An Android and Visual C-based controller for a Delta Parallel Robot for use as a classroom training tool
- Authors: Bezuidenhout, Sarel
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Robotics -- Human factors , Human-robot interaction , Wireless communication systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering (Mechatronics)
- Identifier: vital:9656 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020284
- Description: This report will show the development of a Delta Parallel robot, to aid in teaching the basics of robotic motion programming. The platform developed will be created at a fraction of the cost of conventional commercial training systems. This report will therefore show the development procedure as well as the development of some of the example training material. The system will use wireless serial data communication in the form of a Bluetooth connection. This connection will allow an Android tablet, functioning as the human-machine interface (HMI) for the system, to communicate with the motion controller. The motion controller is based in the C environment. This will allow future development of the machine, and allow the system to be used on an integral level, should the trainers require an in depth approach. The motion control software will be implemented on a RoBoard, a development board specifically designed for low- to mid-range robotics. The conclusion of this report will show an example task being completed on the training platform. This will demonstrate some of the basic robotic motion programming aspects which include point to point, linear, and circular motion types but will also include setting and resetting outputs. Performance parameters such as repeatability and reproducibility are important, as it will indirectly show the level of ease with which the system can be manipulated from the software. Finally, the results will be briefly discussed and some recommendations for improvements on the training system and suggestions for future development will be given.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Bezuidenhout, Sarel
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Robotics -- Human factors , Human-robot interaction , Wireless communication systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering (Mechatronics)
- Identifier: vital:9656 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020284
- Description: This report will show the development of a Delta Parallel robot, to aid in teaching the basics of robotic motion programming. The platform developed will be created at a fraction of the cost of conventional commercial training systems. This report will therefore show the development procedure as well as the development of some of the example training material. The system will use wireless serial data communication in the form of a Bluetooth connection. This connection will allow an Android tablet, functioning as the human-machine interface (HMI) for the system, to communicate with the motion controller. The motion controller is based in the C environment. This will allow future development of the machine, and allow the system to be used on an integral level, should the trainers require an in depth approach. The motion control software will be implemented on a RoBoard, a development board specifically designed for low- to mid-range robotics. The conclusion of this report will show an example task being completed on the training platform. This will demonstrate some of the basic robotic motion programming aspects which include point to point, linear, and circular motion types but will also include setting and resetting outputs. Performance parameters such as repeatability and reproducibility are important, as it will indirectly show the level of ease with which the system can be manipulated from the software. Finally, the results will be briefly discussed and some recommendations for improvements on the training system and suggestions for future development will be given.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Hardware evolution of a digital circuit using a custom VLSI architecture
- Authors: Van den Berg, Allan Edward
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Digital electronics , Field programmable gate arrays , Sequential machine theory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering (Mechatronics)
- Identifier: vital:9661 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020984
- Description: This research investigates three solutions to overcoming portability and scalability concerns in the Evolutionary Hardware (EHW) field. Firstly, the study explores if the V-FPGA—a new, portable Virtual-Reconfigurable-Circuit architecture—is a practical and viable evolution platform. Secondly, the research looks into two possible ways of making EHW systems more scalable: by optimising the system’s genetic algorithm; and by decomposing the solution circuit into smaller, evolvable sub-circuits or modules. GA optimisation is done is by: omitting a canonical GA’s crossover operator (i.e. by using an algorithm); applying evolution constraints; and optimising the fitness function. The circuit decomposition is done in order to demonstrate modular evolution. Three two-bit multiplier circuits and two sub-circuits of a simple, but real-world control circuit are evolved. The results show that the evolved multiplier circuits, when compared to a conventional multiplier, are either equal or more efficient. All the evolved circuits improve two of the four critical paths, and all are unique. Thus, it is experimentally shown that the V-FPGA is a viable hardware-platform on which hardware evolution can be implemented; and how hardware evolution is able to synthesise novel, optimised versions of conventional circuits. By comparing the and canonical GAs, the results verify that optimised GAs can find solutions quicker, and with fewer attempts. Part of the optimisation also includes a comprehensive critical-path analysis, where the findings show that the identification of dependent critical paths is vital in enhancing a GA’s efficiency. Finally, by demonstrating the modular evolution of a finite-state machine’s control circuit, it is found that although the control circuit as a whole makes use of more than double the available hardware resources on the V-FPGA and is therefore not evolvable, the evolution of each state’s sub-circuit is possible. Thus, modular evolution is shown to be a successful tool when dealing with scalability.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Van den Berg, Allan Edward
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Digital electronics , Field programmable gate arrays , Sequential machine theory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering (Mechatronics)
- Identifier: vital:9661 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020984
- Description: This research investigates three solutions to overcoming portability and scalability concerns in the Evolutionary Hardware (EHW) field. Firstly, the study explores if the V-FPGA—a new, portable Virtual-Reconfigurable-Circuit architecture—is a practical and viable evolution platform. Secondly, the research looks into two possible ways of making EHW systems more scalable: by optimising the system’s genetic algorithm; and by decomposing the solution circuit into smaller, evolvable sub-circuits or modules. GA optimisation is done is by: omitting a canonical GA’s crossover operator (i.e. by using an algorithm); applying evolution constraints; and optimising the fitness function. The circuit decomposition is done in order to demonstrate modular evolution. Three two-bit multiplier circuits and two sub-circuits of a simple, but real-world control circuit are evolved. The results show that the evolved multiplier circuits, when compared to a conventional multiplier, are either equal or more efficient. All the evolved circuits improve two of the four critical paths, and all are unique. Thus, it is experimentally shown that the V-FPGA is a viable hardware-platform on which hardware evolution can be implemented; and how hardware evolution is able to synthesise novel, optimised versions of conventional circuits. By comparing the and canonical GAs, the results verify that optimised GAs can find solutions quicker, and with fewer attempts. Part of the optimisation also includes a comprehensive critical-path analysis, where the findings show that the identification of dependent critical paths is vital in enhancing a GA’s efficiency. Finally, by demonstrating the modular evolution of a finite-state machine’s control circuit, it is found that although the control circuit as a whole makes use of more than double the available hardware resources on the V-FPGA and is therefore not evolvable, the evolution of each state’s sub-circuit is possible. Thus, modular evolution is shown to be a successful tool when dealing with scalability.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
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