Abstract:

The limited versatility of existing experimental robotic platforms has left demand for a single practical unit with broad application in dynamics and controls. To address this, an autonomous biaxial robotic inverted pendulum is proposed that balances and navigates on top of a sphere. The spherical base and innovative actuation techniques permit omni-directional translation, and direct control of yaw. With this unprecedented motion, Vertigo, as it is called, is capable of modeling a myriad of other systems, and offers great potential for original work. To maximize versatility it was designed for reconfigurability, can accept spheres of different size and can operate on the ground as a more traditional omni-directional vehicle. This thesis focuses on the design, mathematical modeling, analysis, communication, control, estimation and early stages of implementation for Vertigo and its various configurations. Methods used in this development have general application, making the results and findings broadly relevant.