Patrick F. Muir, PhD

PROJECTS

• Project Scientist - Agile Manufacturing: November 1996 - Present, Microdynamic Systems Laboratory, Robotics Institute, CMU, Minifactory project with Dr. Ralph Hollis, Conceptual contributions to the Agile Assembly Architecture, Collaborated on the mechatronic design of a high precision robot manipulator, Developed a novel physical control architecture for distributed mechatronic agents, Developed a new low-level object-oriented approach to mechatronic software development.

• Consultant - Agile Manufacturing: March - May 1996, Microdynamic Systems Laboratory, Robotics Institute, CMU, Conducted study of the impacts of emerging manufacturing paradigms on automation technology with Dr. Ralph Hollis.

• Consultant - Autonomous Robots: 1995, Lunar Navigation Group, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Constructed laser ranging scanner system, Improved electrical and software components of mobile robot control system for a prototype lunar robot with Dr. Eric Krotkov.

• Entrepreneur - Automated Carving: 1994 - 1996, Started the business venture Heirloom Quality Carvings, Conceived, designed and built a unique computer-controlled carving machine capable of large 3-D relief carving in light materials.

• Graduate Level Teacher - Mechatronics: 1993, Robotics Institute, CMU, Developed and taught the first graduate course "Mechatronics" at CMU. Specified, acquired and installed lab equipment. Designed and executed a hands-on robot design laboratory project including mechanical, electronic and computer control components. Supervised a teaching assistant. Developed and presented bi-weekly lectures. Produced and graded assignments. Produced a final public demonstration.

• Project Scientist - Field Robotics: 1992, Robotics Institute, CMU, Designed and implemented a real-time computer controller for a hydraulic differentially-driven all-terrain robot. Developed control algorithms, designed an integrated sensor-based foot, and modeled the kinematics, power consumption, and static stability of the tethered operation of an eight-legged walking robot. Participated on a PhD qualifying exam committee. Originated and participated in several proposal writing efforts in the areas of mobile robots, and advanced sensors.

• Senior Member of Technical Staff - Intelligent Machines Principles: 1988-1992, Intelligent Machines Principles Division, Sandia National Laboratories, Managed fast, in-contact robot control project. Linearized direct-drive AdeptTwo robot actuators by novel mechatronic hardware/firmware configuration. Designed and implemented a hybrid force/position controller using VxWorks which replaced the commercial robot controller. Identified the principles relating joint torque linearity and speed of in-contact operation. Applied these principles to implement fast chamfering operations. Developed a robot kinematic parameter identification method based upon a visual position sensor. Organized a biweekly robot controls discussion group which met regularly for more than two years.

• Research Assistant - Mobile Robots: 1982-1988, Mobile Robot Laboratory, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Project Head: Dr. Hans P. Moravec, Conceived, developed, implemented and documented resolved motion rate and resolved acceleration servo-control algorithms for wheeled mobile robots, conducted model-based simulation studies to compare alternative robot control algorithms, Designed and built special-purpose electronics for an omnidirectional wheeled robot.

• Teaching Assistant - Controls: Fall 1984, Undergraduate course, "Fundamentals of Control," Instructor: Prof. C.P. Neuman.

• Research Engineer - Robotic Circuit Board Testing: Summer 1983, Manufacturing Research Laboratory, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, Designed algorithms and implemented a robotic circuit board tester using IBM 7565 robot and Series I computer programmed in AML. Project Advisor: Bela Musits.

• Research Engineer - Precision Robotics: Summer 1982, Manufacturing Research Laboratory, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, Developed and implemented a 68000-based dynamic digital control system for a high precision positioner, Project Advisor: Dr. Ralph Hollis.

• Research Engineer - Semiconductor Research: Summer 1981, Semiconductor Science Laboratory, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Designed and Built an AIM65-based fast data logging system for semiconductor research, Project Advisor: Dr. Daniel DeMaria.

RESEARCH INTERESTS: • Mechatronics: Integrated mechanical, electrical and software design • Modular, agile manufacturing systems • Self contained dynamically-stable robots • Software architectures for mechatronics • Distributed mechatronic agents • Cartesian space mobile robot control • Robot kinematics and dynamics • Educational and Entertainment Animatronics

BOOKS WHICH INCLUDE MY WORK:

• Introduction to Robotics, by P.J., McKerrow, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, New York, 1991, Section 8.1, "Kinematic Modeling of Wheeled Robots", pp. 402-421.

• Autonomous Robot Vehicles, edited by I.J. Cox and G.T. Wilfong, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990, "Kinematic Modeling for Feedback Control of an Omnidirectional Wheeled Mobile Robot", pp. 25-31.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS:

[17] "Minifactory: A Precision Assembly System that Adapts to the Product Life Cycle," P.F. Muir, A.A. Rizzi and J. Gowdy, SPIE Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Advanced Manufacturing, Pittsburgh, PA, October 1997.

[16] "Linearizing the Joint Torque Characteristics of an Electric Direct-Drive Robot for High Performance Control of In-Contact Operation," P.F. Muir, 1992 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Nice, France, May 1992.

[15] "Torque Linearizing Hardware for the Electric Joint Motors of a Direct-Drive Robot," P.F. Muir and J.R. Bryan, Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Ideas in Science & Electronics Exposition and Symposium, Albuquerque, NM, May 1992.

[14] "Converting a Commercial Electric Direct-Drive Robot to Operate from Joint Torque Commands," P.F. Muir, Sandia Laboratories Technical Report #SAND91-1548, July 1991.

[13] "A Virtual Sensor Approach to Robot Kinematic Identification, P.F. Muir, Proceedings of the 1990 IEEE International Conference on Systems Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA, August 1990, pp. 440-445.

[12] "Resolved Motion Rate and Resolved Acceleration Servo-Control of Wheeled Mobile Robots," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, Proceedings of the 1990 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Cincinnati OH, May 1990, pp. 1133-1140.

[11] "Kinematic Modeling for Feedback Control of an Omnidirectional Wheeled Mobile Robot," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, in Autonomous Robot Vehicles, I.J. Cox and G.T. Wilfong, Editors, Springer-Verlag, /new York, 1990, pp. 25-31.

[10] "Modeling and Control of Wheeled Mobile Robots," P.F. Muir, PhD Thesis, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon Unversity, Pittsburgh, PA, August 1988.

[9] "Dynamic Modeling of Multibody Robotic Mechanisms: Incorporating Closed-Chains, Friction, Higher-Pair Joints, and Unactuated and Unsensed Joints," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, Proceedings of the 1988 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Philadelphia, PA, April 1988.

[8] "From Linear Algebraic Equations to Wheeled Mobile Robot Modeling," C.P. Neuman and P.F. Muir, Proceedings of the Fifth Yale Workshop on Applications of Adaptive Systems Theory, Yale University, New Haven, CT, May 1987.

[7] "Kinematic Modeling of Wheeled Mobile Robots," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, Journal of Robotic Systems, Vol. 4, No. 2, April 1987, pp. 281-340.

[6] "Kinematic Modeling for Feedback Control of an Omnidirectional Wheeled Mobile Robot," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, Proceedings of the 1987 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Raleigh, NC, March 1987, pp. 1772-1778.

[5] "Kinematic Modeling of Wheeled Mobile Robots," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, Robotics Institute Technical Report No. CMU-RI-TR-86-12, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, June 1986.

[4] "Pulsewidth Modulation Control of Brushless DC Motors for Robotic Applications," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, Vol. IE-32, No. 3, August 1985, pp. 222-229.

[3] "Pulse-Width Modulation Control of Brushless DC Motors for Robotic Applications," P.F. Muir and C.P. Neuman, Proceedings of the 27th Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems, Morgantown, WV, June 1984.

[2] "Local Sensor to Improve Probe Accuracy," P.F. Muir and B.L. Musits, IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 27, No. 1A, June 1984.

[1] "Digital Servo Controller Design for Brushless DC Motors," P.F. Muir, Master's Project Report, department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, April 1984.

To reach me directly, email me at muir@ri.cmu.edu