So, you want to build an H-bot?

摘要

Designers of modern robotics based their systems on modularity. Instead of using one six-axis robot for all applications, mechatronics engineers design a robot for each application. This approach places more emphasis on model-based design and system integration. The H-bot, so-named because it resembles the letter H, is an example of such a robot. This 2-D robot, a planar mechanism for positioning an object in XY space, such as a plane, finds use in many industrial applications, such as pick-and-place, sorting, gluing, and inspection systems. It is easy to manufacture because it comprises two motors, a timing belt, and two perpendicularly mounted rails (Figure 1). Despite its dynamic simplicity, friction, backlash, and compliance throughout the mechanism are impediments to accurate positioning and represent system-design challenges.