Overview

Purpose: A tumbling robotics research platform

Creator: University of MN Distributed Robotics Lab

My Role: Created a TCP/IP interface to allow normal Adelopod control programs to control a simulated Adelopod.

Form

Drivetrain: Two arms, with 1 or 2 degrees of freedom each.

Controls: Gumxtix

Sensors:

• 3 solid-state gyroscope
• 3 solid-state accelerometers

Frame: Plastic

Function

Locomotion: Using its two arms, the robot tumbles around its environment, giving it a large mobility to size ratio.

Machine learning: The onboard inertial measurement sensors track the robot's position and orientation in 3D space, allowing the robot to quantify the effect of arm movement.

Remote deployment: Adelopod's can be securely carried (by another robot) using velcro, but use its strong arms to pull free for deployment.