Moball is a wind-driven spherical robot equipped with sensors for in-situ observation of scientifically important and windy environments, e.g., the Earth's polar regions, Mars, and Saturn's moon Titan. More importantly, Moball incorporates an internal triaxial set of linear electromagnetic generators which can be used to harvest wind energy for long-duration self-sustained operation, or to bias its' wind-driven motions as a form of steering. This paper describes our process to optimize the design of a coreless tubular linear generator for Moball so as to improve energy generation and motion control capabilities with the minimal moving generator mass. The performance of three different types of movers was analyzed with the help of finite element analysis. We determined a final optimized structure and its' dimensions involving a single dipole PM and novel slope-shaped back-irons. A prototype of a single-axis linear generator with a length of 0.8 m was fabricated and assembled. Drop and rotating tests were performed to measure the generated power with this machine. The maximum generated power in the rotating test was 1.05 W at 19 rpm when the load resistance was 40 Ω. The experimental results agreed well with our model predictions. The paper concludes with an overview of the current Moball prototype and ongoing work. The design process developed in this paper can serve as a guideline for future design of energy scavenging systems for robots.
This paper introduces a novel planetary exploration system capable of functioning in most solar planets and moons. The Moball Network is an agile, self-powered, intelligent, and reconfigurable distributed in-situ exploratory system. We compare our proposed system with state of the art planetary exploration systems and concepts and suggest several novel mission architectures specifically for planetary bodies with an atmosphere such as Mars, or those whose surface includes lakes and ice sheets such as Titan or the Earth's northern and southern caps, as well as smaller bodies with no atmosphere such as the Moon or asteroids. We also describe the current development status of the system and the proof of concept for the ideas presented.
Sensors capable of operating in harsh environments for long periods of time and having wireless readout capability are needed for mapping environmental conditions in remote areas, such as polar regions. In this paper, we report the first measured results of an innovative in-situ system of controllable and wind-opportunistic spherical mobile sensors (called Moballs), used to monitor and map various environmental factors in polar areas. To have self-powered controlled motion, Moballs exploit the abundance of wind and a novel dual-functioning mechanical control and linear induction system. Moballs have peer-to-peer and Moball-to-base (e.g. satellite) communication capability, reporting the sensory data back to the base station or other peer Moballs for task sharing decisions, improving area coverage, optimizing system performance, etc.
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