Various factors determine the selection of a robot. First and foremost the robot must cater to the application that calls for its use. That apart, the remaining factors can be classified as "efficiencies".
Performance efficiency, economic efficiency, durability and reliablity are the other factors that will typically be looked at while choosing a robot. Most commercial grade robots catering to particular needs are subject to heavy testing and analysis to ensure satisfactory performance over prolonged periods.
It is too early to predict the performance efficiency and the durablity of ALIEN. However, ALIEN has been subject to tests to ensure that it is robot whose functions have been demostrated "in princliple". The team is confident that endurance and reliablity can be demonstrated given adequate time and monetary assistance.
From the design aspect, there are many factors that make ALIEN quite economical and also easy to construct. A simple reconstruction of the entire robot will cost no more than Rs 8000/- ( $ 160 ) at current rates. A mass manufacture will naturally tend to bring most of the costs down and could even be substantially lesser than the said amount.
ALIEN uses just one motor per leg to achieve two axis motion ( lateral and vertical ). This design aspect tends to keep costs substantially down. A casual reader may be reminded that many robots use two motors to achieve the same motion. Though the two actuator design has it's own advantages, on the flip side, controlling the same becomes a realatively consuming task. The implications of using a single motor actuator(as against two motor actuator per leg) are as follows
An overall reduction of 4 motorsCost saving on account of reduction in the number of motors
An overall reduction in weight of the manipulator
Increased power delivery to motors( on account of the robot being autonomous) on account of lesser number of motors and lesser weight
Assembly time of the robot will be very small ( about 12 hours ).
Hence economic feasibilty is apparent. Commercial feasibility including reliablity and endurance are yet to be established.
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