Expanding Robotic Interaction And Maneuverability Through Holonomic Motion In Remote Robotic Intervention

The nuclear explosions that took place in the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011 exposed workers to high radiation levels while trying to gain control of the nuclear meltdowns.   This event highlighted the need for remote robotic intervention where human interaction can be replaced.  These robots that are being sent in need to be versatile in any situation where maneuverability is a key element.  For our project, we were interested in finding the different types and applications in which maneuverability can be achieved through holonomic motion in remote robotic intervention tasks.  To understand holonomic motion, our group researched what holonomic motion is and looked at examples of how it is achieved.  Holonomic motion is defined as having the same amount of controllable degrees of freedom as with the total degrees of freedom.   On our robot, this task is accomplished by the use of four individually driven Mecanum wheels.  These wheels are mounted to a modular chassis and are individually controlled through the CAN (Controller area network) electronic system. By individually controlling each wheel, they allow the robot to be maneuvered in any direction without disturbing the orientation in which the robot is facing.  During our research, we found that the wheels respond differently to different surfaces.  The utilization of the mecanum wheels allows for more maneuverability and versatility in areas where humans are unable to get to. Remote robotic intervention replaces the need for a human to operate when it comes to life-threatening situations.