Method to Develop Legs for Underwater Robots: From Multibody Dynamics with Experimental Data to Mechatronic Implementation.

Journal: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Published Date:

Abstract

Exploration of the seabed may be complex, and different parameters must be considered for a robotic system to achieve tasks in this environment, such as soil characteristics, seabed gait, and hydrodynamic force in this extreme environment. This paper presents a gait simulation of a quadrupedal robot used on a typical terrigenous sediment seabed, considering the mechanical properties of the type of soil, stiffness, and damping and friction coefficients, referenced with the specialized literature and applied in a computational multibody model with many experimental data in a specific underwater environment to avoi hydrodynamic effects. The requirements of the positions and torque in the robot's active joints are presented in accordance with a 5R mechanism for the leg and the natural pattern shown in the gait of a dog on the ground. These simulation results are helpful for the design of a testbed, with a leg prototype and its respective hardware and software architecture and a subsequent comparison with the real results.

Authors

  • Miguel Ángel Pérez Bayas
    Centro de Automática y Robótica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
  • Juan Cely
    Centre for Automation and Robotics UPM-CSIC, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
  • Avishai Sintov
    School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv Yafo 6226414, Israel.
  • Cecilia E García Cena
    Centre for Automation and Robotics (CAR), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28006 Madrid, Spain.
  • Roque Saltaren
    Centre for Automation and Robotics (CAR), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28006 Madrid, Spain.