The Trossen Robotics system offers users a set of prebuilt robotic Algorithms for common robotic needs. By using the XML configuration file method we are able to make use of re-usable algorithms which work for robotics calculations regardless of the robot size or dimensions. The same algorithm applies whether you are using a robot that is 12 inches tall or 3 meters tall.

The use of the Robotic Algorithm Library is very simple. Here's how it works:

A developer is in complete control of the robot's behaviors at all times. The RAL acts as a toolbox for performing complex calculations which most people do not want to spend time building.

Let's say that a developer wants to make a hexabot take one step forward. To do this without the RAL they would have to figure out the positions for all 18 servos on a standard hexabot for the 4 main quadrants of each step; up, down, forward, and backward. That's 72 total positions for a single step.

Now add the aspect that a developer will want to be able to tell the robot how large each step should be. This is usually figured out as a % of the full leg swing. Another layer of complication is added when you want to tell your robot to make a slight turn during those steps. As you can imagine this is a lot of math! By using the RAL all this complicated calculating is taken care of for developers.

The following example line of code returns the servo positions for quadrant 1 of a 3 DOF hexabot step using a 70% leg swing.



The following loop sends the new positions to the servos telling them to move.

For i=0 to 5
For x=0 to 2
Call fncServoMove(i, x, RAL.Hexabot.3DOF.CurrentQuadrant(i, x))
Next
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