THE EMBODIMENT DESIGN OF A TWO-WHEELED SELF-BALANCING ROBOT

Abstract

The embodiment design of a two-wheeled self-balancing human augmentation robot for the mobility-challenged is reported. The prototype relies on a dead-reckoning multisensory system consisting of i) two optical incremental encoders and ii) a solid-state tilt sensor. The command inputs are provided to the robot controller, which is based on PC/104 technology, by means of a RF control unit. After describing the research motivation and application of the system, a set of robot design solutions is outlined along with technical discussions on component layout, payload holder and chassis design issues. A few simulation results on the motion control performance are included as well