engleski

Wireless Control of an Electro-Hydraulic Robotic Manipulator

This paper deals with the design, practical realization and wireless control of a prototype of an electro-hydraulic robotic manipulator (EHROM) suitable for handling heavy weight objects in industrial environment. The EHROM has been designed in the Laboratory for Automation and Robotics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb. The prototype has been completely built in cooperation with two Croatian companies and is fully open to implementations of various control methods. The robotic manipulator has three-degrees-of- freedom (spherical or polar kinematic configuration) with a hydraulic gripper at the end of the mechanical structure. The manipulator uses a load sensing hydraulic system that provides superior controllability regardless of the load and also contributes to the energy efficiency. Originally the manipulator had no advanced way of being operated, other than the use of joystick or levers on the hydraulic valve block itself. The control system has been upgraded with an assembly suitable for wireless control of the manipulator using a mobile device on iOS platform. This multidisciplinary task involved skills in mechanical engineering, electronics and electrics, as well as computing. The paper focuses on the wireless control of the manipulator using a low-cost microcontroller and custom made controlling interface.

robotic manipulator ; electro-hydraulics ; wireless control

nije evidentirano