C.R.A.W.LAB

Cable-suspended Robots

This project represents a partnership with HiBot, an award-winning robotics company and worldwide leader in the use of robotics for inspection and rescue. They have customers in countries around the world, including Japan, Canada, and the United States. Recently, HiBot has begun the development of a cable-suspended-and-driven robot system that could be used for a variety of inspection, maintenance, and rescue tasks.

The primary objective of this project is the advancement of robotic inspection via the development of design and control techniques for cable-suspended-and-driven robotic systems. These cable-driven mechanisms can have larger workspaces and move more efficiently than traditionally-driven systems; simply put, these systems have to move a smaller percentage of their total mass. Cable-driven systems are particularly suited to inspection and maintenance of vertical structures, including ship hulls, bridges, dams, and buildings. However, because they are both driven by and suspended from cables, they are susceptible to vibration and can be difficult to control in adverse conditions. We are developing methods for both the mechanical design and control of these systems.

Publications

1. F. Montgomery and J. Vaughan, “Modeling and control of a cable-driven robot for inspection of wide-area horizontal workspaces,” in Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, vol. 2, (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA), p. V002T22A002, October 12–14 2016.
2. N. Barry, E. Fisher, and J. Vaughan, “Modeling and control of a cable-suspended robot for inspec- tion of vertical structures,” in International Conference on Motion and Vibration Control (MOVIC), (Southampton, UK), July 3–6 2016.