January 13, 2015Snake Monster robot can be easily reconfigured to suit user needs

The Snake Monster robot is claimed to be the precursor to a range of robots intended to be built using a modular system (Photo: CMU Robotics Institute)

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Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has created a new robot that has six legs, looks creepily like a spider when it walks, and is dubbed "Snake Monster". Not exactly endearing traits, but the Snake Monster isn’t designed to win any popularity contests. It has been created as an easily reconfigurable platform using a modular system architecture that may be easily programmed to govern robots with a varied array of configurations.

Designed and created in around six months in the lab of Howie Choset, a professor in CMU's Robotics Institute, Snake Monster is claimed to be the precursor to a range of robots intended to be built using a modular system. Current work being carried out on various other modules in the lab include force-sensing feet, wheels and tank-style treads that will allow users to modify the base structure into a selection of totally different robots suited to a range of tasks.

"By creating a system that can be readily reconfigured and that also is easy to program, we believe we can build robots that are not only robust and flexible, but also inexpensive," said Choset, who led the team responsible for the robot. "Modularity has the potential to rapidly accelerate the development of traditional industrial robots, as well as all kinds of new robots."

Choset’s lab has a history of creating segment-jointed, snake-style robots designed for all types of applications, from inspecting nuclear power plants to slithering down the throats of surgical patients. The similarity in the construction and operation of the legs of the Snake Monster to those earlier CMU robot incarnations gives it its name. Unlike the earlier robots, however, the Snake Monster doesn’t roll along the ground or slither along the floor. Instead, it uses its legs to move along in a tripod gait with three legs in the air at any time – two on one side and one on the other.

Weighing in at a total of around 18 lb (8 kg), the robot has six multi-jointed legs that are capable of a reach of about 12 in (30 cm). Sporting a rectangular body, and currently supplied with power via an umbilical tether, the Snake Monster is capable of ambulation in any direction and has the ability to climb over obstacles.

In addition, a series elastic actuator consisting of an electric motor with a spring in series with its output shaft that allows the actuator to gauge and control the force it exerts, and the forces exerted upon it to help protect from high impacts. In other words, the actuator allows the linkages to respond in a way similar to that found in living organisms.

"When we push the Snake Monster forward, the joints in the leg 'feel' the force of the robot being pushed and, then, in an effort to zero-out the force it feels, the robot walks in the direction it is being pushed," said Choset. "When the robot goes over bumpy terrain, the springs in the series elastic actuators allow us to not perfectly plan the foot steps, but rather let the robot automatically conform to the environment the way animals do."

Using the hardware knowledge gleaned from their many years of snake robot construction, Choset and his team have created small, powerful, interconnected modules as the basis for their new Snake Monster and the line of reconfigurable robots promised to follow it. They have also relied on the many years of information gathered on controlling snake robots to allow them to build and develop an easily-programmable and extensible system architecture to control robots a wide variety of configurations.

"The architecture is built on Ethernet computer networking technology," said Choset. "Ethernet doesn't require that the computers connected to it be of a specific type, but that they all communicate with each other in the same way. The interfaces used in the modular architecture allow robot designers to focus on specific capabilities without having to worry about detailed systems issues or having to modify the robot later."

Sponsorship was received from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Snake Monster, along with several other of CMU’s robots, will be demonstrated in the finals of the DARPA Robotics Challenge running June 5 - 6 in Pomona, California.

蛇形怪兽机器人可以很容易地重新组装，以满足用户的需求

1月13日，2015Snake怪物机器人可以很容易地重新配置，以适应

蛇的怪物机器人声称是先导，以一系列机器人拟以采用了模块化的系统构建的用户needs 

（照片：美国CMU机器人研究所）

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卡内基 - 梅隆大学（CMU）创造了一个新的机器人有六条腿，看起来毛骨悚然像蜘蛛，当它走，并冠以“蛇的怪物”。不完全是可爱的特质，但蛇的怪物不是为了赢得任何人气竞赛。它已被创建为使用一个模块化的系统架构，可轻松编程来管理机器人配置多样化的阵列易于重新配置的平台。

在豪伊Choset，在CMU的机器人技术教授的实验室设计并在六个月左右创建研究所，蛇怪物自称是前体的一系列机器人拟采用了模块化的系统构建的。目前的工作正在开展在实验室其他各种模块包括力传感脚，车轮和坦克式履带，将允许用户修改基本结构为精选的适合各种任务完全不同的机器人。

“通过创建可以很容易地重新配置，而且还易于编程系统，我们相信我们能够建造机器人，不仅是强大的，灵活的，而且价格便宜，“Choset，谁领导负责机器人的团队说。 “模块化已迅速加快传统工业机器人的发展，以及各种新型机器人的潜力。”

Choset的实验室有创造段接合，蛇式机器人设计用于所有类型的历史应用，从检查核电站向下滑行手术病人的喉咙。在蛇的怪物，以这些早期CMU机器人化身的腿的建设和运营的相似性给它的名字。不同于先前的机器人，然而，蛇怪物不沿地面滚动或沿地面滑行。相反，它使用它的腿沿三角架步态移动至有三条腿，在空气中，在任何时间 - 两个在一侧，并且一个在另一个

在总共约18磅（8千克）称重，该机器人具有六个多关节的腿，其能够为约12（30厘米）的范围。运动一个矩形体，目前经由脐带系绳供电时，蛇怪物能够行走的在任何方向并且具有爬过障碍物的能力。

此外，一系列的弹性致动器，包括一个电的电机串联输出轴的弹簧，使执行机构来衡量和控制它施加的力，力施加在它来帮助高冲击保护。换句话说，致动器允许的联系，以类似于在活的生物体中找到一种方式作出反应。

“当我们推蛇怪物向前，关节的腿部的'感觉'机器人的被推的力和，然后，在努力零出感觉上的力，该机器人行走在它被压入方向，“Choset所述。 “当机器人越过崎岖不平的地形，在该系列中的弹簧的弹性致动器允许我们不完美规划脚步骤，而是让机器人自动符合动物方式做了环境。”

使用从收集的硬件知识他们多年的蛇形机器人的建设，Choset和他的团队创造小，功能强大，互联模块为基础，他们的新蛇的怪物和重构机器人的行承诺将遵循它。他们还依赖于许多年的信息收集的关于控制蛇机器人，使它们建立和发展一种易于可编程和可扩展的体系结构，以控制机器人的各种配置。

“的体系结构是建立在以太网的计算机网络技术，“Choset说。 “以太网不要求连接到它的计算机是一个特定的类型，但它们都与彼此相同的方式进行通信。在模块化架构中使用的接口允许机器人设计师专注于特定的功能，而不必担心有关详细的系统问题或有后来修改机器人。“

赞助由美国国防部高级研究计划局（DARPA）和蛇的怪物获得，还有一些其他的CMU的机器人，将被证明在DARPA机器人的总决赛。挑战跑6月5日至6号波莫纳，加利福尼亚州