Design of Robotic Mechanism for Rhythm Bots Art Installation

Abstract

Inspired by the rhythmic motion of dancers, natural phenomena, and oscillator models, the Rhythm Bots project intends to explore human-swarm interaction in the form of a robotic art installation. This thesis involves the design, construction, and control of a swarm of Rhythm Bots for the purposes of an art installation. In particular, it explores oscillatory motion and synchrony through the design of a robotic mechanism to induce smooth, controllable motion in a robot “torso” which resembles a rigid pendulum. With the objectives of predicting the robot behavior, aiding in the design process, and providing goal trajectories, the dynamics of the robot are derived and simulated under various hardware conditions. The synchronization of this motion between individual robots in the swarm is also explored, and a basis of communication between the robots and driver program is established. Multiple iterations of this design were prototyped and tested, and their motion was compared in order to determine a final model. Once this design was determined, various oscillatory trajectories were tested on the robot, and the performance was compared with a theoretical goal path. This design was then replicated to create a preliminary robot swarm in preparation for an upcoming art installation and future development of the Rhythm Bots project with more human-swarm interaction applications.