Humanoid robot controller: MCU, DSP, AI chip

Enthusiasts.com reports (Text/Li Wanwan) The humanoid is the core nervous system in the humanoid robot, responsible for the detailed planning and control of the robot's movement, and is one of the decisive factors in the robot's performance.

The controller achieves precise control of the robot's movement through the close combination of software and . When the controller receives signals from components such as the , it will process and analyze the signals through the library of the software part, plan the robot's movement trajectory, and send corresponding control instructions to the actuator through components such as the board of the hardware part. After receiving the instructions, the actuator will drive the robot to move along the predetermined trajectory, thereby realizing various functions of the robot.

The role and characteristics of the humanoid robot controller

For humanoid robots, what is the role of the controller? The first is motion planning and control. The controller can plan and control the robot's movement to ensure that the robot reaches the specified position accurately according to the predetermined trajectory. It can realize the mutual conversion between the robot's operating space coordinates and the joint space coordinates, complete high-speed servo interpolation calculations and servo motion control, so as to ensure the accuracy and response speed of the robot's movement.

The second is the release and transmission of action instructions. As the release and transmission of robot action instructions, the controller can convey the operator's instructions to the robot and ensure that the robot performs corresponding actions according to the instructions.

Next is data processing and transmission. The controller can process and transmit the data transmitted by components such as sensors, reduce the deviation between the actual motion trajectory of the robot and the desired target, and ensure the motion accuracy of the robot.

The controller has the characteristics of high real-time performance, high precision, and modular structure. High real-time performance: Humanoid robots have extremely high real-time requirements. The controller needs to be able to respond quickly and process various instructions and data to ensure the robot's motion performance.

High precision: The controller can achieve precise control of the robot's motion through complex algorithms and precise sensor data, reducing the deviation between the motion trajectory and the desired target.

Modular structure: Since the technical solution of humanoid robots has not yet been finalized and the technology is rapidly iterating, the controller is suitable for a modular structure, which is convenient for replacing components and simplifying the process of creating different controller combinations.

Composition and structure of humanoid robot controller

From the perspective of composition structure, the humanoid robot controller is divided into two parts: hardware and software. The hardware part mainly includes core components such as control boards, which are responsible for data collection, processing and transmission. The core of the hardware lies in the chip, which determines the performance and stability of the controller. The controller receives signals from components such as sensors, processes them through the chip, and then issues instructions to the actuator to control the robot's motion.

The software part of the controller includes key elements such as the control system and algorithm library, which are the core technologies for realizing robotized and autonomous motion.

The operating system is the basis of the controller software part. It is responsible for managing the hardware resources of the controller and providing a running environment for the upper-level application. In humanoid robots, the operating system needs to support high real-time performance and flexible task scheduling to meet the strict requirements of the robot for motion control.

The algorithm library is the core of the controller software part. It contains a variety of algorithms for robot motion control, such as kinematic control algorithms, dynamic control algorithms, and path planning algorithms. These algorithms plan the robot's motion trajectory by processing data transmitted by components such as sensors, and issue corresponding control instructions to the actuator.

The kinematic control algorithm in the underlying algorithm library is responsible for planning the robot's motion trajectory to ensure that the robot's end effector can accurately reach the specified position. It realizes the smooth transition of the robot from the initial position to the target position by calculating the angle and speed of each joint of the robot. The

application process algorithm is optimized for specific application scenarios, such as grasping algorithms and walking algorithms. These algorithms combine the robot's dynamic characteristics and environment to achieve efficient operation of the robot in complex environments.

As mentioned above, the core of the humanoid robot controller hardware lies in the chip, which includes many types. Among them, is one of the common chips in humanoid robots. They integrate modules such as , memory, and I/O, and have the advantages of small size, low power consumption, and moderate cost. MCU is mainly responsible for processing basic control logic and sensor signals and executing simple control algorithms. There are many different and models of MCUs, such as , C, AVR, etc., which are all used in humanoid robot controllers.

is a chip specially used for processing, with powerful digital signal processing capabilities. In humanoid robots, DSP can be used to process complex motion control algorithms, image processing algorithms, such as real-time image processing, motion trajectory planning, etc. The high-performance computing capability of DSP gives it a significant advantage in processing large amounts of data and complex algorithms.

With the development of technology, chips are more and more widely used in humanoid robots. These chips are specially designed to execute artificial intelligence algorithms, such as , etc. AI chips can handle tasks such as robot, image recognition, natural language processing, etc., and enhance the robot's human-computer interaction capabilities and intelligence level.

is a chip customized for specific applications, with the advantages of high performance, low power consumption, and high integration. In humanoid robots, ASIC can be used to implement specific control algorithms or functional modules, such as drive control, sensor signal processing, etc. The customized design of ASIC enables it to be optimized for specific applications, improving overall performance and efficiency. In addition, other types of chips are involved in humanoid robot controllers, such as, etc.

Written at the end

With the accelerated iteration and the continuous expansion of humanoid robot application scenarios, controllers, as an important part of the humanoid robot industry chain, will usher in a broader development space. At the same time, with the continuous development of humanoid robot technology, its chips are also constantly improving and evolving. In the future, humanoid robot controller chips will also develop in the direction of high performance, low power consumption, multi-function integration, and enhanced security.