Int. J. Mech. Eng. & Rob. Res. 2014 Pundru Srinivasa Rao, 2014 ISSN 2278 – 0149 www.ijmerr.com Vol. 3, No. 2, April 2014 © 2014 IJMERR. All Rights Reserved Research Paper INVESTIGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LIFE SAVING RESEARCH ROBOTS Pundru Srinivasa Rao1* *Corresponding Author: Pundru Srinivasa Rao, [email protected] This paper investigates life saving and time saving research robots which are installed in industry, military, space, hospital, medical, surgical, home, echo friendly, inspection, public and security system for performing labour and life saving jobs. At present, new types of robots are being developed in laboratories and much of the researches on robotics are focuses not on specific industrial tasks, but on investigations into new types of robots. And also focuses the alternative ways to think about the design of robots and its manufacturing process. The main goals of Research robots such as nano-robots/soft-robots/super-robots/swarm-robots/hap-tic-Interface- robots are as small as viruses, to cure the cancer and protect other sophisticated parts of the human body. The physical structures of these robots are like amoeba, which can move/roll/ jump and change its configuration such as assembling and disassembling of its components, which depends on its requirement. It is very difficult to operate accurately therefore increasing the mobility, stability and precision, several smart materials, smart actuators and sensors are to be used to sense and react to the effect of environmental inputs, and to stimulate the devices. It is expected that these new type of robots will be able to solve real world problems when they are finally realized. Keywords: Nano-robots, Soft-robots, Super-robots, Swarm-robots, Hap-tic-interface robots, Smart actuators/sensors/materials INTRODUCTION force, effect of gravity, buoyancy force in In this paper life and time saving research submerged system, trajectory planning for a robots are discussed. The dynamic response given task and precision space input. Nano- of the control structure of these robots depends robots should be able to sense the obstacles on the formation of torque, friction, inertia and modify its path to avoid obstacles by couple, displacement, velocity, acceleration, (Siegwart and Nourbakhsh, 2004) are finding coriolis acceleration, external force, centripetal applications. The wise variety electronic 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad 500075, AP, India. 195 Int. J. Mech. Eng. & Rob. Res. 2014 Pundru Srinivasa Rao, 2014 devices such as smart actuators, smart areas such as automobile components sensors, and controllers are used for discussed by (Schilling and Jungius, 1996) optimizing the performance of various telecommunications, aerospace, structures, mechanical components of the selected space manipulators, planetary exploration systems. The micro-controller unit is put control and medical field applications. The together around a central processing unit as actuators developed from smart materials, the sensors such as displacement, velocity and such as shape memory alloy by (Muthuswamy acceleration sensors are to be used for and Zoppi, 2007) and electro-active polymers monitoring the selected system parameters. by (Sait Usha, 2011) are very much suitable The signals from electronic smart sensors are for nano-robots. Haptic Interfaces for virtual to be amplified and converted into digital environment, teleoperating systems, virtual format by using interfacing electronic devices. reality and multimedia are discussed by There is a rapid growth in the use of smart (Magnenat-Thalmann and Bonanni, 2006; and materials, structures and systems in the current Endo, 2009). When high frequency actuation day engineering technology due to their is required in nano-robots, the response of advantages and intelligent features, because shape memory alloy actuators such as these materials that sense and react to the piezoelectric material becomes very much effect of environmental inputs and to stimulate suitable, but the strain produced is very low as the devices. Several smart materials such as compared to and electro-active polymers. shape memory alloys by (Molfino, 2007; Nagarajan, 2009; and Sait Usha, 2011) are NANO-ROBOTS finding increasing applications. The The advanced technology of creating robots characteristic of these smart materials is that very near to the nanometre scale and they have the ability to return to their original constructed from the atomic molecular shape even after several deformations. The structure. The advanced researches on nano- shape memory alloys are the metals that can robots/nano-bots/nanites have produced by be deformed and then returned to their original the molecular structure of the complex system. shape. The most effective and widely used The functioning nano-robot contains nano- alloys to improve its material properties such as ductility, high fatigue life and corrosion sensors, nano-actuators, nano-synthetic resistance, because NiTinol by (Kim and molecular limbs, joints, bearings and motors. Miyazaki, 1997; and Sreekumar, 2009) are The nano-robots are as small as blood cells/ discussed and these smart materials possess Bactria/viruses which would perform the tasks a peculiar and unique constitutive behaviour, on a tiny scale to cure the cancer, heart, lever, which strongly depends on the effect of loading flu, sinus, neurotic problems and release the and operating conditions. It has the ability to medicine in a particular place of the human remember its initial shape even after subjected body such as nano surgery on the level of to several deformations and these materials individual cells and utility fog. Some more restores to its original condition. The applications of nano-robots are manufacturing applications of smart materials cover weaponry and cleaning. 196 Int. J. Mech. Eng. & Rob. Res. 2014 Pundru Srinivasa Rao, 2014 SOFT-ROBOTS disassemble the components of nano- Soft-robots contain deformable soft silicon robots to form new morphologies that are bodies such as air muscles which are made better suitable for new tasks such as by electro-active polymers, flexible actuators changing from a legged robot to a snake which are made by Ferro-fluids and are robot, rolling robot and then to a flying robot. capable of different behaviours such as roll and Since robot parts are interchangeable and jump on a ground by the deformation of its self repair within a robot and between deformable bodies which are controlled by different robots and also replace faulty parts using, fuzzy logic and neural network autonomously. The applications of these locomotion system. robots are envisioned space missions, space exploration and lunar colonization, SUPER-ROBOTS rescue in mining, underwater exploration, Some researchers have been investigating to self sustaining robotic ecology such as creating super robots which can change their grow, heal of biological systems. physical structure/ sophisticated shape to suit a particular task or situation like the unit of The challenge key steps in the design of amoeba, which can move/roll/jump and hardware, control algorithms are often change its configuration which depends on its intertwined. The design factors which are requirement. That means these super-robots govern the limits on interface between are self reconfigurable robots with variable modules, strength, and precision of robot morphology and that contain nano- components, power consumption and its autonomous kinematic mechanisms, nano- efficiency. The challenges of control algorithms conventional actuators, nano-sensors, nano- that determine the optimal configuration, time controllers which are able to deliberately to complete a given task. change their own shape by rearranging the connectivity of their parts and structure in order SWARM-ROBOTS to adapt to new circumstances, perform new The swarm-robots inspired by insects such as tasks and recover from facing problems. In line follower of ants and bees which are these self reconfigurable robots the exhibiting swarm intelligence and modelling the mechanism and its devices are capable of performance of behaviour task of tiny robots. utilizing its own system of control such as with The whole set of swarm robots can be nano-actuators to change its overall structural considered as one single distributed system, shape by the process of set of modules can which are finding something hidden, cleaning be added or removed to the system of super and spying. The swarms are like nanocentibots robot. The intent is finite nano-identical which are used for its collective behaviour and modules in a mesh of its nano-structure of self also more resistant to failure, a swarm can configurable super robot. continue even if several robots fail and these The self reconfigurable robots allow a swarm robots are suitable for space robot or group of robots to assemble and exploration missions. 197 Int. J. Mech. Eng. & Rob. Res. 2014 Pundru Srinivasa Rao, 2014 HAP-TIC-INTERFACE space stations at outside of the planetary ROBOTS exploration. There are challenging Hap-tic-interface robots are the specialized requirements for space lunar manipulators robots which are used in the design of virtual such as maintenance and repair of space reality interfaces and allow touch enabled user stations, inspection of space vehicles, retrieve interaction with real and virtual environments. and exchange of equipment in space. The These robots are simulating the mechanical space shuttle