Recent advances in technology have lead to growing interest in robotic application. More recently, a growing interest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been shown among the research community. Being able to design a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)-UAV, which is highly maneuverable and extremely stable, is an important contribution in the field of aerial robotics since potential applica...

This paper proposes a new concept for attitude actuation for small satellites that uses active magnetic bearings to support and tilt a spinning rotor to provide 3-axis attitude control of the satellite using a single actuator. A controlled 3D motion in the spinning rotor provides a conventional torque output about the momentum axis and a gyroscopic torque output about any direction in the plane...

This paper proposes a new concept for attitude actuation for small satellites that uses active magnetic bearings to support and tilt a spinning rotor to provide 3-axis attitude control of the satellite using a single actuator. A controlled 3D motion in the spinning rotor provides a conventional torque output about the momentum axis and a gyroscopic torque output about any direction in the plane...

Open-loop position estimation methods are commonly used in mobile robot applications. Their strength lies in the speed and simplicity with which an estimated position is determined. However, these methods can lead to inaccurate or unreliable estimates. Two position estimation methods are developed in this paper, one using a single optical flow sensor and a second using two optical sensors. The ...

Predicting the tractive limitations of locomotion gears is of critical importance in a robotic vehicle system on natural terrain. In particular, it is imperative for an unmanned mobile robot to avoid getting stuck in loose soil to retain its mobility. From this perspective, this paper attempts to theoretically predict the limitations of a typical wheel in such loose soil based on traditional so...

In this paper, a novel omnidirectional vehicle with anisotropic friction wheels is presented. The proposed wheel has a series of bendable “nodes” on its circumference, each of which is made of two materials with differing friction properties: one material exhibits high friction, and the other exhibits low friction. The high friction section of the node generates a high traction force, while the...

This paper deals with the threshold radius that warrants the use of single restraining rail for transit and railroads. Different railways use different threshold radius from 91m to 365m to provide restraining rail. These threshold figures are probably experience driven choices. The need for restraining rail may be related to a so-called derailment alarm coefficient of 1.2 sustained over 2m leng...

this paper deals with the threshold radius that warrants the use of single restraining rail for transit and railroads. different railways use different threshold radius from 91m to 365m to provide restraining rail. these threshold figures are probably experience driven choices. the need for restraining rail may be related to a so-called derailment alarm coefficient of 1.2 sustained over 2m leng...

The equations for wheelchair caster wheel shimmy are presented along with experimental data. The report includes the theory and performance of single wheel casters for a variety of tires, and a new design for wheelchair casters using a grooved dual-tread tire or co-rotating caster wheels. The dual-tread tire was found to significantly inhibit caster shimmy. The turning resistance due to a groov...