• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.398-403
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• 2015

This paper introduces a method to estimate the contact-force of the leg of a walking robot and proposes a solution to a shortcoming of the previous study. This shortcoming was the deteriorating performance when estimating the contact-force whenever the rotation of each joint was reversed. It occurred because the friction-torque of each joint was not considered. In order to solve this problem, a friction-torque model for a robot leg was developed based on repetitive experimentation and used to improve the contact-force estimation performance. We verified the performance of the proposed method experimentally.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.59-65
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• 2012

In this research, a novel mater arm was studied as a teaching device for an underwater revolute robot arm used as a slave arm. The master arm was designed to be a seven-degree-of-freedom (DOF) structure, with a structure similar to that of the slave arm, and to be desktop size to allow it to be worn on a human arm. The master arm with encoders on the joints was used as an input device for teaching a slave robot arm. In addition, small electric magnets were installed at the joints of the master arm to generate the haptic force. A control system was designed to sense excessive force and torque in the joints of the master arm and protect it by controlling the position and velocity of the slave arm through the encoder signal of the master arm.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.709-717
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• 2013

This paper presents the development of a specialized underwater leg with a manipulator function(convertible-to-arm leg) for the seabed walking robot named CRABSTER200(CR200). The objective functions of the convertible-to-arm leg are to walk on the seabed and to work in underwater for precise seabed exploration and underwater tasks under coastal area with strong tidal current. In order to develop the leg, important design elements including the degree of freedom, dimensions, mass, motion range, joint structure/torque/angular-speed, pressure-resistance, watertight capability and cable protection are considered. The key elements of the convertible-to-arm leg are realized through concept/specific/mechanical design and implementation process with a suitable joint actuator/gear/controller selection procedure. In order to verify the performance of the manufactured convertible-to-arm leg, a 25bar pressure-resistant and watertight test using a high-pressure chamber and a joints operating test with posture control of the CR200 are performed. This paper describes the whole design, realization and verification process for implementation of the underwater convertible-to-arm leg.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2012

In these days, researches about underwater robots have been actively in progress for the purposes of ocean detection and resource exploration. Unlike general underwater robots such as ROV(Remotely Operated Vehicle) and AUV(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) which have propellers, an articulated underwater robot which is called Crabster has been being developed in KORDI(Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute) with many cooperation organizations since 2010. The robot is expected to be able to walk and swim under the sea with its legs. Among many researching fields of this project, we are focusing on a swimming section. In order to find effective swimming locomotion for the robot, we approached this subject in terms of Biomimetics. As a model of optimized swimming organism in nature, diving beetles were chosen. In the paper, swimming motions of diving beetles were analyzed in viewpoint of robotics for applying them into the swimming motion of the robot. After modeling the kinematics of diving beetle through robotics engineering technique, we obtained swimming patterns of the one of living diving beetles, and then compared them with calculated optimal swimming patterns of a robot leg. As the first trial to compare the locomotion data of legs of the diving beetle with a robot leg, we have sorted two representative swimming patterns such as forwarding and turning. Experimental environment has been set up to get the motion data of diving beetles. The experimental equipment consists of a transparent aquarium and a high speed camera. Various swimming motions of diving beetles were recorded with the camera. After classifying swimming patterns of the diving beetle, we can get angular data of each joint on hind legs by image processing software, Image J. The data were applied to an optimized algorithm for swimming of a robot leg which was designed by robotics engineering technique. Through this procedure, simulated results which show trajectories of a robot leg were compared with trajectories of a leg of a diving beetle in desired directions. As a result, we confirmed considerable similarity in the result of trajectory and joint angles comparison.