A new challenge for our owlDrive.
Actually, we focused on moving robots with the owlDrive. But a customer became aware of our software synchronized motors and asked us to control more than 130 motors synchronized to animate an object and move it synchronized. We didn't have such a high number of networked controllers in mind during development and neither did the animation, but after checking the requirement, we were able to determine that the owlDrive masters these requirements, with very little adaptation to the software. Among other things, we still must integrate a 4th operating mode, which reaches the specified end position in a given time. Actually, you specify the speed at which the point is to be reached. If, however, in a synchronized lifting function, the first motor must lift the object by one meter, but the last motor has to lift it 2 meters, the first motor would reach the end point in half the time. But we want both motors to reach their end point at the same time. But that's not an issue for our powerful controller, even if it requires more than 130 motor units to synchronize within a few milliseconds. Thus, the owlDrive can now also be used as a modification as owlMashDrive for mechanical animations and synchronized sequence controls. Do you also have complex applications in which motors have to behave synchronously? We would be happy to check whether the owlDrive can also easily implement your requirements. (Video, theoretical simulation of networked owlDrive-controlled motor network)

Person tracking with the LSLIDAR C16 LIDAR in the range above 20 meters

Task:

For a autonomic cleaning robot, the user must define easily and quickly a working, which the robot travels in lanes.

Approach;

Our preferred system for such a task, an exact 1-2cm accurate GPS-RTK navigation cannot be used here, as the cleaning system is also used in halls and covered areas. That's why we decided to use an LSLIDAR C16 LIDAR with a range of 120m, based on our SLAM, to realize indoor and outdoor navigation by tracking the way the user goes to define the area.

Problem:

With its 16 laser channels, the LSLIDAR C16 has a long range and is ideally suited to carry out an exact location determination and mapping of the environment via the SALAM software and also to monitor the robot's close working area for small and large obstacles. Due to its aperture angle, the first 8 laser beams emit at a +14° angle, the 8 lower laser beams at a -16° angle, which means that a fan of up to 16 beams hits the object, e.g. a person, at close range. As the distance of the person increases, less and less of the laser beams hit the person. Due to the opening angle, they hit the ground beforehand, which we need for navigation or they go over the person, which leads to the loss of point reflection. Even larger objects, such as people, are lost in the point cloud at a distance and the object is lost.

Solution:

Of course, an LSLIDAR with 32, 64 or 128 beams solves the problem perfectly, but leads to significantly higher costs for the overall project, especially since the LSLIDAR C16 basically covers the areas. The solution is our algorithm, which filters out the few reflection points from the moving object, cumulates them and thus determines the position of the object and can thus track its path.

This can be clearly seen in the video, how the algorithm finds and tracks the object despite decreasing reflections.

C16PersTrack.png

 

Heatmap

With our GPS tracking system, we can't just locate a robot. We can also use the robot to create maps with sensor values. Here you can see the Wi-Fi signal strength of an outdoor surface. The cm-accurate detection of ground sensors or sensors of other kinds can also be implemented. An interesting application would be, for example, soil analysis on lawns, agricultural areas, or plantations in order to carry out the use of fertilizers in the 2nd step with square meter precision.

A look through the keyhole of our development laboratory.

Getting a motor spinning is not difficult but keeping this rotation constant and powerful over the min. to max. speed, even under load changes and then also to react quickly to the speed control, is already a challenge that many products cannot cope with.

Although a lot of controller ICs are offered for such applications, they are only available to a limited extent due to the chip crisis and show weaknesses in the broad robotics application and the many different motors.
Therefore, we have decided to develop our own motor controller, which is essentially based on software and can be configured by us for all conceivable applications and motors.
For our controller, we use Field Oriented Control (FOC) algorithms that calculate an optimized magnetic flux density and torque in vector mathematical calculation and control them in the form of optimized stator currents. With this method we can control both brushless motors and stepper motors. The controller supports 3 basic modes:
- Voltage controlled, here it regulates the operating voltage (current) of the motor.
- Velocity, the controller adjusts to a given speed.
- Angle, here the motor holds a predetermined angular position (gimbal mode).
In detail, an open or closed control loop can also be selected, with which the motor can then keep the specifications constant by readjusting.
But not only the software should be flexible, but the hardware should also cover a broad spectrum. There are currently 3 versions planned 2 brushless and later a stepper motor version. The brushless controllers will be available as a "small" version up to approx. 150W at max 30 V and as a "large" version with a few hundred watts at up to 72V. We plan to have the 2 brushless controllers ready for the market in spring 2023. Such a FOC motor driver is interesting for your products / applications, and you are interested, then contact us or leave a personal message.

Espelkamper Technik “steuert” die Handball-Bundesliga

Zusammen mit der Grau GmbH baut owlRocotics diverse Taster mit USB Anschluss, zur Steuerung von Computeranwendungen.
Diese Pushbutton und Pushboxen werden, über den Onlineshop der Grau GmbH verkauft,  in Espelkamp bei owlRobotics montiert, Programmiert und in die ganze Welt geliefert.
owlRocotics fertigt nicht nur, wir entwickeln die Technik auch weiter, für kundenspezifische Anforderungen, wie die beleuchtete Pushbox.
Manchmal entdecken wir im Internet oder auf Messen wo die Kunden die Produkte einsetzen, aber manchmal kommt auch direktes Feedback der Kunden, wie in diesem Fall:

"Wir möchten gerne von unserem erfolgreichen Einsatz der Pushbuttons in der Handball-Bundesliga berichten. Wir haben euer Produkt sehr einfach integrieren können und sind erfreut über die Robustheit der Pushbutton‘s. Sie finden ihren Einsatz in der Spieltechnik. Die Trainer können während des Partie mehrere Auszeiten nehmen und diese per Pushbutton´s auslösen."

Viel Erfolg mit der Technik und immer ein faires Spiel.


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About owlRobotics GmbH

owlRobotics GmbH stands for high precision navigation algorithms for self driving robots like lawn mowers and similar vehicles, based on our Sunray-OS or open standards.

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