Five golden rules for prototyping robotic systems

The five golden rules for prototyping robotic systems are discussed. A well-thought-out plan for prototyping can significantly pay off in the long run and can be even more important in robotics applications than in other fields, because typically robots move and interact with people, which can lead to difficult or dangerous situations. A working robotics prototype involves mechanical, electrical, and software design and may be used as a proof-of-concept for your customer, as a marketing or sales tool, or just to provide a first attempt at proving an idea. Invariably the design of the prototype will change as the project begins to mature. The design of the quadrotor helicopter's control algorithm began with a relatively complicated software model and a robust simulation of the closed-loop control system. The quadrotor helicopter design uses previously tested off-the-shelf components for Bluetooth communication hardware and for five axes of a six axis inertial measurement system.