Original scientific paper

Embedded control system for AUTAREP - a novel AUTonomous Articulated Robotic Educational Platform

Usama Iqbal ; Robotics & Control Research (RCR) Group, Department of Electrical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Abdul Samad ; Robotics & Control Research (RCR) Group, Department of Electrical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Zainab Nissa ; Robotics & Control Research (RCR) Group, Department of Electrical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Jamshed Iqbal ; Robotics & Control Research (RCR) Group, Department of Electrical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

This research introduces an open-source framework, AUTonomous Articulated Robotic Educational Platform (AUTAREP). The platform is centred on a 6 Degree Of Freedom (DOF) arm with multiple feedbacks to ensure precision and autonomy. The sensory system consists of vision, position and force feedbacks while the actuation system comprises six precise DC servo motors. In particular, this paper presents the design of an embedded controller for AUTAREP. The proposed design of the control hardware and software interface has been tailored as per academic requirements of relevant undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Low level commands have been provided to permit readily development of applications for trainees. Advanced users can further exploit the open-source architecture of the platform. The performance of the proposed control system has been demonstrated by various experiments on the fabricated hardware. The control has been subjected to various test inputs to analyse its transient and steady state behaviour. The robot has been tested to achieve a set-point position successfully and the encoder data corresponding to all the joints has been recorded. Finally, a common application of "pick and place" has been implemented. The proposed platform is potentially beneficial in teaching engineering courses, training in industrial sector and research of advanced algorithms.

Keywords

control design; educational robot; manipulator; robot control

Hrčak ID:

131202

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/131202

Publication date:

21.12.2014.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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