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Improved control and simulation models of a tricycle collaborative robot

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Abstract

The objective of collaborative manufacturing is to create the synergism from the collaboration of manufacturing resources. Most of the studied collaborations are made among intelligent machines; however, the collaboration can be realized even between machines and human being, and a collaborative robot (Cobot) belongs to the latter. A cobot is a robot designed to assist human beings as a guide or assistor in a constrained motion. Various prototypes have been developed and the potentials of these robots have been demonstrated. The research presented in this paper focuses on the control and simulation models of a tricycle cobot with three steered wheels, with the following two contributions: (i) A concise model for the closed-loop control is developed. Existing closed-loop control has been implemented in an intuitive way, and some control parameters have to be determined by a trial-and-error method. (ii) A simulation model is proposed to validate the control algorithms. No simulation model is available and the control models of other existing systems have to be validated experimentally. The developed control and simulation models have been implemented. Graphic simulation is also developed. Case studies are provided and the simulation results are analyzed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Ireland Technology Centre, Queen’s University at Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5HN, Northern Ireland, UK

    Z. M. Bi

  2. Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Institute, National Research Council of Canada, London, ON, Canada, N6G4X8

    Sherman Y. T. Lang & Lihui Wang

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  1. Z. M. Bi
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  2. Sherman Y. T. Lang
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  3. Lihui Wang
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Correspondence to Z. M. Bi.

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Bi, Z.M., Lang, S.Y.T. & Wang, L. Improved control and simulation models of a tricycle collaborative robot. J Intell Manuf 19, 715–722 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-008-0122-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-008-0122-4

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