Design a more advanced prototype that can be used in exploration missions
The mobile robot is one of the basic supports exploration operations, search and rescue. Scorpion is a prototype robot that can be used in such missions when disasters occur and there are people trapped living at risk. But the same group of engineers at the University of Malaga who created it is developing a new version, more advanced. A brother of the former, but larger, powerful and autonomous, which can move with stealth, the rubble and deal with precision, thanks to its long arm, hydraulic tip ending in a strong steel clip, hazardous substances, explosives and vehicles.
The PLC has been named by scorpion because of the similarity of tongs or hands of the robot with a scorpion. The principal investigator of this team of the Department of Systems Engineering and Automation, School of Industrial Engineering at AMU, José Alfonso García Cerezo, explains that Scorpion II is the latest robot from a long list of more than half a dozen. The first began in 1992 and was first used as agricultural robot to navigate a system of belts and drive chains. “Thus arose the first robot caterpillar” he recalls.
Why is a new version of the scorpion? “The result of our experience, especially in the last project has served to raise the main problems that these devices would have on its use in such applications. On the one hand, the problem of working scenario: rugged terrain typical of a natural environment or the result of a disaster. This usually involves problems such as landslides, lack of maneuverability or destabilization of the vehicle. This problem is even more important if we assume that the vehicle is carrying a manipulator of significant size, “explains Garcia Cerezo, speaking of loads up to 100 kilos with a range of up to two feet.
The new novel robotic devices have improved their performance. “We will address techniques specially adapted to 3D navigation, including modification of the active stabilization center of gravity and control chain-soil interaction,” added the researcher, highlighting, among other virtues of the new scorpion, “that can climb ramps a drop of up to 50%, helping your clip, when the previous version could only raise 30%. ”
On the other hand, researchers have also raised the issue of skilled manipulation of potentially dangerous objects or potential victims. “This requires a manipulator which links major load with equipment other than the usual sense of an industrial manipulator.” This includes improvements in handling environmental monitoring, including tactile perception, the application of visual-servoing techniques and control techniques for bilateral teleoperation.
In addition, scorpions II will be equipped with an aid package for the operation of teleoperated, or autonomous robot teleautónoma: including vision, infrared and other biometric sensors, improving teleoperation station (including 360-degree), the generation of 3D maps the application of SLAM techniques.
