, is a planetary exploration robot that combines three crawlers in three dimensions. There are also prototypes of a robot hand with crawlers attached to the fingertips, and a gripper that can continuously pick up soft objects without deforming them.

“Currently, we’re considering Omni-Ball as a point, and building a crawler mechanism with Omni-Balls in a line. And next, we’re thinking of a planar object that can move in all directions. That, too, could be used not just as a mobile robot; it could be attached to the end of a robot gripper to turn gripped objects in all directions. We’re trying to build a structure that keeps the gripped object flat, in a stable state. An application for this could be holding organs in abdominal surgery, so the stomach, for example, could be handled using just the gripping end. The orientation of the gripped object can be changed using just the end, so we think this could be useful as a robot hand in surgery.”

More Info

Simple robots known as crawlers have become very important in specialized tasks that require moving extremely heavy objects. Robots that are similar to crawlers even are used in planetary exploration. The downside to crawlers has always been a lack of fluid mobility, such as sideways motion. This means that since the crawlers are limited in their directional field it can take quite a while to complete tasks with them. Luckily researchers at Japan’s Osaka University have finally created an innovative new crawler that uses a technology called Omni-Ball to add substantially improved mobility.

So what exactly is the Omni-Ball all about? This omni-directional wheel allows the prototype battery-powered remote-controlled Omni-Crawler to travel in any direction desired and allows increased efficiency when using a crawler. Although the Omni-Crawler isn’t the first concept for a multi-directional robotic crawler, it still is very unique. Unlike similar concepts, this crawler utilizes two cylindrical crawlers which borrow properties from the team’s two-piece ball-shaped wheels. The Omni-Balls consist of two matching wheels connected to one another on a short axle. This allows rotation independently or in unison.

According to its developers, there is a lot of potential for this crawler beyond conventional use. The Omini-Crawler is considered a starting point for a variety of related projects including a crawler that can combine three crawler wheels for planetary exploration. There are even prototypes of a robot hand with Omni-ball crawlers attached to the fingertips and a gripper that can easily grab soft objects without damaging them. The developers even dream of a world where these omini-ball based devices could even be used for holding organs in surgery and other surgical related purposes.

The Omni-Crawler and the technology behind it certainly look to point to a future ruled by robots. This may be an exaggeration, but nonetheless is clear that robotic technology is quickly advancing and becoming more commonplace in daily life.

View PDF of This Project

Download This PDF : 11076_Crawler_Mechanism_with_Circular_Section_IROS08_1351_MS.pdf

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The Solowheel from Inventist, Inc. is simultaneously an advanced form of low-energy, zero-emission, ultra-portable transportation and a modern version of Thor’s prehistoric wheel from “B.C.” Not that self-balancing people movers are anything new, even in modern times.

The best known product in this category is the Segway. The main difference between a Segway and a Solowheel is size. The Segway has two wheels and a long handle for the “driver” to hang on to. By contrast, the Solowheel is just what it sounds like – a single wheel, but one with a small handle on top so that when you’ve finished using it for transportation, you can pick it up and carry it with you.

If you’re a student and you use it to get to class, you don’t even need a parking space. You can just park it next to your desk. Or if you’re a commuter and you use it to catch the bus, you don’t have to attach it to the bike rack. You just carry it on with you. It’s like a 25-lb. round suitcase with an electric motor and two small platforms on the sides to put your feet on.

Just don’t expect to use it for long commutes without a bus or a train to help out. In its present incarnation the Solowheel has a top speed of about 12 miles per hour and runs on a battery that has a life, coincidentally, of about one hour at top speed travel. If you try to make a round trip of more than 12 miles, you could find yourself carrying the Solowheel home. So while it may have some practical uses, like making quick trips to the convenience store, the Solowheel is as much a toy as it is a commuter vehicle. It’s perfect for rolling across the park on lazy weekends or just circling around the block, but not so perfect for long distance travel.

Reinventing the Wheel

The people at Inventist, Inc., like to say that they’ve “reinvented the wheel,” which isn’t entirely true. Like every wheel ever made, the Solowheel is round and it rotates, allowing it to roll. There’s nothing new about that. What Inventist has done differently is more in the way that the wheel is used than in the way it works. The Solowheel has a 1,000-watt electric motor that rotates the wheel, a lithium-ion battery that powers theelectric motor and a gyroscope that helps the user stay balanced while moving. It also uses a power regeneration system that can recharge the battery using the kinetic energy of braking or gliding. This doesn’t turn it into a perpetual motion machine, capable of recharging itself fully while it moves, but it can extend the life of the battery if you spend a lot of time riding it downhill or stopping at lights.

The Solowheel doesn’t have much in the way of controls. In fact, it doesn’t really have any at all. You start it by putting your feet on the small platforms extending to each side of the wheel, standing up, and leaning forward. You brake it by leaning backward. And you steer it by leaning sideways in the direction that you want to go. That’s about as simple as walking and you barely have to move your legs (though Solowheel users say that balancing on it and steering for an hour can still give you an exhausting workout). When you’re done with it, you can fold the foot platforms into the case surrounding the upper portion of the wheel and grab the handle on top to pick it up. The Solowheel recharges off normal current and a full charge takes about 45 minutes, so if you want to ride it the full 12 miles to work in the morning, you can have it charged and ready by afternoon to take you home again.

Is it easy to use? The people at Inventist say it is and they have videos of people happily gliding along on a Solowheel without falling down and breaking any delicate body parts. But the reviewers at Engadget say they had a little trouble getting balanced on it in the first place and have videos that show them not quite managing to get on board. Apparently, balancing on a wheel is a skill that takes time and practice to master, though the result could be worth it if you need a quick way to catch your commuter train. It’s also fairly inexpensive, if not the cheapest form of transportation on the block — that would be your feet, followed by a bicycle. And, it’s convenient, cheap to run, easy to store and will get you lots of curious looks from bystanders.

External Links

http://solowheel.com

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/solowheel1.htm

The post A New Personal Robotic Gadget – Solo Wheel 31020 appeared first on Robotpark ACADEMY.

Thermite is one of the world’s first fire fighting robots designed to remove the human element from hazardous fire fighting situations. From BLEVES to chemical fires to fuel farm fires, Thermite is leading the way and defining the future of firefighting. At $96K, Thermite offers not only life saving capability but also the capability to reduce the insurance cost of fighting fires by lowering work related injurys and/or deaths.

Howe and Howe Technologies of Waterboro, Maine, has unveiled the firefighter of tomorrow called the Thermite RS1-T2. Based on technology developed for the U.S. Army, this squat little modular robot on tank treads is a small, powerful fire fighting machine that provides crews with a means for remote reconnaissance and fighting fires in hazardous areas safely.

The Thermite is designed to be used in areas of extreme hazard, such as aircraft fires, refineries, chemical plants or nuclear reactors. In fact, brothers Mike and Geoff Howe, who founded Howe and Howe, used the Fukushima nuclear disaster as an example of the kind of location where the Thermite is intended to be used. Not only is it preferable to risk a robot instead of a person, the Thermite is also immune to smoke, fumes and fatigue – the last of which is a major cause of death in firefighters by heart attack.

The Thermite is remote controlled and can be operated from up to a quarter of a mile (400 m) away. It’s not large, measuring only 74 inches (187.96 cm) long, 35 inches (88.9 cm) wide and 55 inches (139.7 cm) high, and weighing in at 1,640 pounds (743.89 kg). However, it’s small size is a deliberate design feature. The Howe brothers wanted the Thermite to be able to go through doorways and navigate interior spaces. Also, being small means the Thermite is easy to transport in city traffic – especially when using the company’s Bulldog fire fighting truck, which is designed to carry a pair of Thermites or similar sized robots.

It’s also powerful for its size. Its 25 bhp (18.64 kW) diesel engine can haul up to 1,270 pounds (576 kg) and its steel and aircraft-grade aluminum construction help it to traverse the most rugged of terrain and provide reconnaissance. Its main firefighting tool is a multi-directional nozzle that is backed by a pump that can deliver 600 gallons per minute (2271.25 l/min).

The Thermite is derived from the Howe and Howe RS-1 Base, which is a robot platform that can also be fitted with a robotic arm or cameras for reconnaissance, or configured as a bulldozer. By sending in a combination of robots, firefighters can not only put out fires, but also assess the situation, search for survivors and clear debris.

This is a Swiss Army knife of a robot. The question is, will its modular design make it into a versatile firefighting team or will it, like the eponymous knife, be able to do many things, but few of them well? It’s no substitute for human firefighters, but it does provide an alternative to sending people into extremely dangerous situations and with its multiple configurations it can perform a range of tasks in hazardous environments.

External Links 
http://www.dvice.com/archives/2012/10/thermite-makes.php#2
http://www.gizmag.com/thermite-robot/24445/

The post Fire-Fighting Tracked Robot Thermite 31019 appeared first on Robotpark ACADEMY.

In this project we are targeting researches in robotics, artificial intelligence and computer vision as well as hobby robotics enthusiasts.

For this purposes, we identified and addressed the following key requirements:

• should be complete open (hardware and software)
• equipped with typical and widely used set of sensors
• easy customizable to integrate new or different types of sensors and actuators
• energy efficient yet powerful on-board computer
• provide bi-directional communication link to transmit sensor and control data in real-time
• set of software modules which support distributed data processing and provide hardware abstraction layer. It should let developers concentrate on experiments and applications of their core competences
• considerably lower cost comparing to the similar available products

Go To the Project Page > Coming Soon

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