Development of a Sphere Motion Measurement System and Evaluation of the Roller Arrangement Requirement

To conserve human resources and labor, there is a demand for robots to transport objects. Compared to previous object transport methods, sphere transport by a mobile robot is efficient for transporting objects without loading them and while on the ground. However, previous research on sphere transport has not clarified the methodology for designing and controlling sphere transport based on kinematic and dynamic properties. Therefore, this study attempts to develop a rollersphere motion measurement method for focusing on the roller angular velocity and to evaluate the effectiveness of the roller arrangement requirement. In particular, this study evaluates the “roller arrangement requirement,” which is necessary for roller arrangement (position/orientation) considering kinematic characteristics in sphere transport. Experiments have shown the effectiveness of the roller arrangement requirement with a novel roller-sphere motion measurement method.