Multi-skilled robots designed to meet "new challenges

Citation

(2002), "Multi-skilled robots designed to meet "new challenges", Industrial Robot, Vol. 29 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2002.04929eab.007

Multi-skilled robots designed to meet "new challenges"

Multi-skilled robots designed to meet "new challenges"

Keyword: Robots

Speaking on behalf of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Shigeo Hirose has reported on "development work in full progress" on multi-skilled robots that will, in his view, "greatly shape what is needed to meet fresh challenges."

Mr Hirose has conceded that work is still at the basic research stage, but he claims "today's prototypes can confidently be expected to be the precursors to a future breed of robots able to engage in self-assembly and rearrangements to suit ever-new work-needs, as they appear."

One approach, in his opinion, "is a series of mobile robots that can mutually link together to form an elongated, snake-like structure that can climb inclines and traverse crevices that single units cannot tackle. Robots to the rear of such an assembly would push and those near the front would pull. One main obstacle has thus been able to be overcome, the robots would mutually separate and carry out separate tasks."

A two-robot prototype in this form has been perfected by the Hirose group in which each robot incorporates a work-arm mounted on a mobile base, and here, rather than wheels, the base is equipped with a pair of continuous belts that the group calls "the gun-ryu unit" or "the dragon machine." Mr Hirose has even said "trials have all been successfully completed and with the next step being to construct further examples and link them together." Opinion is building that such a robot "could be employed in exploration of the surface of Mars."

The Toshiba Corp. is engaged in the development of a modular, multi-jointed manipulator to serve as a general purpose robot hand, this unit incorporating a basic member resembling the long bone in the arm of a human on which a variety of rod-shaped appendages and freely rotating joint components can be mounted, to form "hands" of various sizes and shapes. A prototype has already been developed with joints that are 110mm in diameter and 170mm in length which have linking appendages of various lengths of between 100-200mm.

The next logical step for modular robots of this type is to develop a way for units to assemble themselves, and this aim, spoken of as the "ultimate goal of work," is being carried out by a group at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research under the leadership of Toshio Fukuda of Nagoya University.

"Our group's prototype," Mr Fukuda explained, "is based on a number of modular units or cells. A base cell is supplemented with those for specific functions, including branching, action, bearing and rotating the latter for acting as joints. Each cell weighs 1kg and is equipped with an individual electronic 'brain' and a motor. In operation, information and energy can function with as many as 11 cells mounted on a base. As of now, a conclusion has been reached that the robot requires external stimuli and guidance to perform a wide variety of tasks once it has been assembled."