Browsing by Subject "robots"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Orienting Deformable Polygonal Parts without Sensors(2012-02-14) Kristek, ShawnParts orienting is an important part of automated manufacturing. Sensorless manipulation has proven to be a useful paradigm in addressing parts orienting, and the manipulation of deformable objects is a growing area of interest. Until now, these areas have remained separate because existing orienting approaches utilize forces that if applied to deformable parts violate the assumptions used by existing algorithms, and could potentially break the part. We introduce a new algorithm and manipulator actions that, when provided with the geometric description and a deformation model of choice for the part, exploits the deformation and generates a Plan that consists of the shortest sequence of manipulator actions guaranteed to orient the part up to symmetry from any unknown initial orientation and pose. Additionally, the algorithm estimates whether a given manipulator is sufficiently precise to perform the actions which guarantee the final orientation. This is dictated by the particular part geometry, deformation model, and the manipulator action path planner which contains simple end-effector constraints and any standard motion planner. We illustrate the success of the algorithm with multiple parts through 192 trials of experiments that were performed with low-precision robot manipulators and six parts made of four types of materials. The experimental trials resulted in 154 successes, which show the feasibility of deformable parts orienting. The analysis of the failures showed that for success the assumptions of zero friction are essential for this work, increased manipulator precision would be beneficial but not necessary, and a simple deformation model can be sufficient. Finally, we note that the algorithm has applications to truly sensorless manipulation of non-deformable parts.Item The Mica shipwreck: deepwater nautical archaeology in the Gulf of Mexico(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Jones, Toby NephiThe purpose of this study was to describe the investigation of the Mica shipwreck. The objectives of the investigation, as identified by nautical archaeologists from the United States Minerals Management Service and the Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas A&M University, include determining the extent and limits of the wreck site, acquisition of diagnostic artifacts to identify the temporal period of the shipwreck and its mission at the time of loss, to identify the type of ship and its country of origin, and quantify the relationship between the vessel's construction and function. The manuscript contains a thorough analysis of the equipment and approach used by archaeologists during the excavation. The manuscript also briefly explores the use of metallic ship sheathing during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, focusing specifically on the pure copper sheathing found on the Mica wreck. Sheathing from numerous contemporary vessels will be analyzed and compared to the Mica shipwreck sheathing.