New Robot Overcomes Obstacles
August 3, 2016 | Bielefeld University of Applied SciencesEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Students at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences have developed "Ourobot". / Their project was supervised by a professor at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and a CITEC researcher.
It looks like a bicycle chain, but has just twelve segments about the size of a fist. In each segment there is a motor. This describes pretty much the robot developed by the four bachelor students in Computer Engineering, Johann Schroeder, Adrian Gucze, Simon Beyer and Matthaeus Wiltzok, at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. The project was supervised by Professor Dr. Axel Schneider of the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Jan Paskarbeit from Bielefeld University. A new video introduces the robot.
What distinguishes "Ourobot" from other comparable robots are the pressure sensors found in its chain segments which enable it to detect and overcome obstacles. The name of the robot, by the way, was inspired by an ancient Egyptian symbol depicting a serpent eating its own tail, the Ouroboros. "At the moment Ourobot can only move straight ahead and cannot manage curves yet, but its sensors can detect obstacles, such as a book, and can traverse them", explains Jan Paskarbeit. The control mechanism behind this, i.e. the way the individual chain links interact in order to roll over an obstacle, involves a complex mathematical task. "It is remarkable how the students have solved this", says Axel Schneider. The professor is a co-opted member of CITEC and leads a large project at the Centre of Excellence developing "Hector", a walking robot. "There is no concrete application for Ourobot at the moment. It is a feasibility study, meaning basic research", explains Schneider. This also makes the project exceptional, as bachelor's projects at the University of Applied Sciences are usually application-oriented. "However, this does not rule out fundamental research projects, quite the opposite, we integrate the students early into research projects", adds Schneider.
The collaboration with the University continues with the master's degree in BioMechatronics, jointly offered by Bielefeld University and the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. Matthäus Wiltzok, who worked on the project, is now enrolled in this course. He and his colleagues are infected by the "robot virus", and all are keen to continue working in this area.
A highlight for the team was the visit of the international robot conference ICRA in Stockholm which took place in May this year. The research paper on Ourobot* was met with great interest there. There is a long way to go, however, before the project Ourobot is concluded, as it is continually in development. The supervisors' vision is to take the present robot that works in two dimensions "into the third dimension", as Schneider explains. "We would like to develop a robot that actively changes its form, which can adapt to its environment like an amoeba, capable of stretching and shrinking again", describes the professor. In this way, Ourobot can move through narrow terrain and overcome obstacles by means of different movements. The team has designed different variations of the new 3D version of Ourobot, similar to a ball or a snake. In this area, however, there is still much research to do.
Suggested Items
Japanese Joint Research Group win Prime Minister’s Award with Ultra High-performance Computing Platform
03/25/2024 | FujitsuA Japanese consortium of research partners including RIKEN, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka University, Fujitsu Limited, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) have been recognized with the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award.
Keysight Accelerates Its 6G Efforts with NVIDIA 6G Research Cloud Platform
03/22/2024 | Keysight Technologies, Inc.Keysight Technologies, Inc. is collaborating on the new NVIDIA 6G Research Cloud Platform, which includes the NVIDIA Aerial Omniverse Digital Twin, an open, flexible, and interconnected framework of network emulation resources offering researchers a comprehensive tool suite on which to develop new adaptations of artificial intelligence (AI) for radio access networks (RAN).
Foxconn Recognized as Top 100 Global Innovators 2024
03/07/2024 | FoxconnHon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) announced it has been named a Top 100 Global Innovators™ 2024. The annual list from Clarivate™, a global leader in providing transformative intelligence, identifies organizations leading the world in technology research and innovation.
Siemens Joins Semiconductor Education Alliance to Address Skills and Talent Shortage in Global Semiconductor Industry
03/04/2024 | SiemensSiemens Digital Industries Software announced it has joined the Semiconductor Education Alliance to help build and nurture thriving communities of practice across the integrated circuit (IC) design and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industries, from teachers and schools to universities, publishers, educational technology companies and research organizations.
Siemens Joins Semiconductor Education Alliance to Address Skills and Talent Shortage in Global Semiconductor Industry
02/29/2024 | Siemens Digital IndustriesSiemens Digital Industries Software announced today it has joined the Semiconductor Education Alliance to help build and nurture thriving communities of practice across the integrated circuit (IC) design and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industries, from teachers and schools to universities, publishers, educational technology companies and research organizations.