Artery Technology Expands Intelligent Robot MCU Solutions to Enhance Precision and Real-Time Control

Image Courtesy: Public Domain : Artelis' high-efficiency MCU is introduced into Yushu's intelligent robot

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and robotics technology, robots are being applied in a variety of scenarios such as smart manufacturing, logistics and transportation, companion services, and public safety, becoming a key driving force for future smart life and industrial upgrading. According to market research institutions, the global robot market is expected to exceed US$100 billion by 2030, among which bionic and multi-degree-of-freedom robots will be the fastest growing segments.

The intelligent robot system can be roughly divided into three modules: control unit, sensing unit and drive unit, which work closely with each other to build a complete architecture with intelligent decision-making and precise control capabilities. Among them, the control unit plays the role of decision-making and coordination core, which can be further divided into two-layer architecture: "brain (MPU)" and "cerebellum (MCU)": MPU is responsible for high-level tasks such as AI inference, visual recognition and behavior planning, while MCU focuses on real-time control and module communication to ensure the coordination and stability of multi-axis motion.

The sensing unit is responsible for acquiring data from IMU, pressure, vision and other sensors, and filtering and fusing them through high-precision ADC and analog signal pre-processing functions (such as OPA) to provide a basis for the control unit to make decisions. The driving unit performs actual actions according to control instructions, controls servo motors and mechanical joints, and puts forward high-level control requirements for the MCU, such as high-speed PWM output, position encoding input and real-time feedback processing. The three modules together constitute the core cycle of "perception-decision-execution" of the intelligent robot, and are the technical basis for achieving high autonomy and flexible action capabilities.

Artery Technology follows this trend and launches a variety of cost-effective 32-bit MCU products, which are widely used in intelligent robot control and sensing modules, covering the following series:

Arteli Intelligent Robot MCU Solution:

• The AT32F415 / AT32F403A / AT32F435 series
  uses the Arm® Cortex®-M4 processor core with a maximum frequency of 288MHz. It integrates high-speed ADC, rich PWM channels, and multiple communication interfaces such as CAN and UART. It is particularly suitable for high-degree-of-freedom joint control and multi-axis servo motor drive, enhancing the coordination of movements and instant response capabilities.
  
  
• The AT32M412 series
  has a built-in high-performance operational amplifier (OPA) that can directly process signals from analog sensors such as acceleration, pressure, hearing and vision, and perform front-end filtering and amplification to improve the fusion processing efficiency of sensor data, making it particularly suitable for multi-sensor module integration applications.
  
  The above MCU solutions have been successfully introduced into the application field of smart robots. Unitree Robotics, a well-known bionic robot research and development company,  has adopted AT32F415 as the joint control chip  in the motor drive unit of its mass-produced robots   , greatly improving the real-time control stability and overall system cost-effectiveness.

Looking ahead, Artelis will continue to deepen its presence in the smart robot market and actively develop edge AI MCU platforms that integrate neural network processors (NPUs) to support local inference and edge learning functions.