GROUP

MEMBERS
Talha Ashfaq
Asad Ali
Abdullah Mehmood

091320005
081220157
081120071

ABSTRACT :

This paper proposes a framework for robots,

TORP (The Open Robot Project), that aims to put
forward a standardization in all dimensions
(electrical, mechanical and computational) of a
robot shared development model.

1970S COMPUTER AND 2000S

ROBOT

CHALLENGES IN ROBOTICS

high fragmentation
lack of standardization
complex projects
lack of practical applications
slow development

REASONS FOR THIS POOR

STANDARDIZATION LEVEL
robots are built with extremely different purposes
like,
a robot designed to load weight
a robot for playing music
private institutions privacy
Standardization
New year new technology

SOLUTION

TORP
The open robot project

FRAMEWORKS CONCERNS
Standardization in electrical and mechanical
dimensions that allow the interchangeability of
robot parts with flexibility in technologies.
Availability of software tools, like graphical
interfaces, robotics optimized routines, network
communication framework, sensor data transfer.
Major concern of today robotics frameworks
represents only one of the three robotics
dimensions, and quicker developments in the
robotics field.

ROBOTICS DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH PRINCIPLES

Project paradigm is shifted from components

level to functional self-contained modules level.
Modules are externally standardized in three
dimensions:
electrical, mechanical and computational but are
internally technology independent.
Main controller may operate remotely according
to previous robotics operating systems principles.
As the principles being adopted in PCs
since
technology of the buses, pugs, power sources.

HUMANOID ROBOT
PROJECTS

ASIMO

HRP-2

In order to perform human like actions, it is

natural to expect that humanoid robots
approximate humans in several aspects like size,
mass, torque, velocity

COMMUNICATIONAL PROTOCOL :

To allow the communication among the modules,

a communication protocol is established.

In this structure, each module with its native

processor unit is linked to the others through a
network such as Ethernet, CAN, etc.
In the protocol, every time a new module is
plugged into the system it has to be registered in
the network. Then, a connection to the main
controller is established and data can be
sent following the TORP protocol.


1.
2.

Types of messages that can be communicated :

CHECKIN ( sent when module plugged in network )
ACTION ( sent from main controller module to perform an
action )

3.

GETSTATUS ( sent by the main controller

4.

STATUS (sent by a sensor or actuator that contains sensors

5.

SETCONF (sent by the controller a sensor or actuator in

6.

CONF ( sent by the sensor or actuator the controller in

7.

CHECKOUT ( sent by the module when it is plugged off )

sensor in
order to acquire information regarding its readings )
the controller any time a GETSTATUS message is received )
order to change its operating mode, return type, etc )
order to respond to a SETCONF message )

APPLICATIONS OF TORP :

The application of the electrical, mechanical and

computational standards proposed allow the
new system to become reconfigurable,
modular and interchangeable, at the cost of
additional hardware and software layers.
Example : Adding omnidirectional wheels to Wheeled Robots,
just need the body module adjustment rather than vision and
laser modules.

APPLICATIONS ( CONTINUED )

Figure above presents the CAD design of CP01 robot, first

robot implemented based on the TORP specification set.

RESULTS :

Although the work to setup a robot project to the

TORP specification set is hard, the advantages
that overcome this initial trouble are tremendous
The re-use of hardware and software parts in
new robots or versions is an easy task if the
robots belong to the same TORP family
Moreover, the modular architecture provides an
easy way to compare parts of robots.