Designing simple cooperative sensor/actuator robots for liquid process environments

Abstract

Summary form only given. The detailed design of an autonomous sensor/actuator robot to be used in liquid environment is presented. The robot, SUBMAR (smart underwater ball for measurement and actuating routines), is a small ball-shaped device with 11 cm diameter. It is capable of performing semi-active motion in the process liquid, estimating its own position roughly, taking measurements with the onboard sensors, collecting samples, actuating the process chemically, and communicating across small distances. Semi-active motion means that the robot moves mainly along the process flow, but it can also move vertically by changing its specific weight with the aid of a diving tank. This solution saves considerable amounts of energy, the most critical resource of all autonomous devices. SUBMAR is capable of operating alone as an autonomous robot, but it is intended and designed to work as a member of a multi-agent robot society.