Laboratory

Lab Rules and Guidelines

Spring 2011 Lab Warm-up Experiments

# Topic Notes Due Dates
0 Introduction to Junior and Dynamism
Students are introduced to Linux systems and the Junior platform via instructor-guided walkthrough. Topics to be covered: laboratory rules and regulations, basic Linux commands, robot fundamentals, use of Dynamism interface for calibration, standing, locomotion in manual mode, and logging data.
Prelab
Due: 1/20
Demo
Due: 1/27
Report
Due: 1/27
1 Mathematical Underpinnings of a RHex Gait
This experiment was originally devised by Dr. G. Clark Haynes for summer interns in Kodlab. Students are introduced to the basic scheme that allows the RHex family of legged platforms operate over a rich and diverse set of terrains: The Buehler Clock. In this experiment, students, first, investigate various parameters that shape the clock. Then, they use Dynamism interface to tune a walking gait that uses alternating tripods.

Hypothesis : When appropriately phased among the six legs, the two-phase motion (a slow stance phase followed by a fast recirculation phase ) represented by Buehler Clock produces stable locomotion.
Prelab
Due: 1/27
Demo
Due: 2/2
Report
Due: 2/2
2 Dynamics of Steering
Steering and turning in place are quite straightforward concepts for a platform with differential wheel based locomotion capabilities. On the other hand, for a highly mobile platform like RHex, even turning in place is a big challenge once power efficiency and thermal constraints are taken into consideration. In this experiment, students will investigate ways to modify the Buehler clock for turning in place and dynamic steering.

Hypothesis: Turning can be achieved via small adjustments to a straight running gait.
Prelab
Due: 2/2
Demo
Due: 2/24
Report
Due: 2/26
3 Proprioceptive Sensing and Locomotion
In this experiment, students are introduced to some of the proprioceptive sensory capabilities of the Junior platform. According to Wikipedia, proprioception is "… the sensory modality that provides feedback solely on the status of the body internally". The goal of this experiment is to integrate given proprioceptive sensory capabilities with locomotive skills developed in the previous experiments to perform a simple planning scheme that lets Junior platform to traverse a known path.

Hypothesis: Proprioceptive sensors can provide insights into interactions between a robotic platform and its environment.
Prelab
Due: 2/24
Demo
Due: 3/3
Report
Due: 3/5