INDEX

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1History .....................................................................................................................1
1.2 Objectives of the Thesis .........................................................................................2
1.3 Contributions of the Thesis ....................................................................................2
1.4 System Architecture ...............................................................................................3

CHAPTER 2: TRENDS IN HUMANOID ROBOTICS

2.1 General classification of robots by their motion ability .........................................6
2.2 Current humanoid research ...............................................................................10
2.2.1. Technological impact ............................................................................10
2.2.2. Scientific (Research) impact .................................................................11
2.2.3 Economical impact .................................................................................11

CHAPTER 3: ROBOTS CONTROL ARCHITECTURE

3.1 System Architecture & Definition ........................................................................13
3.2 Control Architectures Requirements ...................................................................15
3.3 Design Levels of Control Architecture .................................................................18
3.3.1 Conceptual design & Basic Modes of operation in robotics systems ....19
3.3.2 Functional design of control architecture ...............................................20
3.4 The concept of a motion in robotics ......................................................................22
3.5 Control architecture of humanoid robots...............................................................24
3.6 Framework of the Thesis.......................................................................................29

CHAPTER 4: OPEN ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANOID

MOTION CONTROL
4.1 Requirements........................................................................................................30
4.2 Open architecture .................................................................................................30
4.2.1 Definition ..............................................................................................30
4.2.2 Open software architecture....................................................................31
4.2.3 Open hardware architecture...................................................................31
4.2.4 Why open architecture for humanoid robot motion control? ................31

4.3 Basic systems of hardware control architecture...................................................32

4.4 Considerations on software architecture design for humanoid robots..................34
4.4.1 Proposed software scheme.....................................................................34
4.5 Application Programming Interface.....................................................................36

CHAPTER 5: HUMANOID ROBOT HRP-3

5.1 Principal Specifications........................................................................................38
5.1.1 Design concepts.....................................................................................38
5.2 Configuration........................................................................................................39
5.3 Three-fingered hand..............................................................................................39
5.4 Mechanisms..........................................................................................................42
5.4.1 Dust and splash proof specifications.....................................................42
5.4.2 Dust and splash proof mechanism.........................................................42
5.4.3 Cooling mechanism...............................................................................43
5.5 Electrical system...................................................................................................44
5.6 Experiments..........................................................................................................45
5.6.1 Splash-proof...........................................................................................45
5.6.2 Walk on a low friction floor...................................................................46

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION................47
REFERENCES.....................48

List of Figures
1.1 System architecture...4
2.1 Characteristics of industrial, service and personal robots ....................................................5
2.2 ABB industrial robots ...........................................................................................................6
2.3 Mobile robot a) PatrolBot mobile robot base b) MAGGIE mobile robot ............................7
2.4 Zoomorphic non-walking robots example ...........................................................................7
2.5 Walking zoomorphic robots. a) Insect-like zoomorphic Phoenix hexapod robot,
b) Animal-like zoomorphic robot AIBO.............................................................................8
2.6 Android robots a) Walking humanoid robot ASIMO b) Repliee Q1 android ......................9
2.7 Hybrid robots example. a) ARMAR b) MANFRED.9
3.1 Task distribution between the user and the robot15
3.2 Direct Control scheme.19
3.3 Levels of the control architecture20
3.4 Motion centered robotics system.23
3.5 Control architecture of ASIMO humanoid robot.26
3.6 Hardware control architecture of HRP-2 humanoid robot...27
3.7 Robot Internal Network (from Open HRP Manual).28
3.8 Framework of the Thesis..29
4.1 Basic systems of a hardware control architecture33
4.2 Software architecture for humanoid robot motion control...35
4.3 The link between user application and a humanoid robot36
5.1 Humanoid Robot HRP-3...37
5.2 Configuration of HRP-339
5.3 Three-fingered hand with 6 D.O.F (a) Pitch axis view, (b)Roll axis view41
5.4 Overview of dust-proof test...43
5.5 Splash-proof test results using a gear box of HRP-3.43
5.6 Cooling mechanism...44
5.7 Control systems of HRP-3.45
5.8 Splash-proof demonstration..46
5.9 Demonstration of walking on a low friction floor46