G.A.P. Caurin

Publications (3)0 Total impact

• Conference Proceeding: Robust control in 4×4 hybrid-converted touring vehicles during urban speed steering maneuvers

  R.C.B. Sampaio, M. Becker, V.L. Lemos, A.A.G. Siqueira, J. Ribeiro, G.A.P. Caurin
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  ABSTRACT: The present work is focused on the synthesis and the analysis of robust control techniques for rear electric traction control in 4×4 hybrid-converted CVs (Conventional Vehicles) at urban speed limits (lower than 60 Km/h). This set represents a practicable alternative for the automotive industry, improving vehicular performance and reducing considerably fossil fuel air pollution. Our goal is to design an electromechanical controlled system that can replace the conventional rear wheels in touring cars with a pair of electric wheels with a minimal level of adaptation, preserving the original combustion engine. We consider the synthesis of an H_∞ robust controller and also the neurofuzzy approach. An optimized PID controller was also designed for the final analysis and evaluation. Based on Ackerman Geometry and the reading of the steering front angles, it was possible to estimate the maneuver radius from turning center. Thus, all three proposed control approaches must adjust the rear wheel's individual angular speeds by means of the current control of the two electrical motors linked to them, so that the car presents an appropriate behavior during all possible maneuvers. Finally, computation models were run in order to compare the three controllers.
  Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC), 2010 IEEE; 10/2010
• Conference Proceeding: Robotic forklifts for intelligent warehouses: Routing, path planning, and auto-localization

  K.C.T. Vivaldini, J.P.M. Galdames, T.S. Bueno, R.C. Araújo, R.M. Sobral, M. Becker, G.A.P. Caurin
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  ABSTRACT: Today, robotic systems are bridging the gaps between global economy, social needs, and logistics focusing on sustainable development solutions. Everyday new robotic applications can be found in literature and media. Some of them are basically entertainment toys. Nevertheless, the great majority of them is used inside industries, performing several tasks (painting, welding, moving materials, etc.). In a scenario of global economy growth, any sustainable solution that can reduce the product final cost is welcome. This article presents researches on robotic forklifts for intelligent warehouses developed at the Mechatronics Lab at USP-EESC in Brazil. We show three key-routines that determine the Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) behavior: the routing algorithm (that computes the overall task execution time and the minimum global path of each AGV using a topological map of the warehouse), the local path planning algorithm (based on A* it searches for the local minimum path between two nodes of the warehouse topological map), and an auto-localization algorithm (that applies an Extended Kalman Filter - EKF - to estimate the AGVs actual positions). In order to validate the algorithms developed, several tests were carried out using the simulation software Player/Stage. The results obtained were encouraging and the router developed was able to solve traffic jams and collisions, before sending the final paths to the robots. In a near future all algorithms will be implemented using mini- robotic forklifts and a scaled environment built in our lab.
  Industrial Technology (ICIT), 2010 IEEE International Conference on; 04/2010
• Conference Proceeding: A self-organizing state trajectory planner applied to an anthropomorphic robot hand

  R.C. Benante, L.M. Pedro, L.C. Massaro, V.L. Belini, A.F.R. Araujo, G.A.P. Caurin
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  ABSTRACT: An incremental self-organizing map, called State Trajectory Generator (STRAGEN) is employed to plan state trajectories of a robot. STRAGEN can deal with different criteria to construct topological maps of the problem space, choosing neighbors that match these criteria and optimize different measures of the learned map. STRAGEN can also learn heterogeneous information, such as angles, torques and positions of a manipulator, preserving their characteristics. This algorithm was tested by generating trajectories for a robotic hand called Kanguera. Kanguera presents a new concept of anthropomorphic robot hand. The hand offers a suitable environment for experimental purposes due to its novel and more accurate transmission system. The implementation of adduction and abduction capacity for both the fingers and the thumb allows the execution of more complex movements. Simulations and experiments related to Kanguera hardware are also presented.
  Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2007. IROS 2007. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on; 12/2007