|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||
Rapidly Deployable Search and Rescue Robots |
|||
This research is focused on the development of a rescue system that can be used in the event
of a disaster that causes buildings to collapse, trapping survivors in unstable rubble. This
system consists of a cable robot suspended from mobile support vehicles (shown below) that can be quickly brought to a disaster site.
The end-effector has onboard cameras and sensors for investigating the disaster site and also
houses one or more mobile robots that can be deployed into the rubble to search the site.
This system can greatly increase the range of existing mobile rescue robots as well as provide overhead views of
the disaster site, allowing rescue workers to reach survivors as quickly as possible while minimizing
the danger posed to rescue workers. The cable robot also has a novel kinematic structure, where the geometry
of the robot ensures easy translation-only motion (with moment-resisting capability) and easy forward and inverse kinematics.  |
|||
Cable Robots in Construction |
|||
Cable robots have the capability to move very large payloads (comparable to construction cranes) and have
very large workspaces. However, they have the additional advantage of being more stable and robust to
disturbances than construction cranes. This project is investigating different uses of cable robots
in construction, particularly in the area of building concrete structures.   |
|||
Haptic Exoskeleton |
|||
This goal of this project is to develop a wearable exoskeleton robot termed REACH - the Robot Exoskeleton with
Advanced Cobot Haptics. The exoskeleton uses cobot technology, pioneered at Northwestern University, to guide the motion
of the user without a motor acting directly on the user, thus obtaining the desired performance without sacrificing the
wearer's safety. As a haptic device this exoskeleton allows the user to "feel" virtual objects. This device is currently
being targeted for applications in physical therapy and rehabilitation.   |
|||
Cable Robot Control |
|||
One of the major challenges with cable robots is controller design. Because the cables
provide unidirectional constraint (they can pull but not push), most standard robot control methods
do not apply. This research aims to modify existing nonlinear control methods in order to develop
controllers for cable robots that ensure stability and speed while maintaining positive cable tensions. |
|||
Cable Robot Workspace Generation |
|||
One of the biggest advantages of cable robots over traditional rigid-link robots is the
ability to have a very large workspace. However, the limitation that the cables can pull but not push
prevents many of the standard robot workspace generation techniques from being used. This project
aims to formulate analytical expressions for cable robot workspace boundaries, and then use these
expressions to provide design guidelines for intelligently selecting a robot for optimal workspace
geometry. |
|||
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles |
|||
This project is in collaboration with members of the Avionics Engineering Center within
the school of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. A novel unmanned aerial vehicle is under
development. The vehicle can convert between straight-line flight and hovering, enabling vertical
take-off and landing. The vehicle will also be small enough to be carried easily by one or two
people, making it very difficult to detect with radar and enabling use in a wide range of
environments. |
|||
• |
Design and Control of Robotic Systems |
||
• |
Haptics and Human-Machine Interaction |
||
• |
Parallel Robots and Cable-Suspended Robots |
||
• |
Theoretical Kinematics |
||
|
Parallel Robots Cable-Driven Robots  Cable-driven robots are very attractive because of their capabilities for high payloads (comparable to construction cranes), large range of motion, rapid deployment and easy reconfiguration. |
|||
|
|||
