Page 248 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Power Supply
from the origin,but not necessarily.An example of an attractive radial field
is a mapping of the force that exists as a robot carrying an electrically
positive charge operates in the vicinity of an object carrying an electri-
cally negative charge. In this case, the vector intensity increases as the
distance between the robot and the origin decreases.
Repulsive radial field
A repulsive radial potential field contains vectors that all point outward
away from the origin.As with the attractive field, vector magnitude might
depend on the distance from the origin, but not necessarily. An example
of a repulsive radial field is a mapping of the force that exists if a robot
carrying an electrically positive charge operates in the vicinity of an object
carrying an electrically positive charge (that is, the same polarity as the
robot). In this case, the vector intensity increases as the distance between
the robot and the origin decreases.
Tangential field
A tangential potential field contains vectors that point either clockwise or
counterclockwise in concentric circles around the origin. The vector
magnitude might vary depending on the distance from the origin, but
not necessarily. An example of this type of field is the wind circulation
surrounding an intense tropical hurricane. Another example is magnetic
flux surrounding a straight wire carrying a steady, direct current, when
the wire passes through the 2-D work surface at a right angle. In both of
these cases, the vector intensity increases as the distance between the
robot and the origin decreases.
Perpendicular field
In a perpendicular potential field, also called an orthogonal potential field,
the vectors all point in the same direction and have the same magnitude,
regardless of the location of the robot. All of the vectors point at a right
angle to the work surface. An example of this sort of field is Earth’s mag-
netic field in the immediate vicinity of either geomagnetic pole. Another
example is the mapping of the force that occurs if a robot carrying an electric
charge operates on a work surface that also carries an electric charge. If the
robot and the surface have like charges, the force is repulsive (the vectors all
point straight up); if the robot and the surface have opposite charges, the
force is attractive (the vectors all point straight down).
See also COMPUTER MAP.

POWER SUPPLY
A power supply is a circuit that provides an electronic device with the
voltage and current it needs for proper operation. The power from a typical

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