Applied Robotics

This teaching unit covers a range of robotics topics, from micro to macro scale, including micro manipulators, cabled robots, surgical robots, underwater robots, flying robots, humanoid robots, teleoperation, virtual and augmented reality, and operational safety. The content of each theme is detailed below. Mini-projects on the above-mentioned topics will be conducted to deepen the basics taught using both simulation software and real robots.

Micro-robotics: Micro-robotics concerns the design, modeling and control of miniaturized robotic systems that can perform manipulation tasks on objects of sizes between 1µm and 1mm. The fields of application include all areas that require high precision (assembly of mechanical, electronic or optical microsystems, microsurgery, etc.). At these dimensional scales, robots cannot be realized by simple homothetic miniaturization of conventional robots. New concepts of robots and new principles of actuation must be used. This course is an introduction to microrobotics and presents the essential concepts of scaling, microworld physics, deformable and flexible robotics and microactuators.

Surgical robotics: the objective of this course is to give students an introduction to the field of surgical robotics. The aim is to be able to understand the needs expressed by the clinicians and to show through some examples the approach which allowed the design and the realization of robots used for surgical acts. Some design elements as well as some control architectures will be evoked by insisting on the necessity to guarantee the safety of the patient and the medical team.

Underwater and flying robots: Mobile robotics dedicated to air and underwater environments rely on specificities that will be introduced in this course. Current solutions and open problems will be presented. Issues related to modeling and non-linear control applied to under/iso/overactuated systems will be addressed.

Humanoid Robotics: This course will present advanced geometric and kinematic modeling methods for tree-like robotic structures such as humanoid robots. Basic notions will also be presented on the center of mass, the center of pressure, the ZMP, the static stability, the dynamic stability. A study on bipedal gait control will be performed including gait models, trajectory generation and ZMP/COM control as well as dynamic robot stabilization. The second part of the course will focus on the kinematic control of highly redundant structures (system under Ax=b) by using methods based on optimization techniques (LP, QP) under constraints as well as on hierarchical control based on techniques of projection in null space or task hierarchy based on hierarchies of QP or LP

Parallel Cable Robots: This course presents the principle of Parallel Cable Robots (PCR) followed by a state of the art including application examples, PCR demonstrators and commercial PCRs. Geometric, kinematic and dynamic models of RPCs are then developed. Based on these models, the different types of RPCs, several definitions of their working space, the main concepts useful for their design as well as simple control methods will finally be presented.

Virtual and Augmented Reality: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) techniques consist of the interactive simulation of a 3D universe, in which the user is immersed. This simulation is generally visual in nature, but it can also include other perceptual information, through several sensory modalities: spatialized sound, haptic or effort feedback, somatosensory approach, etc. This course is an introduction to the different techniques used in VR/AR systems: we will cover the main 3D synthesis libraries (OpenGL, Vulkan), the peripherals available on the market, the basics of physics engines as well as the techniques used to localize the user and estimate in real time his point of view.

Reliability and operational safety: this course focuses on the reliability of a robotic system, especially in the operational phase. When a robot evolves in a complex and partially unknown environment, unexpected events may occur to which the system will have to react if it wants to guarantee its own safety and that of its environment. This course will introduce the basic notions of dependability, and present examples of reliability mechanisms applied to mobile robotics.

Teleoperation: This section covers a brief introduction to the history of teleoperation development, modeling of teleoperation components and their schematics. Teleoperation performance evaluation criteria are defined. Performance analysis and control design methods are also introduced. The course provides applications of teleoperation in the field of surgical robotics as well as open questions and remaining challenges.

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This teaching unit covers a set of specialities in robotics, ranging from micro to macro scales, including micro manipulation, surgical, sub-marine, flying, humanoid and cable-driven robots passing through teleoperation, virtual and augmented reality as well as operational safety. The content of each sub-unit is detailed hereafter. Projects on the mentioned topics will be carried out to deepen the thought basics using both simulation software and real robots.

Micro-robotics: Micro-robotics concerns the design, modelling and control of miniaturized robotic systems able to perform handling tasks on objects between 1µm and 1mm in size. Application fields include all areas requiring high precision (assembly of mechanical, electronic or optical microsystems, microsurgery, etc.). At these scales, robots cannot be fabricated by simple homothetic miniaturization of conventional robots. New robot concepts and new actuating principles must be used. This course is an introduction to micro-robotics and presents the essential concepts of scale effect, physics of the micro-world, deformable and flexible robotics and micro-actuators.

Surgical robotics: The objective of this sub-unit is to give students an introduction to the field of surgical robotics. It is about being able to understand the needs expressed by clinicians and to show, through few examples, the process that allowed the development of robots used for surgical procedures. Some design elements as well as some control architectures will be discussed, emphasizing the need to ensure the safety of the patient and the medical team.

Sub-marine and flying robots: The specificities of underwater and aerial robotics will be presented. Current solutions and open issues will be exposed. The basic elements required by the control design for this type of vehicles, from modelling to nonlinear control techniques, will be addressed, according to the under/iso/over actuation property of the systems.

Humanoid robotics: This sub-unit concerns advanced kinematic and differential kinematics modelling methods for humanoid robots. Basics on the center of mass (COM), the center of pressure, the zero-moment point (ZMP), static stability and dynamic stability are addressed. A study on biped gait control will be carried out including gait models, trajectory generation and ZMP / COM control as well as dynamic stabilization of the robot. The second part of the sub-unit is focused on the differential kinematic control of very redundant structures (underdetermined system of type Ax = b) by the use of methods based on optimization techniques (LP, QP) under constraints as well as on the hierarchical control based on the projection in the null space or tasks hierarchy based on QP or LP hierarchies.

Cable-driven parallel robots: This sub-unit presents the basic principle of Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) followed by a state of the art including application examples, CDPR demonstrators and commercial CPPRs. Geometric, kinematic and dynamic models of CDPRs are then developed. Based on these models, the different types of CDPRs, several definitions of their workspace, the main concepts useful for their design as well as simple control strategies will finally be presented.

Virtual and Augmented Reality: AR and VR consist in providing the user with an interactive simulation of a 3D world, where one can simulate physics, but also enhance it with additional data visualization. This simulation is usually mostly a graphical one, but it can also include other perceptual information across multiple sensory modalities: spatialized sound, haptics, somatosensory, etc. This course is an introduction to the different techniques involved when creating an AR/VR system. We will address the current 3D technologies (OpenGL, Vulkan), the devices available, the basics of physical engines, and the localisation and vision techniques used to track the user movements in real time and compute his point of view.

Operational safety of robots: This part concerns the reliability of robotic systems, mainly in the operational phase. When a robot moves in a complex and partially unknown environment, unforeseen events can occur. The system must react to these events to ensure its own safety and that of its environment. This course will introduce the basic notions of dependability, and will present examples of safety mechanisms applied to mobile robotics.

Teleoperation: This part covers a brief introduction of the development history, the typical structures of teleoperation schemes and the modelling of teleoperation components. Based on the system modelling, the teleoperation performance evaluation criteria are defined and accordingly the performance analysis and control design methods are introduced. The course also provides the applications of teleoperation in the domain of robotic surgery as well as the open issues and challenges existing in practical implementation.

• To open up to a set of current robotics themes
• Discover the modeling and control techniques specific to each field of robotics
• Learn how to take human safety into account during the design and control phases of robots
• Discover new robot concepts and actuation principles
• Learn the importance of the safety of a system to guarantee its safety and that of its environment
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• Open up to a set of current topics in robotics
• Discover the modelling and control techniques specific to each field of robotics
• Learn to take into account human safety during the robot design and control phases
• Discover new robot concepts and new actuation principles
• Learn the importance of operational safety of a system to guarantee its safety and that of its environment

Contact Hours:

            Taught lectures: 45 hours

            Laboratory Practicals: 39 hours

CM : 45h

TP : 39h

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Taught lectures: 45 hours

Laboratory Practicals: 39 hours