CuGo MEGA introduction example [Remotely operated humanoid robot DiaroiD_Mitsubishi Electric]

Mitsubishi Electric is involved in a wide range of businesses, from familiar home appliances to global technology projects.

This time, we introduced CuboRex's CuGo MEGA to develop a remote control robot that can adapt to various environments.

We asked about the background behind its introduction and future development prospects.

-First of all, please tell us about the services and business of the department in charge of your company.

Mitsubishi Electric operates a wide range of businesses from home appliances to artificial satellites.

This development is being carried out at the Electronic Communication Systems Manufacturing Center in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, in cooperation with the Advanced Technology Research Institute.

The Infrastructure Information Systems Department within the facility is progressing, and one of its main projects is the development of telescope systems, including the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, the ALMA Telescope in Chile, South America, and other projects related to the space situation. I am involved in various developments such as telescopes for monitoring purposes.

From Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's "Present and Future of Remotely Controlled Robots" announced in June 2023

-Please tell us more about the remote-controlled humanoid robot "DiaroiD" for which you introduced CuGo MEGA.

The ALMA telescope I mentioned earlier is located at an altitude of 5,000 meters in Chile, South America.

This harsh on-site environment was the starting point for our robot development.

From Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's "Present and Future of Remotely Controlled Robots" announced in June 2023

After experiencing work at a harsh site where it is difficult to climb to high altitudes and not be able to stay for long periods of time, I decided to take this remote work project in hopes of reducing the burden on site workers, if not now, but in the future. Development of an operating robot has begun.

This robot utilizes the mechatronics technology that we have cultivated through precision control in manufacturing large structures such as Subaru and ALMA.

While operating the steering wheel using a joystick-type controller, human movements can be reproduced through intuitive operation from a remote location.

The concept is to replace human work, and although it is described as using everything from cream puffs to dumbbells, it can also use basic human movements such as pushing and pulling, as well as power tools.

It is possible to reproduce small movements such as plugging into an outlet, and this will lead to the ability to charge the device yourself when the battery is low.

From Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's "Present and Future of Remotely Controlled Robots" announced in June 2023

- How will DiaroiD be used in the future?

Of course, we are proceeding with development with the hope that it can be used for space development-related work, but there are two possibilities for the future.

One is to maximize the time of key engineers.

In the case of special and specialized techniques, the work itself tends to become mundane.

Using DiaroiD, a single veteran worker can access robots located in various locations without having to travel, and work that requires a high level of skill can be carried out at multiple locations.

Furthermore, since the details of the operations can be recorded as data, it is possible to digitize the work, which can also be used to train successors.

The second point is that even if there is only one robot, the number of operation bases increases.

For example, even if there is a need to operate an infrastructure system stably 24 hours a day, it is possible to take advantage of time differences and change work at appropriate operating times.

This can be expected to reduce labor imbalances and improve efficiency.

From Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's "Present and Future of Remotely Controlled Robots" announced in June 2023

-What issues did you face regarding suspension development before the introduction?

There are three major factors, one being cost.

This is the third prototype. Due to the fact that the development budget has been significantly reduced,

The cost of the crawler part also needed to be reduced, so we were having a hard time selecting one.

The second limitation is the operational interface.

The challenge was whether it would be possible to ensure responsiveness in the timing of turning the rudder when changing direction of the crawler and whether it would be possible to ensure straight-line performance.

The third point is that we wanted to increase the loadable mass.

With CuGoMEGA, you can use it without any problems even if you load heavy objects as expected, as long as the slope is not extreme. The benefits there were huge.

-How did you learn about CuGo MEGA?

Until then, the first and second prototypes used agricultural crawlers made by other companies, with the loading platform removed.

I found this through an internet search while looking for an undercarriage that could solve the problem I mentioned earlier.

-Have you compared it with other companies' products? What made you decide to introduce it?

Our main objective this time was to reduce costs, so we compared and considered various products, including those made overseas and those we had previously introduced.

Amidst the movement to cut costs, it was difficult to find products that were competitive in price.

Among them, I chose CuGo MEGA because I felt it had the best balance between price and functionality.

-Was the implementation smooth? How satisfied were you with delivery times, support, etc.?

There were no major problems and the installation was very smooth with the expected delivery date.

-What problems did you solve and what benefits did you feel by actually introducing the product?

After all, it's a matter of balance with cost. Easy to build and highly applicable.

As I expected when I introduced it, there is a high degree of freedom in product development.

In addition, many of the suspensions of other companies had the left and right bodies connected, giving them an outstanding degree of freedom in development.

With the previous model, the structure of the robot was placed in a fixed manner, making it impossible to lower the center of gravity or place objects between the crawlers. We were able to resolve these issues by using CuGo MEGA.

-What was the reaction from all the development members?

The development team members also praised the high degree of flexibility that allowed them to do whatever they wanted, such as the high degree of freedom in layout and mechanical design, as well as communication interfaces. The ease of development was a huge comment from the members.

-On the other hand, what are the disadvantages that you experienced while actually using it, and what do you hope will be improved in the future?

Actually, there were quite a lot of things.

The first is that it is vulnerable to shocks while driving.

There were several problems with aluminum frames, such as strength issues and loosening due to vibration during transportation.

Also, depending on the installed mass and the location of the center of gravity, the upper body may sway considerably when moving over steps. I feel that this is also an issue.

Currently, the robot's battery and the crawler's battery are separate.

It would be even better if the robot could be powered from the crawler's battery. I hope that the battery life will be improved as well.

Also, I would like to increase the loadable mass a little more.

I want to make sure that the robot itself can carry heavy objects.

The amount of steps that can be climbed over will be larger, the water and dust resistance will be improved, and the size will be larger.

I feel it would be nice if there was further improvement in convenience even in off-road environments.

-What are your future development prospects and what kind of future do you want to realize?

Through remotely operated humanoid robots that perform tasks for humans, we would like to expand the possibilities of contributing to safety and security now and in the future in work and work in harsh environments where securing a workforce is an issue. is.

From Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's "Present and Future of Remotely Controlled Robots" announced in June 2023

Everyone I spoke to

■Mitsubishi Electric Electronic Communication System Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Mr. Noboru Kawaguchi (Technical Supervisor)

Infrastructure Information Systems Department Space Observation and Communication Systems Division Kensuke Baba (Project Leader)

Mr. Koichi Takeda, Space Observation and Communication Systems Division, Infrastructure Information Systems Department

Mr. Hayato Hoshino, 2nd Team, Power Control Technology Section, Engineering Department

Sales Department Space/Communication Plant Sales Division Tetsuya Watanabe

 

■Mitsubishi Electric Engineering

Mr. Yosuke Tomita, Equipment Design Section, Communication Technology Department 2

 

■Mitsubishi Electric Software

Mr. Yoshitaka Kanda, Electronic Systems Business Division, Communication Equipment Division, 1st Technology Department

Toru Sato, Electronic Systems Business Division, Communication Equipment Division, 2nd Technology Department

-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --

Thank you to everyone at Mitsubishi Electric!

CuboRex will continue to contribute to Mitsubishi Electric's research and development.

CuGoMEGA is currently not available.

Click here for details on the successor CuGoMEGA M2 base kit!

https://cuborex.myshopify.com/collections/cugomega-m2/products/cugomega-m2