Robot actuators-mobile platforms and their control

All robots have actuators that allow them to interact with their workspace, sometimes this includes the means to move them around. Locomotion is a field with a rich history dating back to the invention of the wheel and it might be thought that by now all relevant areas should be adequately understood. Automation offers alternative options for control and indeed forces them to be adopted in the absence of a human driver who is skilled in quite complex operations which are difficult to replicate by conventional means. The author describes the requirements for mobility, the control and drive unit problems and a technique adopted to alleviate these difficulties. Two mobile platforms are described: SHAP and HARP.<
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