Title :
A modular manipulator systems (MMS) architecture and implementation
Author :
Schonlau, William J.
Author_Institution :
Hughes Aircraft Co., El Segundo, CA, USA
Abstract :
MMS is a general purpose user configurable manipulator system that provides rapid design and inexpensive implementation of customized (simple or complex) manipulator geometries tailored to the needs of individual researchers or application engineers. Structures of arbitrary complexity are configured from self contained I-DOF rotary or linear JOINT modules, including on-board joint control processor, power amplifier, etc., connected together by passive rigid LINKS. The supporting software environment provides easy teaching of locations hierarchical programming of complex tasks, sophisticated tool trajectory control and integrated workspace I/O, including vision. The system architecture, many recent improvements, including model-based control software, and various economic advantages of the approach are presented
Keywords :
graphical user interfaces; manipulators; position control; reconfigurable architectures; robot programming; robot vision; architecture; configurable manipulator; graphical user interface; joint control processor; model-based control; modular manipulator systems; power amplifier; programming; robot vision; software environment; trajectory control; visual operations; Application software; Computer architecture; Design engineering; Education; Geometry; Power amplifiers; Power engineering and energy; Power system modeling; Process control; Software tools;
Conference_Titel :
Advanced Robotics, 1997. ICAR '97. Proceedings., 8th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Monterey, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-4160-0
DOI :
10.1109/ICAR.1997.620288
