Autonomous Decision Making in a Bioinspired Adaptive Robotic Anchoring Module

Abstract

This paper proposes a bioinspired adaptive anchoring module that can be integrated into robots to enhance their mobility and manipulation abilities. The design of the module is inspired by the structure of the mouth in Chilean lamprey (Mordacia lapicida) where a combination of suction and several arrays of teeth with different sizes around the mouth opening is used for catching preys and anchoring onto them. The module can deploy a suitable mode of attachment, via teeth or vacuum suction, to different contact surfaces in response to the textural properties of those surfaces. In order to make a decision on the suitable mode of attachment, an original dataset of 500 images of outdoor and indoor surfaces was used to train a visual surface examination model using YOLOv3; a virtually real-time object detection algorithm. The mean average precision of the trained model was calculated to be 91%. We have conducted a series of pull-out tests to characterize the module's strength of attachments. The results of the experiments indicate that the anchoring module can withstand an applied detachment force of up to 70N and 30N when attached using teeth and vacuum suction, respectively.

Vision-Based Self-Adaptive Gripping in a Trimodal Robotic Sorting End-Effector

“…Note that fishing hooks are originally designed to be bent, making them difficult to remove once engaged. As a result, we modified them to make detachment easier [6]. The motion of all claw units is coupled with a sliding ring which is actuated via two DC encoder motors running at 500 rounds per minute (rpm), Fig.…”

“…Modes of attachment such as spines, hooks, and claws are uncommon in gripping systems used for object manipulation, as their sharp edges can damage the objects, while they are popular for use in robotic anchoring mechanisms to porous surfaces [6][7][8]. However, in the case of a gripper for sorting recyclable waste items, the use of a claw mechanism can be very beneficial enabling gripping onto a wider range of objects, while potential damages to waste items are not concerning.…”

“…Hence, while the combinational activation of different modes of gripping can be beneficial, a gripping mode should be activated only if it is expected to be effective for gripping onto a specified recyclable item. For example, vacuum suction should not be deployed for gripping onto an object with a porous surface, as this approach is ineffective and wasteful in terms of energy management [6].…”