CSIR goes out on a limb

By Siyabonga Africa, ITWeb junior journalist

Johannesburg, 09 Mar 2009

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has acquired Africa's first wide arm manipulator (WAM). The arm is worth more than R1.8 million and will assist the newly-formed mobile intelligent autonomous systems (MIAS) unit in its research on human dexterity.

"This arm is built to outperform conventional manipulator robots, given that it is adaptable to objects scaled for human grasping, such as handheld tools; is safe for human interaction and uses intuitive application development," says MIAS researcher Jonathan Claasens.

Claasens says the robotic arm is a highly-dexterous, naturally back-drivable manipulator, with human-like kinematics, but with dexterity and agility beyond human capability.

African first

“Research into using manipulators for direct human interaction to perform tasks like chores for the elderly, or sort samples has seen very little work from Africa,” says Claassens.

The WAM is a one of a kind on the African continent and will only be available to students whose supervisors have direct links to the MIAS, he adds. Claasens notes his group is open to collaborative projects in line within its applications of interest.

“My research with the manipulator involves teaching the machine by demonstration, namely through guiding or tele-operation, to perform various relatively precise tasks. This approach greatly simplifies robot programming.”

MIAS says the technology will be used to develop control and planning techniques that lend themselves very effectively to the mining sector where conditions are hazardous for humans.

“We already received a keen interest from the mining industry in SA and are currently in discussions."

The WAM received the title of "most advanced robotic arm" in the special Millennium Edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. It weighs 27kg and is adaptable to mobile platforms.