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This paper presents the main characteristics of a hexapod robot designed and manufactured by the Centre for Automation and Robotics (CAR) CSIC-UPM, Spain. The main objective of this hexapod walking robot is carry out tasks for localisation of anti-personnel mines, using a scanning manipulator on-board with a metal detector installed on the tool cen...
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This paper presents the most relevant results of the work done within the framework of TIRAMISU European project (Toolbox Implementation for Removal of Anti-personnel Mines, Submunitions and UXO), by the Centre for Automation and Robotics CAR (CSIC-UPM). This project has been funded by European Union within the Seventh Framework Programme of R&D. I...
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... An excavation-type demining robot with a tank base is also presented and analyzed in paper [17]. Paper [18] presents an autonomous walking robot (SILO6) with six legs carrying a scanning manipulator equipped with a metal detector and a set of infrared sensors. The main objective of the SILO6 robot is to function as a mobile platform to carry onboard sensors to a mine-infested area to perform demining tasks. ...
The paper proposes an original mechanical structure of a serial-tracked robot, subject of national invention patent number RO132301, B1/2021, destinated for humanitarian demining operations: anti-personnel mine detection by using a detection device mounted on the bottom’s tracked platform, demining and clearing the land of exploded mines using a TRTTR robot structure. The dynamic model of the robot structure is determined and numerically validated. A novel approach based on the Lagrange formalism and mechanical design equations has been used in the calculus and selection of robot driving motors. The obtained results for robot translation modules are presented and analyzed.
... Because of the difficulty of deploying technology within these constraints, a human with a metal detector has remained the primary method of mine clearance since the 1950s [9,12,27]. Even though safer methods such as machine [7,17], robotic [30,33] or animal clearance [6,8,29,34] are available, their use is not widespread because machines are expensive to maintain and are constrained by terrain, while animals are difficult to train and are practically suited only for specific clearance scenarios [13,17]. As of 2005, there were 48 manual mine clearance programs worldwide [9]. ...
To become proficient at landmine detection, novice deminers need to master several kinds of skills: the proper physical operation of the metal detector, the interpretation of the metal detector auditory feedback, and the abstract skill of constructing and interpreting mental representations of the "metallic signatures" produced by the buried objects. This last skill is particularly useful for safely dealing with mines laid out in cluster configurations, where their metallic signatures overlap and thus a danger exists that a deminer might either miss some of the mines or incorrectly assess their exact positions. However, some novice deminers find it challenging to learn how to properly reason about metallic signatures. We have developed Petals, a system that explicitly visualizes a trainee's metal detector operation history on a training task as well as the edge points of the metallic signatures that the trainee collected. Petals enables instructors to supervise multiple trainees at a time, to assess their performance at a glance, and to provide immediate and specific feedback both on the correctness of their final judgements about the number and positions of landmines, and on the process through which they arrived at their conclusions. The results of our field evaluations at the Humanitarian Demining Training Center showed that both the instructors and the trainees found the system a valuable addition to the training course. The results of a controlled study demonstrated that trainees who had access to Petals during training made significantly fewer errors (6% error rate) on relevant tasks during the final exam (which was conducted without Petals) than trainees who did not have access to Petals during training (those participants had a 21% error rate).
... With the alternating tripod gait, the hexapod has three feet in contact with the ground at all times, while the other legs are in transfer phase. In this gait two non-adjacent legs of one side and the central leg of the opposite side of the robot support the robotic platform, providing high stability, while the other tripod is in the transfer phase (Montes et al., 2015a;Montes et al., 2015b;Mena et al, 2016). The stability of this gait (in addition with the gravitational decoupling of the legs) is very important for carry out suitable humanitarian demining tasks using a detector installed on the scanning manipulator. ...
... Montes et al., 2015a;Montes et al., 2015b;Mena et al, 2016). (a) Subsystems of the control architecture of the hexapod robot; (b) Hexapod walking robot at CSIC premises. ...
Purpose – the aim of this paper is to introduce a hexapod walking robot specifically
designed for applications in humanitarian demining, intended to operate autonomously for
several hours. To this end the paper presents an experimental study for the evaluation of its
energy efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach – first, the interest of using a walking robot for detection
and localization of anti-personnel landmines is described, followed by the description of the
mechanical system and the control architecture of the hexapod robot. Secondly, the energy
efficiency of the hexapod robot is assessed in order to demonstrate its autonomy for
performing humanitarian demining tasks. To achieve this, the power consumed by the robot
is measured and logged, with a number of different payloads placed on board (including
always the scanning manipulator arm assembled on the robot front end), during the
execution of a discontinuous gait on flat terrain.
Findings – the hexapod walking robot has demonstrated low energy consumption when it is
carrying out several locomotion cycles with different loads on it, which is fundamental in
order to have a desired autonomy. It should be considered that the robot has a mass of
about 250 kg, and that it has been loaded with additional masses of up to 170 kg during the
experiments, with a consumption of mean power of 72 W, approximately.
Originality/value – This work provide insight on the use of a walking robot for humanitarian
demining tasks, which has high stability and an autonomy of about three hours for a robot
with high mass and high payload. In addition, the robot can be supervised and controlled
remotely, which is an added value when it is working in the field.
... Moreover, they can walk using many types of statically stable gaits. An interesting overview of such devices can be found in [17]. The paper is organized as follows. ...
Due to their ability to avoid obstacles and to move over difficult terrain, moreover having the ability to adjust their posture, walking machines for many years have been considered as very promising devices for inspection, exploration and surveyance tasks, however still they have not been widely applied. One of the main limitations is the power supply. Six legged walking machines are robust from the point of view of their walking stability in difficult terrain, but their actuators (18 if each leg has active 3 DOF’s) adds to their weight what increases the energy consumption. The higher energy consumption requires more efficient batteries, but usually those are heavier, what again increases the energy demand. Therefore at the design stage a detailed analysis is required of how to decrease the energy consumption. This paper studies energy consumption considering the tripod gait of hexapods. The method used for energy evaluation is presented and the results are discussed. The discussion of energy saving both for the leg transfer phase and during the support phase, which is the most demanding phase, is presented. The energy consumption is expressed in the normalized form, depending on the normalized leg proportions, body height and step length. The straight line forward/backward and side walking are analyzed. The aim of the studies is to provide to the designers the information about favorable leg proportions taking into account the reduction of required energy and to provide the information which leg posture should be selected.
... The system architecture of this all-terrain robot consist of an on-board computer, control cards, data acquisition boards, power cards, signals conditioner cards, positioning sensors, DC motors, Wi-Fi communication system, DGPS, batteries, and other devices and accessories. This system architecture provides a reliable starting point for developing several control strategies in order to carry out several tasks in outdoor environment, e.g. in humanitarian demining tasks [21][22]. Fig. 6 shows the main subsystems implemented in the hexapod robot. ...
... Up to 300 kg of mass can to support this robot, for this reason it could perform several kind of works. One example is carry out stable locomotion in order that a scanning manipulator arm can perform suitable movements of its end effector, where is installed the metal detector head, in humanitarian demining applications [21][22]. Fig. 7 shows the general control architecture of the hexapod robot. ...
... Other control and electronics card must be installed in order to drive the external tool. One example of an external tool would be a scanning manipulator arm to detect and localize antipersonnel mines [21][22]. ...
This work presents the reconfiguration from a previous climbing robot to an all-terrain robot for applications in outdoor environments. The original robot is a six-legged climbing robot for high payloads. This robot has used special electromagnetic feet in order to support itself on vertical ferromagnetic walls to carry out specific tasks. The reconfigured all-terrain hexapod robot will be able to perform different applications on the ground, for example, as inspection platform for humanitarian demining tasks. In this case, the reconfigured hexapod robot will load a scanning manipulator arm with a specific metal detector as end-effector. With the implementation of the scanning manipulator on the hexapod robot, several tasks about search and localisation of antipersonnel mines would be carried out. The robot legs have a SCARA configuration, which allows low energy consumption when the robot performs trajectories on a quasi-flat terrain.
... ROBOT 285 tems that allow controls of the robot and, besides, to support other systems in order to carry out other applications, e.g., humanitarian demining tasks (Montes et al., 2015a;Montes et al, 2015b;Mena et al, 2015). In Fig. 1 the general configuration of the robot is presented. ...
... On the robot is possible to add a secondary on-board computer and other devices o mechanisms, which it would be responsible for executing specific tasks necessary for certain types of application. For example, a scanning manipulator to carry out searching tasks of antipersonnel landmines for humanitarian demining applications (Montes et al., 2015a;Montes et al, 2015b). The robot legs have a SCARA configuration with three degree of freedom. ...
This work presents some experimental results of the locomotion in discontinuous and continuous gait of a hexapod robot of medium size. However, first is presented a brief summary of the configuration of the hexapod robot and its direct and inverse kinematics. Besides, the hardware architecture of the robot is also described. The gaits experimented on the robot use the alternating tripod mode in both cases, continuous and discontinuous gait.
... The algorithms designed have been developed in C/C++ and run in QNX real time operating system. With this, several control strategies has been performed in order to carry out humanitarian demining tasks (Montes et al, 2015a; Montes et al, 2015b; Mena et al., 2015). The objective is carry out stable trajectories in order that scanning manipulator arm can perform suitable motions of its end-effector, where is mounted the metal detector head. ...
This paper presents the most relevant results of the work done within the framework of TIRAMISU European project (Toolbox Implementation for Removal of Anti-personnel Mines, Submunitions and UXO), by the Centre for Automation and Robotics CAR (CSIC-UPM). This project has been funded by European Union within the Seventh Framework Programme of R&D. In general, the works carried out during this project, currently in effect , have been the design and development of tools for training in search of landmines and other for locating anti-personnel landmines, such as: design and validation of e-tutors for land impact and non-Technical Survey tools, and landmines identification for training of trainee, who will collaborate in humanitarian demining tasks; design and implementation of a training tool to be used with compact metal detectors; design, implementation and evaluation of an intelligent prodder training tool for close-in detection of buried landmines; development of a semi-autonomous and tele-operated system for search and detection of anti-personnel mines, which consists of a hexapod robot and a scanning manipulator arm, that carries a metal detector at its end-effector.
The set of rules defining thwe energy favorable posture and leg proportions are delivered for six-legged walking machine walking using tripod gait . Evaluating the leg-end forces the postural equlibrium conditions were taken into account.. The joint torques were obtained considering forces and torques equlibrium conditions. The drawings presenting the normalised energy consumption depends on leg proportions and posture are presented. The most favorable posture and leg proportions taking into account the minimization of energy, and maximization of walking step and machines height are concluded.
