BGMEA UNIVERSITY OF FASHION & TECHNOLOGY

JOURNAL REPORT
COURSE NAME: ELEMENTS OF MICROPROCESSOR ROBOTICS CONTROL
ENGINEERING
COURSE CODE: EEE4100
TOPIC: ATLAS AND SURENA IV (HUMANOID ROBOTS).

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

SADIA SULTANA TURNA 181-284-801
LECTURER 181-288-801
DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING 181-289-801
BGMEA UNIVERSITY OF FASHION & TECHNOLOGY 181-290-801
181-299-801
181-306-801
181-307-801
BATCH: 181 -TE-2

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 10 JULY, 2021

 Atlas & Surena IV
Sadia Sultana Turna1* Asif Iqbal2*, Md. Mehedi Hasan2*, Al Mamun Sagor2*, Injamul
Haque2*, Rizbi Ahmed2*, Md. Shahinul Islam2*, Md. Masud Rana2*
1
Lecturer, Department of Engineering, BUFT, B.Sc. in EEE (AUST), M.Sc. in EEE (AIUB).
E-mail: sadia.turna@buft.edu.bd
2
B. Sc in Textile Engineering (In Progress), BUFT

Abstracts: This study deals with the
mechanism, drive system, control system, and
the probable algorithm/programming
language of humanoid robots. Descriptive
analysis of humanoid robots that provides the
possibility of new human friends, that this
updated automated robot can be the real
friend, that these updated humanoid robots
can be real friends of humans and can handle
future responsibilities of humans. These Atlas
and Surena IV robots are made to provide
value by automating tasks in a way that leads
to cost savings and productivity. It also gives
an idea of the capabilities of these two robots
and how they can be useful for us. This study
represents the user-friendly features of these
robots.
Keywords: Atlas and Surena IV robots,
Sensors, Drive system, Robot operating
system (ROS), Algorithm.
1. Introduction
Humanoid robots are by far the most
advanced robot systems in the group of the
biologically inspired robots. They are
designed to live and work in a human
environment. Atlas is a bipedal humanoid
robot primarily developed by the American
robotics company Boston Dynamics with
funding and oversight from the U.S. Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency. The
robot was initially designed for a variety of
search and rescue tasks, and was unveiled to
the public on July 11, 2013.
Surena is a series of Iranian humanoid robots,
named after the Parthian General Surena. The
Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers has placed the Surena among
prominent robots in the world after analysing
its performance.
On December 14, 2019, the fourth generation
of Surena humanoid robots was unveiled
officially. The robot has been developed in
CAST (Centre of Advanced Systems and
Technologies).
2. Study of the Mechanism
Therefore, it is important to develop robot
hardware that behaves close to an ideal model
and that is easy to be modelled from the
viewpoint of mechanics.
2.1 Classification
The evolution of Surena:
The latest Surena model has come a long way
since the initial version, unveiled in 2008,
which had only 8 degrees of freedom (DoF)
and used wheels on its feet to move around.
Surena II had 22 DoF and was the first
version capable of walking. Surena III, with
31 DoF, demonstrated skills like climbing
steps and kicking a ball.
2.2 Drive System
A robot will require a drive system for
moving their arm, wrist, and body. A drive
system is usually used to determine the
capacity of a robot. For actuating the robot
joints, there are three different types of drive
systems available such as:
1. Electric drive system
2. Hydraulic drive system, and
3. Pneumatic drive system.

The most importantly used two types of drive
systems are electric and hydraulic.
A robot must have a control system to operate
its drive system, which is used to move the
arm, wrist, and body of a robot at various
paths. When different industrial robots are
compared with their control system, they can
be divided into four major types.
1. Limited sequence robots/Stop to stop
robots.
2. Playback robots with point-to-point
control.
3. Playback robots with continuous path
control.
4. Intelligent robots/Controlled path control.
For SURENA IV Gazebo, Coronoids, and
MATLAB have been used to simulate the
motion of the robot and evaluate different
scenarios including upper body and lower
body motions (e.g., side walking, backward
walking, turning around, and push recovery).
In the new generation, the control loop
frequency has been increased to 200 Hz by
exploiting FPGA boards, making it possible
to implement online controllers and
estimators. By means of Robot Operating
System (ROS), state monitoring, real time
implementation of algorithms, and
simultaneous running of several programs
has become straightforward.
2.3 Sensors
A sensor is a device that measures some
attribute of the world. Being one of the three
primitives of robotics (besides planning and
control), sensing plays an important role in
robotic paradigms.
Sensors can be classified according to the
physical process with which they work or
according to the type of measurement
information that they give as output. In this
case, the second approach was used.
1. Proprioceptive
2. Exteroceptive
Proprioceptive sensors sense the position, the
orientation and the speed of the humanoid's
body and joints.
In human beings the otoliths and semi-
circular canals (in the inner ear) are used to
maintain balance and orientation. In addition,
humans use their own proprioceptive sensors
(e.g., touch, muscle extension, limb position)
to help with their orientation. Humanoid
robots use accelerometers to measure the
acceleration, from which velocity can be
calculated by integration; tilt sensors to
measure inclination; force sensors placed in
robot's hands and feet to measure contact
force with environment; position sensors, that
indicate the actual position of the robot (from
which the velocity can be calculated by
derivation) or even speed sensors.
Arrays of tactels can be used to provide data
on what has been touched. The Shadow Hand
uses an array of 34 tactels arranged beneath
its polyurethane skin on each fingertip.
Tactile sensors also provide information
about forces and torques transferred between
the robot and other objects.
Vision refers to processing data from any
modality which uses the electromagnetic
spectrum to produce an image. In humanoid
robots it is used to recognize objects and
determine their properties. Vision sensors
work most similarly to the eyes of human
beings. Most humanoid robots use CCD
cameras as vision sensors.
Sound sensors allow humanoid robots to hear
speech and environmental sounds, and
perform as the ears of the human being.
Microphones are usually used for this task.
Sensors, like windows for a robot to
environment, are classified into two groups:
1. Internal sensors
Robots’ position sensor, velocity sensor,
acceleration sensor, motor torque sensor etc.
obtain the information about the robot itself
and are classified as internal sensors.
2. External sensors
Cameras, range sensors (IR sensor, laser
range finder, and ultrasonic sensor) contact
and proximity sensors (photodiode, IR
detector, RFID, touch, etc.) and force sensors
gather the information in the surrounding
environment and are referred to as external
sensors.
2.3.1. Sensors used in humanoid
robots
There are different types of sensors available
to choose from and the characteristics of
sensors are used for determining the type of
sensor to be used for a particular application.
1) Light Sensor
Light sensor is a transducer used for detecting
light and creates a voltage difference
equivalent to the light intensity that falls on a
light sensor.
The two main light sensors used in robots are
Photovoltaic cells and Photoresistor. Other
kinds of Light sensors like phototransistors,
phototubes are rarely used.
2) Proximity Sensor
Proximity sensors can detect the presence of
nearby objects without any physical contact.
Working with a proximity sensor is simple. In
proximity, the sensor transmitter transmits
electromagnetic radiation and the receiver
receives and analyses the return signal for
interruptions.
Therefore, the amount of light the receiver
receives by surrounding can be used for
detecting the presence of nearby objects.
Consider the types of proximity sensors used
in robotics are: -
Infrared (IR) Transceivers - In IR sensor
LEDs transmit the beam of IR light and if it
finds an obstacle then the light is reflected
back which is captured by an IR receiver.
Ultrasonic Sensor - In ultrasonic sensors high
frequency sound waves are generated by the
transmitter, the received echo pulse suggests
an object interruption.
3) Temperature Sensor
Temperature sensors are used for sensing the
change in temperature of the surrounding
area. It is based on the principle of change in
voltage difference for a change in
temperature this change in voltage will
provide the equivalent temperature value of
the surrounding.
Few generally used temperature sensor ICs
are TMP35, TMP37, LM34, LM35, etc.
4) Acceleration Sensor
Acceleration sensor is used for measuring
acceleration and tilt. An accelerometer is a
device used for measuring acceleration.
The two kinds of forces which affect an
accelerometer is: -
Static Force - It is the frictional force
between any two objects. By measuring this
gravitational force, we can determine how
much the robot is tilting. This measurement is
useful in balancing a robot, or for determining
whether the robot is driving on a flat surface
or uphill.
Dynamic Force - It is the amount of
acceleration required to move an object.
Measurement of dynamic force using an
accelerometer talks about the velocity/speed
at which the robot is moving.
5) Position sensors
Position sensors can monitor the location of
the joints and give the information to the
controller by this the robot can determine the
position of the end effector, the end effector
is a part of the robot.
6) Range sensors
These sensors can measure the distance
between a point in the robot and the point that
surrounds the robots. This is mostly done
with the help of cameras.
These sensors are used in the end effector to
calculate the distance between the sensor and
the work part.
2.4 Transducers
A transducer is a device that converts energy
from one form to another. Usually a
transducer converts a signal in one form of
energy to a signal in another.
Transducers are often employed at the
boundaries of automation, measurement, and
control systems, where electrical signals are
converted to and from other physical
quantities (energy, force, torque, light,
motion, position, etc.). The process of
converting one form of energy to another is
known as transduction.
2.4.1. Types of transducers
Transducers that convert physical quantities
into mechanical quantities are known as
mechanical transducers; transducers that
convert physical quantities into electrical
quantities are known as electrical
transducers. Examples are a thermocouple
that changes temperature differences into a
small voltage, or a linear variable differential
transformer (LVDT) used to measure
displacement.
3. Language Used in
Programming
Computers do not understand human
language. The communication problem is
solved by the introduction of an artificial
language, which is called a programming
language. A program is a collection of
instructions. An instruction contains:
1. Operation code (OPCODE): Describes,
‘what is to be done to data’.
2. Operand: Contains coded information that
refers to the value of the data/address of the
data. Programming language allows writing
the text commands using some kind of
‘symbolic names’, which are converted into
‘machine codes’ by ‘translation programs.
Machine codes are binary formatted data and
easily understood by the MPU. Machine
codes are conveyed to MPU via
keyboard/memory/port devices of the system.
1. There are several possible languages
for programming such as Pascal,
MATLAB, Python, Java, C++.
2. But almost every robot manufacturer
has developed their own proprietary
robot programming language.
3. Some of them are given below:
4. ABB has its RAPID programming
language.
4. Application & Future Plan
4.1. Atlas:
Atlas is intended to aid emergency services in
search and rescue operations, performing
tasks such as shutting off valves, opening
doors and operating powered equipment in
environments where humans could not
survive. The Department of Defense stated in
2013 that it had no interest in using the robot
for offensive or defensive warfare.
In the 2015 DARPA competition of robotics,
Atlas was able to complete all eight tasks as
follows:
1. Drive a utility vehicle at the
site.
2. Travel dismounted across
rubble.
3. Remove debris blocking an
entryway.
4. Open a door and enter a
building.
5. Climb an industrial ladder
and traverse an industrial
walkway.
6. Use a tool to break through a
concrete panel.
7. Locate and close a valve near
a leaking pipe.
8. Connect a fire hose to a
standpipe and turn on a valve.
4.2. Surena IV
1. Able to Write
 2. Whole-body motion 1. https://www.researchgate.net/publi
generation cation/344552940_Mechanics_of_h
3. Shooting a ball with different
umanoid_robot
diameters
4. Drilling 2. https://www.bostondynamics.com/
5. Performing some exhibitive atlas
actions 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas
6. Able to perform arbitrary _(robot)
scenarios including physical
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sure
abilities and intelligence of
the robot. na_(robot)

5. Conclusion

The above-mentioned research shows us the

data and analysis of Atlas and Surena IV
humanoids. This journal explores the study
of the mechanism including drive system,
sensors, and probable language used in Atlas
and Surena IV robots. Descriptive analysis
of Atlas and Surena Iv robots which is the
future of humanoid robots. As we advance
towards the future, we look forward to
humanoids and robots evolving further and
finding broader applications as they become
more affordable to the more significant
population. Contrary to the belief that robots
will take away our jobs, it’s fair to say based
on the developments that humanoids and
robots will help automate repetitive jobs.
This will allow humans to focus on more
complex tasks and create more jobs.
Humans would need to monitor robots,
utilize big data for more insights on the
world around them, forecast the future, and
pursue their interests and hobbies.

6. Reference