Distributed cooperating processes in a mobile robot control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skillman, Thomas L., Jr.

1988-01-01

A mobile inspection robot has been proposed for the NASA Space Station. It will be a free flying autonomous vehicle that will leave a berthing unit to accomplish a variety of inspection tasks around the Space Station, and then return to its berth to recharge, refuel, and transfer information. The Flying Eye robot will receive voice communication to change its attitude, move at a constant velocity, and move to a predefined location along a self generated path. This mobile robot control system requires integration of traditional command and control techniques with a number of AI technologies. Speech recognition, natural language understanding, task and path planning, sensory abstraction and pattern recognition are all required for successful implementation. The interface between the traditional numeric control techniques and the symbolic processing to the AI technologies must be developed, and a distributed computing approach will be needed to meet the real time computing requirements. To study the integration of the elements of this project, a novel mobile robot control architecture and simulation based on the blackboard architecture was developed. The control system operation and structure is discussed.

Using articulated scene models for dynamic 3d scene analysis in vista spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuter, Niklas; Swadzba, Agnes; Kummert, Franz; Wachsmuth, Sven

2010-09-01

In this paper we describe an efficient but detailed new approach to analyze complex dynamic scenes directly in 3D. The arising information is important for mobile robots to solve tasks in the area of household robotics. In our work a mobile robot builds an articulated scene model by observing the environment in the visual field or rather in the so-called vista space. The articulated scene model consists of essential knowledge about the static background, about autonomously moving entities like humans or robots and finally, in contrast to existing approaches, information about articulated parts. These parts describe movable objects like chairs, doors or other tangible entities, which could be moved by an agent. The combination of the static scene, the self-moving entities and the movable objects in one articulated scene model enhances the calculation of each single part. The reconstruction process for parts of the static scene benefits from removal of the dynamic parts and in turn, the moving parts can be extracted more easily through the knowledge about the background. In our experiments we show, that the system delivers simultaneously an accurate static background model, moving persons and movable objects. This information of the articulated scene model enables a mobile robot to detect and keep track of interaction partners, to navigate safely through the environment and finally, to strengthen the interaction with the user through the knowledge about the 3D articulated objects and 3D scene analysis. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Motion generation of peristaltic mobile robot with particle swarm optimization algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homma, Takahiro; Kamamichi, Norihiro

2015-03-01

In developments of robots, bio-mimetics is attracting attention, which is a technology for the design of the structure and function inspired from biological system. There are a lot of examples of bio-mimetics in robotics such as legged robots, flapping robots, insect-type robots, fish-type robots. In this study, we focus on the motion of earthworm and aim to develop a peristaltic mobile robot. The earthworm is a slender animal moving in soil. It has a segmented body, and each segment can be shorted and lengthened by muscular actions. It can move forward by traveling expanding motions of each segment backward. By mimicking the structure and motion of the earthworm, we can construct a robot with high locomotive performance against an irregular ground or a narrow space. In this paper, to investigate the motion analytically, a dynamical model is introduced, which consist of a series-connected multi-mass model. Simple periodic patterns which mimic the motions of earthworms are applied in an open-loop fashion, and the moving patterns are verified through numerical simulations. Furthermore, to generate efficient motion of the robot, a particle swarm optimization algorithm, one of the meta-heuristic optimization, is applied. The optimized results are investigated by comparing to simple periodic patterns.

A soft robot capable of 2D mobility and self-sensing for obstacle detection and avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Lei; Tang, Yucheng; Gupta, Ujjaval; Zhu, Jian

2018-04-01

Soft robots have shown great potential for surveillance applications due to their interesting attributes including inherent flexibility, extreme adaptability, and excellent ability to move in confined spaces. High mobility combined with the sensing systems that can detect obstacles plays a significant role in performing surveillance tasks. Extensive studies have been conducted on movement mechanisms of traditional hard-bodied robots to increase their mobility. However, there are limited efforts in the literature to explore the mobility of soft robots. In addition, little attempt has been made to study the obstacle-detection capability of a soft mobile robot. In this paper, we develop a soft mobile robot capable of high mobility and self-sensing for obstacle detection and avoidance. This robot, consisting of a dielectric elastomer actuator as the robot body and four electroadhesion actuators as the robot feet, can generate 2D mobility, i.e. translations and turning in a 2D plane, by programming the actuation sequence of the robot body and feet. Furthermore, we develop a self-sensing method which models the robot body as a deformable capacitor. By measuring the real-time capacitance of the robot body, the robot can detect an obstacle when the peak capacitance drops suddenly. This sensing method utilizes the robot body itself instead of external sensors to achieve detection of obstacles, which greatly reduces the weight and complexity of the robot system. The 2D mobility and self-sensing capability ensure the success of obstacle detection and avoidance, which paves the way for the development of lightweight and intelligent soft mobile robots.

Symmetric caging formation for convex polygonal object transportation by multiple mobile robots based on fuzzy sliding mode control.

PubMed

Dai, Yanyan; Kim, YoonGu; Wee, SungGil; Lee, DongHa; Lee, SukGyu

2016-01-01

In this paper, the problem of object caging and transporting is considered for multiple mobile robots. With the consideration of minimizing the number of robots and decreasing the rotation of the object, the proper points are calculated and assigned to the multiple mobile robots to allow them to form a symmetric caging formation. The caging formation guarantees that all of the Euclidean distances between any two adjacent robots are smaller than the minimal width of the polygonal object so that the object cannot escape. In order to avoid collision among robots, the parameter of the robots radius is utilized to design the caging formation, and the A⁎ algorithm is used so that mobile robots can move to the proper points. In order to avoid obstacles, the robots and the object are regarded as a rigid body to apply artificial potential field method. The fuzzy sliding mode control method is applied for tracking control of the nonholonomic mobile robots. Finally, the simulation and experimental results show that multiple mobile robots are able to cage and transport the polygonal object to the goal position, avoiding obstacles. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential-Drive Mobile Robot Control Design based-on Linear Feedback Control Law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurmaini, Siti; Dewi, Kemala; Tutuko, Bambang

2017-04-01

This paper deals with the problem of how to control differential driven mobile robot with simple control law. When mobile robot moves from one position to another to achieve a position destination, it always produce some errors. Therefore, a mobile robot requires a certain control law to drive the robot’s movement to the position destination with a smallest possible error. In this paper, in order to reduce position error, a linear feedback control is proposed with pole placement approach to regulate the polynoms desired. The presented work leads to an improved understanding of differential-drive mobile robot (DDMR)-based kinematics equation, which will assist to design of suitable controllers for DDMR movement. The result show by using the linier feedback control method with pole placement approach the position error is reduced and fast convergence is achieved.

Adaptive Tracking Control for Robots With an Interneural Computing Scheme.

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Sheng; Hsu, Sheng-Yi; Shih, Mau-Hsiang

2018-04-01

Adaptive tracking control of mobile robots requires the ability to follow a trajectory generated by a moving target. The conventional analysis of adaptive tracking uses energy minimization to study the convergence and robustness of the tracking error when the mobile robot follows a desired trajectory. However, in the case that the moving target generates trajectories with uncertainties, a common Lyapunov-like function for energy minimization may be extremely difficult to determine. Here, to solve the adaptive tracking problem with uncertainties, we wish to implement an interneural computing scheme in the design of a mobile robot for behavior-based navigation. The behavior-based navigation adopts an adaptive plan of behavior patterns learning from the uncertainties of the environment. The characteristic feature of the interneural computing scheme is the use of neural path pruning with rewards and punishment interacting with the environment. On this basis, the mobile robot can be exploited to change its coupling weights in paths of neural connections systematically, which can then inhibit or enhance the effect of flow elimination in the dynamics of the evolutionary neural network. Such dynamical flow translation ultimately leads to robust sensory-to-motor transformations adapting to the uncertainties of the environment. A simulation result shows that the mobile robot with the interneural computing scheme can perform fault-tolerant behavior of tracking by maintaining suitable behavior patterns at high frequency levels.

A novel traveling wave piezoelectric actuated tracked mobile robot utilizing friction effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Liang; Shu, Chengyou; Jin, Jiamei; Zhang, Jianhui

2017-03-01

A novel traveling wave piezoelectric-actuated tracked mobile robot with potential application to robotic rovers was proposed and investigated in this study. The proposed tracked mobile robot is composed of a parallelogram-frame-structure piezoelectric transducer with four rings and a metal track. Utilizing the converse piezoelectric and friction effects, traveling waves were propagated in the rings and then the metal track was actuated by the piezoelectric transducer. Compared with traditional tracked mechanisms, the proposed tracked mobile robot has a simpler and more compact structure without lubricant, which eliminates the problem of lubricant volatilization and deflation, thus, it could be operated in the vacuum environment. Dynamic characteristics were simulated and measured to reveal the mechanism of actuating track of the piezoelectric transducer. Experimental investigations of the traveling wave piezoelectric-actuated tracked mobile robot were then carried out, and the results indicated that the robot prototype with a pair of exciting voltages of 460 Vpp is able to achieve a maximum velocity of 57 mm s-1 moving on the foam plate and possesses the obstacle crossing capability with a maximum height of 27 mm. The proposed tracked mobile robot exhibits potential to be the driving system of robotic rovers.

Certainty grids for mobile robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moravec, H. P.

1987-01-01

A numerical representation of uncertain and incomplete sensor knowledge called Certainty Grids has been used successfully in several mobile robot control programs, and has proven itself to be a powerful and efficient unifying solution for sensor fusion, motion planning, landmark identification, and many other central problems. Researchers propose to build a software framework running on processors onboard the new Uranus mobile robot that will maintain a probabilistic, geometric map of the robot's surroundings as it moves. The certainty grid representation will allow this map to be incrementally updated in a uniform way from various sources including sonar, stereo vision, proximity and contact sensors. The approach can correctly model the fuzziness of each reading, while at the same time combining multiple measurements to produce sharper map features, and it can deal correctly with uncertainties in the robot's motion. The map will be used by planning programs to choose clear paths, identify locations (by correlating maps), identify well-known and insufficiently sensed terrain, and perhaps identify objects by shape. The certainty grid representation can be extended in the same dimension and used to detect and track moving objects.

Intelligent Adaptive Systems: Literature Research of Design Guidance for Intelligent Adaptive Automation and Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

behaviour based on past experience of interacting with the operator), and mobile (i.e., can move themselves from one machine to another). Edwards argues that...Sofge, D., Bugajska, M., Adams, W., Perzanowski, D., and Schultz, A. (2003). Agent-based Multimodal Interface for Dynamically Autonomous Mobile Robots...based architecture can provide a natural and scalable approach to implementing a multimodal interface to control mobile robots through dynamic

A low cost indoor localization system for mobile robot experimental setup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adinandra, S.; Syarif, A.

2018-04-01

Indoor localization becomes one of the most important part in mobile robot system One fundamental requirement is to provide an easy-to-use and practical localization system for real-time experiments. In this paper we propose a combination of a recent open source virtual reality (VR) tools, a simple MATLAB code and a low cost USB webcam as an indoor mobile robot localization system Using the VR tools as a server and MATLAB as a client, the proposed solution can cover up to 1.6 [m] × 3.2 [m] with the measurement position accuracy up to 1.2 [cm]. The system is insensitive to light, easy to move and can be quickly set up. A series of successful real-time experiments with three different mobile robot types has been conducted.

A two-class self-paced BCI to control a robot in four directions.

PubMed

Ron-Angevin, Ricardo; Velasco-Alvarez, Francisco; Sancha-Ros, Salvador; da Silva-Sauer, Leandro

2011-01-01

In this work, an electroencephalographic analysis-based, self-paced (asynchronous) brain-computer interface (BCI) is proposed to control a mobile robot using four different navigation commands: turn right, turn left, move forward and move back. In order to reduce the probability of misclassification, the BCI is to be controlled with only two mental tasks (relaxed state versus imagination of right hand movements), using an audio-cued interface. Four healthy subjects participated in the experiment. After two sessions controlling a simulated robot in a virtual environment (which allowed the user to become familiar with the interface), three subjects successfully moved the robot in a real environment. The obtained results show that the proposed interface enables control over the robot, even for subjects with low BCI performance. © 2011 IEEE

Real-time detection of moving objects from moving vehicles using dense stereo and optical flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talukder, Ashit; Matthies, Larry

2004-01-01

Dynamic scene perception is very important for autonomous vehicles operating around other moving vehicles and humans. Most work on real-time object tracking from moving platforms has used sparse features or assumed flat scene structures. We have recently extended a real-time, dense stereo system to include realtime, dense optical flow, enabling more comprehensive dynamic scene analysis. We describe algorithms to robustly estimate 6-DOF robot egomotion in the presence of moving objects using dense flow and dense stereo. We then use dense stereo and egomotion estimates to identify & other moving objects while the robot itself is moving. We present results showing accurate egomotion estimation and detection of moving people and vehicles under general 6-DOF motion of the robot and independently moving objects. The system runs at 18.3 Hz on a 1.4 GHz Pentium M laptop, computing 160x120 disparity maps and optical flow fields, egomotion, and moving object segmentation. We believe this is a significant step toward general unconstrained dynamic scene analysis for mobile robots, as well as for improved position estimation where GPS is unavailable.

Real-time detection of moving objects from moving vehicles using dense stereo and optical flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talukder, Ashit; Matthies, Larry

2004-01-01

Dynamic scene perception is very important for autonomous vehicles operating around other moving vehicles and humans. Most work on real-time object tracking from moving platforms has used sparse features or assumed flat scene structures. We have recently extended a real-time, dense stereo system to include real-time, dense optical flow, enabling more comprehensive dynamic scene analysis. We describe algorithms to robustly estimate 6-DOF robot egomotion in the presence of moving objects using dense flow and dense stereo. We then use dense stereo and egomotion estimates to identity other moving objects while the robot itself is moving. We present results showing accurate egomotion estimation and detection of moving people and vehicles under general 6-DOF motion of the robot and independently moving objects. The system runs at 18.3 Hz on a 1.4 GHz Pentium M laptop, computing 160x120 disparity maps and optical flow fields, egomotion, and moving object segmentation. We believe this is a significant step toward general unconstrained dynamic scene analysis for mobile robots, as well as for improved position estimation where GPS is unavailable.

Real-time Detection of Moving Objects from Moving Vehicles Using Dense Stereo and Optical Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talukder, Ashit; Matthies, Larry

2004-01-01

Dynamic scene perception is very important for autonomous vehicles operating around other moving vehicles and humans. Most work on real-time object tracking from moving platforms has used sparse features or assumed flat scene structures. We have recently extended a real-time. dense stereo system to include realtime. dense optical flow, enabling more comprehensive dynamic scene analysis. We describe algorithms to robustly estimate 6-DOF robot egomotion in the presence of moving objects using dense flow and dense stereo. We then use dense stereo and egomotion estimates to identify other moving objects while the robot itself is moving. We present results showing accurate egomotion estimation and detection of moving people and vehicles under general 6DOF motion of the robot and independently moving objects. The system runs at 18.3 Hz on a 1.4 GHz Pentium M laptop. computing 160x120 disparity maps and optical flow fields, egomotion, and moving object segmentation. We believe this is a significant step toward general unconstrained dynamic scene analysis for mobile robots, as well as for improved position estimation where GPS is unavailable.

Vision robot with rotational camera for searching ID tags

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, Nobutaka; Moriya, Toshio

2008-02-01

We propose a new concept, called "real world crawling", in which intelligent mobile sensors completely recognize environments by actively gathering information in those environments and integrating that information on the basis of location. First we locate objects by widely and roughly scanning the entire environment with these mobile sensors, and we check the objects in detail by moving the sensors to find out exactly what and where they are. We focused on the automation of inventory counting with barcodes as an application of our concept. We developed "a barcode reading robot" which autonomously moved in a warehouse. It located and read barcode ID tags using a camera and a barcode reader while moving. However, motion blurs caused by the robot's translational motion made it difficult to recognize the barcodes. Because of the high computational cost of image deblurring software, we used the pan rotation of the camera to reduce these blurs. We derived the appropriate pan rotation velocity from the robot's translational velocity and from the distance to the surfaces of barcoded boxes. We verified the effectiveness of our method in an experimental test.

Hopping Robot with Wheels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, Edward; Marzwell, Nevellie; Fuller, Sawyer; Fionni, Paolo; Tretton, Andy; Burdick, Joel; Schell, Steve

2003-01-01

A small prototype mobile robot is capable of (1) hopping to move rapidly or avoid obstacles and then (2) moving relatively slowly and precisely on the ground by use of wheels in the manner of previously reported exploratory robots of the "rover" type. This robot is a descendant of a more primitive hopping robot described in "Minimally Actuated Hopping Robot" (NPO- 20911), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 11 (November 2002), page 50. There are many potential applications for robots with hopping and wheeled-locomotion (roving) capabilities in diverse fields of endeavor, including agriculture, search-and-rescue operations, general military operations, removal or safe detonation of land mines, inspection, law enforcement, and scientific exploration on Earth and remote planets. The combination of hopping and roving enables this robot to move rapidly over very rugged terrain, to overcome obstacles several times its height, and then to position itself precisely next to a desired target. Before a long hop, the robot aims itself in the desired hopping azimuth and at a desired takeoff angle above horizontal. The robot approaches the target through a series of hops and short driving operations utilizing the steering wheels for precise positioning.

Recognition and Classification of Road Condition on the Basis of Friction Force by Using a Mobile Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Tatsuhito; Katsura, Seiichiro

A person operating a mobile robot in a remote environment receives realistic visual feedback about the condition of the road on which the robot is moving. The categorization of the road condition is necessary to evaluate the conditions for safe and comfortable driving. For this purpose, the mobile robot should be capable of recognizing and classifying the condition of the road surfaces. This paper proposes a method for recognizing the type of road surfaces on the basis of the friction between the mobile robot and the road surfaces. This friction is estimated by a disturbance observer, and a support vector machine is used to classify the surfaces. The support vector machine identifies the type of the road surface using feature vector, which is determined using the arithmetic average and variance derived from the torque values. Further, these feature vectors are mapped onto a higher dimensional space by using a kernel function. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by experimental results.

Numerical evaluation of mobile robot navigation in static indoor environment via EGAOR Iteration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahalan, A. A.; Saudi, A.; Sulaiman, J.; Din, W. R. W.

2017-09-01

One of the key issues in mobile robot navigation is the ability for the robot to move from an arbitrary start location to a specified goal location without colliding with any obstacles while traveling, also known as mobile robot path planning problem. In this paper, however, we examined the performance of a robust searching algorithm that relies on the use of harmonic potentials of the environment to generate smooth and safe path for mobile robot navigation in a static known indoor environment. The harmonic potentials will be discretized by using Laplacian’s operator to form a system of algebraic approximation equations. This algebraic linear system will be computed via 4-Point Explicit Group Accelerated Over-Relaxation (4-EGAOR) iterative method for rapid computation. The performance of the proposed algorithm will then be compared and analyzed against the existing algorithms in terms of number of iterations and execution time. The result shows that the proposed algorithm performed better than the existing methods.

Afocal optical flow sensor for reducing vertical height sensitivity in indoor robot localization and navigation.

PubMed

Yi, Dong-Hoon; Lee, Tae-Jae; Cho, Dong-Il Dan

2015-05-13

This paper introduces a novel afocal optical flow sensor (OFS) system for odometry estimation in indoor robotic navigation. The OFS used in computer optical mouse has been adopted for mobile robots because it is not affected by wheel slippage. Vertical height variance is thought to be a dominant factor in systematic error when estimating moving distances in mobile robots driving on uneven surfaces. We propose an approach to mitigate this error by using an afocal (infinite effective focal length) system. We conducted experiments in a linear guide on carpet and three other materials with varying sensor heights from 30 to 50 mm and a moving distance of 80 cm. The same experiments were repeated 10 times. For the proposed afocal OFS module, a 1 mm change in sensor height induces a 0.1% systematic error; for comparison, the error for a conventional fixed-focal-length OFS module is 14.7%. Finally, the proposed afocal OFS module was installed on a mobile robot and tested 10 times on a carpet for distances of 1 m. The average distance estimation error and standard deviation are 0.02% and 17.6%, respectively, whereas those for a conventional OFS module are 4.09% and 25.7%, respectively.

Multisensor-based human detection and tracking for mobile service robots.

PubMed

Bellotto, Nicola; Hu, Huosheng

2009-02-01

One of fundamental issues for service robots is human-robot interaction. In order to perform such a task and provide the desired services, these robots need to detect and track people in the surroundings. In this paper, we propose a solution for human tracking with a mobile robot that implements multisensor data fusion techniques. The system utilizes a new algorithm for laser-based leg detection using the onboard laser range finder (LRF). The approach is based on the recognition of typical leg patterns extracted from laser scans, which are shown to also be very discriminative in cluttered environments. These patterns can be used to localize both static and walking persons, even when the robot moves. Furthermore, faces are detected using the robot's camera, and the information is fused to the legs' position using a sequential implementation of unscented Kalman filter. The proposed solution is feasible for service robots with a similar device configuration and has been successfully implemented on two different mobile platforms. Several experiments illustrate the effectiveness of our approach, showing that robust human tracking can be performed within complex indoor environments.

A Developmental Learning Approach of Mobile Manipulator via Playing

PubMed Central

Wu, Ruiqi; Zhou, Changle; Chao, Fei; Zhu, Zuyuan; Lin, Chih-Min; Yang, Longzhi

2017-01-01

Inspired by infant development theories, a robotic developmental model combined with game elements is proposed in this paper. This model does not require the definition of specific developmental goals for the robot, but the developmental goals are implied in the goals of a series of game tasks. The games are characterized into a sequence of game modes based on the complexity of the game tasks from simple to complex, and the task complexity is determined by the applications of developmental constraints. Given a current mode, the robot switches to play in a more complicated game mode when it cannot find any new salient stimuli in the current mode. By doing so, the robot gradually achieves it developmental goals by playing different modes of games. In the experiment, the game was instantiated into a mobile robot with the playing task of picking up toys, and the game is designed with a simple game mode and a complex game mode. A developmental algorithm, “Lift-Constraint, Act and Saturate,” is employed to drive the mobile robot move from the simple mode to the complex one. The experimental results show that the mobile manipulator is able to successfully learn the mobile grasping ability after playing simple and complex games, which is promising in developing robotic abilities to solve complex tasks using games. PMID:29046632

Front and Back Movement Analysis of a Triangle-Structured Three-Wheeled Omnidirectional Mobile Robot by Varying the Angles between Two Selected Wheels

PubMed Central

Mohanraj, A. P.; Elango, A.; Reddy, Mutra Chanakya

2016-01-01

Omnidirectional robots can move in all directions without steering their wheels and it can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise with reference to their axis. In this paper, we focused only on front and back movement, to analyse the square- and triangle-structured omnidirectional robot movements. An omnidirectional mobile robot shows different performances with the different number of wheels and the omnidirectional mobile robot's chassis design. Research is going on in this field to improve the accurate movement capability of omnidirectional mobile robots. This paper presents a design of a unique device of Angle Variable Chassis (AVC) for linear movement analysis of a three-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot (TWOMR), at various angles (θ) between the wheels. Basic mobility algorithm is developed by varying the angles between the two selected omnidirectional wheels in TWOMR. The experiment is carried out by varying the angles (θ = 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, and 120°) between the two selected omniwheels and analysing the movement of TWOMR in forward direction and reverse direction on a smooth cement surface. Respectively, it is compared to itself for various angles (θ), to get its advantages and weaknesses. The conclusion of the paper provides effective movement of TWOMR at a particular angle (θ) and also the application of TWOMR in different situations. PMID:26981585

Front and Back Movement Analysis of a Triangle-Structured Three-Wheeled Omnidirectional Mobile Robot by Varying the Angles between Two Selected Wheels.

PubMed

Mohanraj, A P; Elango, A; Reddy, Mutra Chanakya

2016-01-01

Omnidirectional robots can move in all directions without steering their wheels and it can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise with reference to their axis. In this paper, we focused only on front and back movement, to analyse the square- and triangle-structured omnidirectional robot movements. An omnidirectional mobile robot shows different performances with the different number of wheels and the omnidirectional mobile robot's chassis design. Research is going on in this field to improve the accurate movement capability of omnidirectional mobile robots. This paper presents a design of a unique device of Angle Variable Chassis (AVC) for linear movement analysis of a three-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot (TWOMR), at various angles (θ) between the wheels. Basic mobility algorithm is developed by varying the angles between the two selected omnidirectional wheels in TWOMR. The experiment is carried out by varying the angles (θ = 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, and 120°) between the two selected omniwheels and analysing the movement of TWOMR in forward direction and reverse direction on a smooth cement surface. Respectively, it is compared to itself for various angles (θ), to get its advantages and weaknesses. The conclusion of the paper provides effective movement of TWOMR at a particular angle (θ) and also the application of TWOMR in different situations.

A Car Transportation System in Cooperation by Multiple Mobile Robots for Each Wheel: iCART II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashiwazaki, Koshi; Yonezawa, Naoaki; Kosuge, Kazuhiro; Sugahara, Yusuke; Hirata, Yasuhisa; Endo, Mitsuru; Kanbayashi, Takashi; Shinozuka, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Koki; Ono, Yuki

The authors proposed a car transportation system, iCART (intelligent Cooperative Autonomous Robot Transporters), for automation of mechanical parking systems by two mobile robots. However, it was difficult to downsize the mobile robot because the length of it requires at least the wheelbase of a car. This paper proposes a new car transportation system, iCART II (iCART - type II), based on “a-robot-for-a-wheel” concept. A prototype system, MRWheel (a Mobile Robot for a Wheel), is designed and downsized less than half the conventional robot. First, a method for lifting up a wheel by MRWheel is described. In general, it is very difficult for mobile robots such as MRWheel to move to desired positions without motion errors caused by slipping, etc. Therefore, we propose a follower's motion error estimation algorithm based on the internal force applied to each follower by extending a conventional leader-follower type decentralized control algorithm for cooperative object transportation. The proposed algorithm enables followers to estimate their motion errors and enables the robots to transport a car to a desired position. In addition, we analyze and prove the stability and convergence of the resultant system with the proposed algorithm. In order to extract only the internal force from the force applied to each robot, we also propose a model-based external force compensation method. Finally, proposed methods are applied to the car transportation system, the experimental results confirm their validity.

An optimal control strategy for collision avoidance of mobile robots in non-stationary environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyriakopoulos, K. J.; Saridis, G. N.

1991-01-01

An optimal control formulation of the problem of collision avoidance of mobile robots in environments containing moving obstacles is presented. Collision avoidance is guaranteed if the minimum distance between the robot and the objects is nonzero. A nominal trajectory is assumed to be known from off-line planning. The main idea is to change the velocity along the nominal trajectory so that collisions are avoided. Furthermore, time consistency with the nominal plan is desirable. A numerical solution of the optimization problem is obtained. Simulation results verify the value of the proposed strategy.

Flocking of multiple mobile robots based on backstepping.

PubMed

Dong, Wenjie

2011-04-01

This paper considers the flocking of multiple nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots. Distributed controllers are proposed with the aid of backstepping techniques, results from graph theory, and singular perturbation theory. The proposed controllers can make the states of a group of robots converge to a desired geometric pattern whose centroid moves along a desired trajectory under the condition that the desired trajectory is available to a portion of the group of robots. Since communication delay is inevitable in distributed control, its effect on the performance of the closed-loop systems is analyzed. It is shown that the proposed controllers work well if communication delays are constant. To show effectiveness of the proposed controllers, simulation results are included.

Adaptive Gait Control for a Quadruped Robot on 3D Path Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igarashi, Hiroshi; Kakikura, Masayoshi

A legged walking robot is able to not only move on irregular terrain but also change its posture. For example, the robot can pass under overhead obstacles by crouching. The purpose of our research is to realize efficient path planning with a quadruped robot. Therefore, the path planning is expected to extended in three dimensions because of the mobility. However, some issues of the quadruped robot, which are instability, workspace limitation, deadlock and slippage, complicate realizing such application. In order to improve these issues and reinforce the mobility, a new static gait pattern for a quadruped robot, called TFG: Trajectory Following Gait, is proposed. The TFG intends to obtain high controllability like a wheel robot. Additionally, the TFG allows to change it posture during the walk. In this paper, some experimental results show that the TFG improves the issues and it is available for efficient locomotion in three dimensional environment.

Iconic memory-based omnidirectional route panorama navigation.

PubMed

Yagi, Yasushi; Imai, Kousuke; Tsuji, Kentaro; Yachida, Masahiko

2005-01-01

A route navigation method for a mobile robot with an omnidirectional image sensor is described. The route is memorized from a series of consecutive omnidirectional images of the horizon when the robot moves to its goal. While the robot is navigating to the goal point, input is matched against the memorized spatio-temporal route pattern by using dual active contour models and the exact robot position and orientation is estimated from the converged shape of the active contour models.

Systems and Methods of Coordination Control for Robot Manipulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Chu-Yin (Inventor); English, James (Inventor); Tardella, Neil (Inventor); Bacon, James (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for controlling robotic apparatus having several movable elements or segments coupled by joints. At least one of the movable elements can include one or more mobile bases, while the others can form one or more manipulators. One of the movable elements can be treated as an end effector for which a certain motion is desired. The end effector may include a tool, for example, or represent a robotic hand (or a point thereon), or one or more of the one or more mobile bases. In accordance with the systems and methods disclosed herein, movement of the manipulator and the mobile base can be controlled and coordinated to effect a desired motion for the end effector. In many cases, the motion can include simultaneously moving the manipulator and the mobile base.

Using Visual Odometry to Estimate Position and Attitude

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maimone, Mark; Cheng, Yang; Matthies, Larry; Schoppers, Marcel; Olson, Clark

2007-01-01

A computer program in the guidance system of a mobile robot generates estimates of the position and attitude of the robot, using features of the terrain on which the robot is moving, by processing digitized images acquired by a stereoscopic pair of electronic cameras mounted rigidly on the robot. Developed for use in localizing the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) vehicles on Martian terrain, the program can also be used for similar purposes on terrestrial robots moving in sufficiently visually textured environments: examples include low-flying robotic aircraft and wheeled robots moving on rocky terrain or inside buildings. In simplified terms, the program automatically detects visual features and tracks them across stereoscopic pairs of images acquired by the cameras. The 3D locations of the tracked features are then robustly processed into an estimate of overall vehicle motion. Testing has shown that by use of this software, the error in the estimate of the position of the robot can be limited to no more than 2 percent of the distance traveled, provided that the terrain is sufficiently rich in features. This software has proven extremely useful on the MER vehicles during driving on sandy and highly sloped terrains on Mars.

Automatic Recognition Of Moving Objects And Its Application To A Robot For Picking Asparagus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baylou, P.; Amor, B. El Hadj; Bousseau, G.

1983-10-01

After a brief description of the robot for picking white asparagus, a statistical study of the different shapes of asparagus tips allowed us to determine certain discriminating parameters to detect the tips as they appear on the silhouette of the mound of earth. The localisation was done stereometrically with the help of two cameras. As the robot carrying the system of vision-localisation moves, the images are altered and decision cri-teria modified. A study of the image from mobile objects produced by both tube and CCD came-ras was carried out. A simulation of this phenomenon has been achieved in order to determine the modifications concerning object shapes, thresholding levels and decision parameters in function of the robot speed.

Cooperative Robots to Observe Moving Targets: Review.

PubMed

Khan, Asif; Rinner, Bernhard; Cavallaro, Andrea

2018-01-01

The deployment of multiple robots for achieving a common goal helps to improve the performance, efficiency, and/or robustness in a variety of tasks. In particular, the observation of moving targets is an important multirobot application that still exhibits numerous open challenges, including the effective coordination of the robots. This paper reviews control techniques for cooperative mobile robots monitoring multiple targets. The simultaneous movement of robots and targets makes this problem particularly interesting, and our review systematically addresses this cooperative multirobot problem for the first time. We classify and critically discuss the control techniques: cooperative multirobot observation of multiple moving targets, cooperative search, acquisition, and track, cooperative tracking, and multirobot pursuit evasion. We also identify the five major elements that characterize this problem, namely, the coordination method, the environment, the target, the robot and its sensor(s). These elements are used to systematically analyze the control techniques. The majority of the studied work is based on simulation and laboratory studies, which may not accurately reflect real-world operational conditions. Importantly, while our systematic analysis is focused on multitarget observation, our proposed classification is useful also for related multirobot applications.

Constructing a Real-Time Mobile Robot Software System

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

forces to rely more on automation to fill the gap of reduced personnel and equipment. One key element to this move to more automation, is autonomous ... vehicles . These vehicles will continue to play a greater role in this nation’s defense. At the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), the Yamabico robot is an

Intelligence in the Now: Robust Intelligence in Complex Domains

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-26

We have applied our model and the resulting search strategy for a mobile manipulator modeled on a Willow Garage PR2 robot. As shown in Figure 12...with them – the robot tries to move a handle to various target locations and observes the reached location. Figure 13 shows Willow Garage PR2 robot...Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA barragan@mit.edu, tlp@mit.edu, lpk@mit.edu Fig. 1. Willow Garage PR2 robot manipulating

Energy optimization in mobile sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Shengwei

Mobile sensor networks are considered to consist of a network of mobile robots, each of which has computation, communication and sensing capabilities. Energy efficiency is a critical issue in mobile sensor networks, especially when mobility (i.e., locomotion control), routing (i.e., communications) and sensing are unique characteristics of mobile robots for energy optimization. This thesis focuses on the problem of energy optimization of mobile robotic sensor networks, and the research results can be extended to energy optimization of a network of mobile robots that monitors the environment, or a team of mobile robots that transports materials from stations to stations in a manufacturing environment. On the energy optimization of mobile robotic sensor networks, our research focuses on the investigation and development of distributed optimization algorithms to exploit the mobility of robotic sensor nodes for network lifetime maximization. In particular, the thesis studies these five problems: 1. Network-lifetime maximization by controlling positions of networked mobile sensor robots based on local information with distributed optimization algorithms; 2. Lifetime maximization of mobile sensor networks with energy harvesting modules; 3. Lifetime maximization using joint design of mobility and routing; 4. Optimal control for network energy minimization; 5. Network lifetime maximization in mobile visual sensor networks. In addressing the first problem, we consider only the mobility strategies of the robotic relay nodes in a mobile sensor network in order to maximize its network lifetime. By using variable substitutions, the original problem is converted into a convex problem, and a variant of the sub-gradient method for saddle-point computation is developed for solving this problem. An optimal solution is obtained by the method. Computer simulations show that mobility of robotic sensors can significantly prolong the lifetime of the whole robotic sensor network while consuming negligible amount of energy for mobility cost. For the second problem, the problem is extended to accommodate mobile robotic nodes with energy harvesting capability, which makes it a non-convex optimization problem. The non-convexity issue is tackled by using the existing sequential convex approximation method, based on which we propose a novel procedure of modified sequential convex approximation that has fast convergence speed. For the third problem, the proposed procedure is used to solve another challenging non-convex problem, which results in utilizing mobility and routing simultaneously in mobile robotic sensor networks to prolong the network lifetime. The results indicate that joint design of mobility and routing has an edge over other methods in prolonging network lifetime, which is also the justification for the use of mobility in mobile sensor networks for energy efficiency purpose. For the fourth problem, we include the dynamics of the robotic nodes in the problem by modeling the networked robotic system using hybrid systems theory. A novel distributed method for the networked hybrid system is used to solve the optimal moving trajectories for robotic nodes and optimal network links, which are not answered by previous approaches. Finally, the fact that mobility is more effective in prolonging network lifetime for a data-intensive network leads us to apply our methods to study mobile visual sensor networks, which are useful in many applications. We investigate the joint design of mobility, data routing, and encoding power to help improving the video quality while maximizing the network lifetime. This study leads to a better understanding of the role mobility can play in data-intensive surveillance sensor networks.

Searching Dynamic Agents with a Team of Mobile Robots

PubMed Central

Juliá, Miguel; Gil, Arturo; Reinoso, Oscar

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new algorithm that allows a team of robots to cooperatively search for a set of moving targets. An estimation of the areas of the environment that are more likely to hold a target agent is obtained using a grid-based Bayesian filter. The robot sensor readings and the maximum speed of the moving targets are used in order to update the grid. This representation is used in a search algorithm that commands the robots to those areas that are more likely to present target agents. This algorithm splits the environment in a tree of connected regions using dynamic programming. This tree is used in order to decide the destination for each robot in a coordinated manner. The algorithm has been successfully tested in known and unknown environments showing the validity of the approach. PMID:23012519

Searching dynamic agents with a team of mobile robots.

PubMed

Juliá, Miguel; Gil, Arturo; Reinoso, Oscar

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new algorithm that allows a team of robots to cooperatively search for a set of moving targets. An estimation of the areas of the environment that are more likely to hold a target agent is obtained using a grid-based Bayesian filter. The robot sensor readings and the maximum speed of the moving targets are used in order to update the grid. This representation is used in a search algorithm that commands the robots to those areas that are more likely to present target agents. This algorithm splits the environment in a tree of connected regions using dynamic programming. This tree is used in order to decide the destination for each robot in a coordinated manner. The algorithm has been successfully tested in known and unknown environments showing the validity of the approach.

On the asynchronously continuous control of mobile robot movement by motor cortical spiking activity.

PubMed

Xu, Zhiming; So, Rosa Q; Toe, Kyaw Kyar; Ang, Kai Keng; Guan, Cuntai

2014-01-01

This paper presents an asynchronously intracortical brain-computer interface (BCI) which allows the subject to continuously drive a mobile robot. This system has a great implication for disabled patients to move around. By carefully designing a multiclass support vector machine (SVM), the subject's self-paced instantaneous movement intents are continuously decoded to control the mobile robot. In particular, we studied the stability of the neural representation of the movement directions. Experimental results on the nonhuman primate showed that the overt movement directions were stably represented in ensemble of recorded units, and our SVM classifier could successfully decode such movements continuously along the desired movement path. However, the neural representation of the stop state for the self-paced control was not stably represented and could drift.

Multidisciplinary unmanned technology teammate (MUTT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uzunovic, Nenad; Schneider, Anne; Lacaze, Alberto; Murphy, Karl; Del Giorno, Mark

2013-01-01

The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) held an autonomous robot competition called CANINE in June 2012. The goal of the competition was to develop innovative and natural control methods for robots. This paper describes the winning technology, including the vision system, the operator interaction, and the autonomous mobility. The rules stated only gestures or voice commands could be used for control. The robots would learn a new object at the start of each phase, find the object after it was thrown into a field, and return the object to the operator. Each of the six phases became more difficult, including clutter of the same color or shape as the object, moving and stationary obstacles, and finding the operator who moved from the starting location to a new location. The Robotic Research Team integrated techniques in computer vision, speech recognition, object manipulation, and autonomous navigation. A multi-filter computer vision solution reliably detected the objects while rejecting objects of similar color or shape, even while the robot was in motion. A speech-based interface with short commands provided close to natural communication of complicated commands from the operator to the robot. An innovative gripper design allowed for efficient object pickup. A robust autonomous mobility and navigation solution for ground robotic platforms provided fast and reliable obstacle avoidance and course navigation. The research approach focused on winning the competition while remaining cognizant and relevant to real world applications.

Integrated mobile-robot design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kortenkamp, D.; Huber, M.; Cohen, C.

1993-08-01

Ten mobile robots entered the AAAI '92 Robot Competition, held at last year's national conference. Carmel, the University of Michigan entry, won. The competition consisted of three stages. The first stage required roaming a 22[times]22-meter arena while avoiding static and dynamic obstacles; the second involved searching for and visiting 10 objects in the same arena. The obstacles were at least 1.5 meters apart, while the objects were spaced roughly evenly throughout the arena. Visiting was defined as moving to within two robot diameters of the object. The last stage was a timed race to visit three of the objects locatedmore » earlier and return home. Since the first stage was primarily a subset of the second-stage requirements, and the third-stage implementation was very similar to that of the second, the authors' focus here on the second stage. Carmel (Computer-Aided Robotics for Maintenance, Emergency, and Life support) is based on a commercially available Cybermotion K2A mobile-robot platform. It has a top speed of approximately 800 millimeters per second and moves on three synchronously driven wheels. For sensing, Carmel, has a ring of 24 Polaroid sonar sensors and a single black-and-white charge-coupled-device camera mounted on a rotating table. Carmel has three processors: one controls the drive motors, one fires the sonar ring, and the third, a 486-based PC clone, executes all the high-level modules. The 486 also has a frame grabber for acquiring images. All computation and power are contained on-board.« less

Realtime motion planning for a mobile robot in an unknown environment using a neurofuzzy based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Taixiong

2005-12-01

A neuro-fuzzy network based approach for robot motion in an unknown environment was proposed. In order to control the robot motion in an unknown environment, the behavior of the robot was classified into moving to the goal and avoiding obstacles. Then, according to the dynamics of the robot and the behavior character of the robot in an unknown environment, fuzzy control rules were introduced to control the robot motion. At last, a 6-layer neuro-fuzzy network was designed to merge from what the robot sensed to robot motion control. After being trained, the network may be used for robot motion control. Simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for robot motion control in unknown environment.

Intelligent lead: a novel HRI sensor for guide robots.

PubMed

Cho, Keum-Bae; Lee, Beom-Hee

2012-01-01

This paper addresses the introduction of a new Human Robot Interaction (HRI) sensor for guide robots. Guide robots for geriatric patients or the visually impaired should follow user's control command, keeping a certain desired distance allowing the user to work freely. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire control commands and a user's position on a real-time basis. We suggest a new sensor fusion system to achieve this objective and we will call this sensor the "intelligent lead". The objective of the intelligent lead is to acquire a stable distance from the user to the robot, speed-control volume and turn-control volume, even when the robot platform with the intelligent lead is shaken on uneven ground. In this paper we explain a precise Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) procedure for this. The intelligent lead physically consists of a Kinect sensor, the serial linkage attached with eight rotary encoders, and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and their measurements are fused by the EKF. A mobile robot was designed to test the performance of the proposed sensor system. After installing the intelligent lead in the mobile robot, several tests are conducted to verify that the mobile robot with the intelligent lead is capable of achieving its goal points while maintaining the appropriate distance between the robot and the user. The results show that we can use the intelligent lead proposed in this paper as a new HRI sensor joined a joystick and a distance measure in the mobile environments such as the robot and the user are moving at the same time.

Path-following control of wheeled planetary exploration robots moving on deformable rough terrain.

PubMed

Ding, Liang; Gao, Hai-bo; Deng, Zong-quan; Li, Zhijun; Xia, Ke-rui; Duan, Guang-ren

2014-01-01

The control of planetary rovers, which are high performance mobile robots that move on deformable rough terrain, is a challenging problem. Taking lateral skid into account, this paper presents a rough terrain model and nonholonomic kinematics model for planetary rovers. An approach is proposed in which the reference path is generated according to the planned path by combining look-ahead distance and path updating distance on the basis of the carrot following method. A path-following strategy for wheeled planetary exploration robots incorporating slip compensation is designed. Simulation results of a four-wheeled robot on deformable rough terrain verify that it can be controlled to follow a planned path with good precision, despite the fact that the wheels will obviously skid and slip.

Path-Following Control of Wheeled Planetary Exploration Robots Moving on Deformable Rough Terrain

PubMed Central

Ding, Liang; Gao, Hai-bo; Deng, Zong-quan; Li, Zhijun; Xia, Ke-rui; Duan, Guang-ren

2014-01-01

The control of planetary rovers, which are high performance mobile robots that move on deformable rough terrain, is a challenging problem. Taking lateral skid into account, this paper presents a rough terrain model and nonholonomic kinematics model for planetary rovers. An approach is proposed in which the reference path is generated according to the planned path by combining look-ahead distance and path updating distance on the basis of the carrot following method. A path-following strategy for wheeled planetary exploration robots incorporating slip compensation is designed. Simulation results of a four-wheeled robot on deformable rough terrain verify that it can be controlled to follow a planned path with good precision, despite the fact that the wheels will obviously skid and slip. PMID:24790582

Soft mobile robots driven by foldable dielectric elastomer actuators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Wenjie; Liu, Fan; Ma, Ziqi

A cantilever beam with elastic hinge pulled antagonistically by two dielectric elastomer (DE) membranes in tension forms a foldable actuator if one DE membrane is subject to a voltage and releases part of tension. Simply placing parallel rigid bars on the prestressed DE membranes results in enhanced actuators working in a pure shear state. We report design, analysis, fabrication, and experiment of soft mobile robots that are moved by such foldable DE actuators. We describe systematic measurement of the foldable actuators and perform theoretical analysis of such actuators based on minimization of total energy, and a good agreement is achievedmore » between model prediction and measurement. We develop two versions of prototypes of soft mobile robots driven either by two sets of DE membranes or one DE membrane and elastic springs. We demonstrate locomotion of these soft mobile robots and highlight several key design parameters that influence locomotion of the robots. A 45 g soft robot driven by a cyclic triangle voltage with amplitude 7.4 kV demonstrates maximal stroke 160 mm or maximal rolling velocity 42 mm/s. The underlying mechanics and physics of foldable DE actuators can be leveraged to develop other soft machines for various applications.« less

Live video monitoring robot controlled by web over internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lokanath, M.; Akhil Sai, Guruju

2017-11-01

Future is all about robots, robot can perform tasks where humans cannot, Robots have huge applications in military and industrial area for lifting heavy weights, for accurate placements, for repeating the same task number of times, where human are not efficient. Generally robot is a mix of electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering and can do the tasks automatically on its own or under the supervision of humans. The camera is the eye for robot, call as robovision helps in monitoring security system and also can reach into the places where the human eye cannot reach. This paper presents about developing a live video streaming robot controlled from the website. We designed the web, controlling for the robot to move left, right, front and back while streaming video. As we move to the smart environment or IoT (Internet of Things) by smart devices the system we developed here connects over the internet and can be operated with smart mobile phone using a web browser. The Raspberry Pi model B chip acts as heart for this system robot, the sufficient motors, surveillance camera R pi 2 are connected to Raspberry pi.

A tracked robot with novel bio-inspired passive "legs".

PubMed

Sun, Bo; Jing, Xingjian

2017-01-01

For track-based robots, an important aspect is the suppression design, which determines the trafficability and comfort of the whole system. The trafficability limits the robot's working capability, and the riding comfort limits the robot's working effectiveness, especially with some sensitive instruments mounted on or operated. To these aims, a track-based robot equipped with a novel passive bio-inspired suspension is designed and studied systematically in this paper. Animal or insects have very special leg or limb structures which are good for motion control and adaptable to different environments. Inspired by this, a new track-based robot is designed with novel "legs" for connecting the loading wheels to the robot body. Each leg is designed with passive structures and can achieve very high loading capacity but low dynamic stiffness such that the robot can move on rough ground similar to a multi-leg animal or insect. Therefore, the trafficability and riding comfort can be significantly improved without losing loading capacity. The new track-based robot can be well applied to various engineering tasks for providing a stable moving platform of high mobility, better trafficability and excellent loading capacity.

A sub-target approach to the kinodynamic motion control of a wheeled mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motonaka, Kimiko; Watanabe, Keigo; Maeyama, Shoichi

2018-02-01

A mobile robot with two independently driven wheels is popular, but it is difficult to stabilize it by a continuous controller with a constant gain, due to its nonholonomic property. It is guaranteed that a nonholonomic controlled object can always be converged to an arbitrary point using a switching control method or a quasi-continuous control method based on an invariant manifold in a chained form. From this, the authors already proposed a kinodynamic controller to converge the states of such a two-wheeled mobile robot to the arbitrary target position while avoiding obstacles, by combining the control based on the invariant manifold and the harmonic potential field (HPF). On the other hand, it was confirmed in the previous research that there is a case that the robot cannot avoid the obstacle because there is no enough space to converge the current state to the target state. In this paper, we propose a method that divides the final target position into some sub-target positions and moves the robot step by step, and it is confirmed by the simulation that the robot can converge to the target position while avoiding obstacles using the proposed method.

A traffic priority language for collision-free navigation of autonomous mobile robots in dynamic environments.

PubMed

Bourbakis, N G

1997-01-01

This paper presents a generic traffic priority language, called KYKLOFORTA, used by autonomous robots for collision-free navigation in a dynamic unknown or known navigation space. In a previous work by X. Grossmman (1988), a set of traffic control rules was developed for the navigation of the robots on the lines of a two-dimensional (2-D) grid and a control center coordinated and synchronized their movements. In this work, the robots are considered autonomous: they are moving anywhere and in any direction inside the free space, and there is no need of a central control to coordinate and synchronize them. The requirements for each robot are i) visual perception, ii) range sensors, and iii) the ability of each robot to detect other moving objects in the same free navigation space, define the other objects perceived size, their velocity and their directions. Based on these assumptions, a traffic priority language is needed for each robot, making it able to decide during the navigation and avoid possible collision with other moving objects. The traffic priority language proposed here is based on a set of primitive traffic priority alphabet and rules which compose pattern of corridors for the application of the traffic priority rules.

Multi-Robot Search for a Moving Target: Integrating World Modeling, Task Assignment and Context

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Case Study Our approach to coordination was initially motivated and developed in RoboCup soccer games. In fact, it has been first deployed on a team of...features a rather accurate model of the behavior and capabilities of the humanoid robot in the field. In the soccer case study , our goal is to...on experiments carried out with a team of humanoid robots in a soccer scenario and a team of mobile bases in an office environment. I. INTRODUCTION

SLAM algorithm applied to robotics assistance for navigation in unknown environments.

PubMed

Cheein, Fernando A Auat; Lopez, Natalia; Soria, Carlos M; di Sciascio, Fernando A; Pereira, Fernando Lobo; Carelli, Ricardo

2010-02-17

The combination of robotic tools with assistance technology determines a slightly explored area of applications and advantages for disability or elder people in their daily tasks. Autonomous motorized wheelchair navigation inside an environment, behaviour based control of orthopaedic arms or user's preference learning from a friendly interface are some examples of this new field. In this paper, a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is implemented to allow the environmental learning by a mobile robot while its navigation is governed by electromyographic signals. The entire system is part autonomous and part user-decision dependent (semi-autonomous). The environmental learning executed by the SLAM algorithm and the low level behaviour-based reactions of the mobile robot are robotic autonomous tasks, whereas the mobile robot navigation inside an environment is commanded by a Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI). In this paper, a sequential Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) feature-based SLAM algorithm is implemented. The features correspond to lines and corners -concave and convex- of the environment. From the SLAM architecture, a global metric map of the environment is derived. The electromyographic signals that command the robot's movements can be adapted to the patient's disabilities. For mobile robot navigation purposes, five commands were obtained from the MCI: turn to the left, turn to the right, stop, start and exit. A kinematic controller to control the mobile robot was implemented. A low level behavior strategy was also implemented to avoid robot's collisions with the environment and moving agents. The entire system was tested in a population of seven volunteers: three elder, two below-elbow amputees and two young normally limbed patients. The experiments were performed within a closed low dynamic environment. Subjects took an average time of 35 minutes to navigate the environment and to learn how to use the MCI. The SLAM results have shown a consistent reconstruction of the environment. The obtained map was stored inside the Muscle-Computer Interface. The integration of a highly demanding processing algorithm (SLAM) with a MCI and the communication between both in real time have shown to be consistent and successful. The metric map generated by the mobile robot would allow possible future autonomous navigation without direct control of the user, whose function could be relegated to choose robot destinations. Also, the mobile robot shares the same kinematic model of a motorized wheelchair. This advantage can be exploited for wheelchair autonomous navigation.

Climbing robot. [caterpillar design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerley, James J. (Inventor); May, Edward L. (Inventor); Ecklund, Wayne D. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A mobile robot for traversing any surface consisting of a number of interconnected segments, each interconnected segment having an upper 'U' frame member, a lower 'U' frame member, a compliant joint between the upper 'U' frame member and the lower 'U' frame member, a number of linear actuators between the two frame members acting to provide relative displacement between the frame members, a foot attached to the lower 'U' frame member for adherence of the segment to the surface, an inter-segment attachment attached to the upper 'U' frame member for interconnecting the segments, a power source connected to the linear actuator, and a computer/controller for independently controlling each linear actuator in each interconnected segment such that the mobile robot moves in a caterpillar like fashion.

Testbed for remote telepresence research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adnan, Sarmad; Cheatham, John B., Jr.

1992-11-01

Teleoperated robots offer solutions to problems associated with operations in remote and unknown environments, such as space. Teleoperated robots can perform tasks related to inspection, maintenance, and retrieval. A video camera can be used to provide some assistance in teleoperations, but for fine manipulation and control, a telepresence system that gives the operator a sense of actually being at the remote location is more desirable. A telepresence system comprised of a head-tracking stereo camera system, a kinematically redundant arm, and an omnidirectional mobile robot has been developed at the mechanical engineering department at Rice University. This paper describes the design and implementation of this system, its control hardware, and software. The mobile omnidirectional robot has three independent degrees of freedom that permit independent control of translation and rotation, thereby simulating a free flying robot in a plane. The kinematically redundant robot arm has eight degrees of freedom that assist in obstacle and singularity avoidance. The on-board control computers permit control of the robot from the dual hand controllers via a radio modem system. A head-mounted display system provides the user with a stereo view from a pair of cameras attached to the mobile robotics system. The head tracking camera system moves stereo cameras mounted on a three degree of freedom platform to coordinate with the operator's head movements. This telepresence system provides a framework for research in remote telepresence, and teleoperations for space.

Design of automatic mobile trolley using ultrasonic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodi Suryanto, Eka; Siagian, Hendrik; Perangin-Angin, Despaleri; Sashanti, Rahayu; Yogen, Suthes

2018-04-01

An automatic mobile trolley was a prototype of wheel robot that serves as a trolley or shopping cart. This paper proposed an automatic mobile trolley using ultrasonic sensors. It can follow human movement automatically. It did not need to be encouraged or withdrawn. It would make an easier shopping for people as customers. The trolley controlled by a microcontroller module unit. It can stop, turn right, turn left, forward and backward. It can follow wherever they go, during they were in range. Based on the test results, the trolley succeeded to move forward by 80%, move backward 80%, turn left, 70%, turn right 70%, and stop 80%.

Small-scale soft-bodied robot with multimodal locomotion.

PubMed

Hu, Wenqi; Lum, Guo Zhan; Mastrangeli, Massimo; Sitti, Metin

2018-02-01

Untethered small-scale (from several millimetres down to a few micrometres in all dimensions) robots that can non-invasively access confined, enclosed spaces may enable applications in microfactories such as the construction of tissue scaffolds by robotic assembly, in bioengineering such as single-cell manipulation and biosensing, and in healthcare such as targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery. Existing small-scale robots, however, have very limited mobility because they are unable to negotiate obstacles and changes in texture or material in unstructured environments. Of these small-scale robots, soft robots have greater potential to realize high mobility via multimodal locomotion, because such machines have higher degrees of freedom than their rigid counterparts. Here we demonstrate magneto-elastic soft millimetre-scale robots that can swim inside and on the surface of liquids, climb liquid menisci, roll and walk on solid surfaces, jump over obstacles, and crawl within narrow tunnels. These robots can transit reversibly between different liquid and solid terrains, as well as switch between locomotive modes. They can additionally execute pick-and-place and cargo-release tasks. We also present theoretical models to explain how the robots move. Like the large-scale robots that can be used to study locomotion, these soft small-scale robots could be used to study soft-bodied locomotion produced by small organisms.

Robot flow, clogging and jamming in confined spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monaenkova, Daria; Linevich, Vadim; Goodisman, Michael A. D.; Goldman, Daniel I.

We hypothesized that when a collection of robots operate in confined space, maximization of individual effort could negatively affect the collective performance by impeding the mobility of the individuals. To test our hypothesis, we built and programmed groups of 1-4 autonomous robotic diggers to construct a tunnel in a model cohesive soil. The robots' mobility, defined in terms of the residence time (T) required for a robot to move one body-length within the tunnel, was compared between groups of maximally active robots (mode 1), groups with different levels of activity between individuals (mode 2), and maximally active robots with a ``giving up'' behavior (mode 3), in which the robot ceased the attempt to excavate in a crowded tunnel. In small groups of two robots, T was ~3 sec and did not depend on the mode of operation. However, an increase in the number of robots caused an increase in T which depended upon mode. The residence time in groups of four robots in mode 1 (~9 sec) significantly exceeded the residence time in mode 2 and 3 (~4 sec), indicating that crowding was causing slower movement of individuals, particularly under maximum effort (mode 1). We will use our robophysical studies to discover principles of collective construction in subterranean social animals.

Small-scale soft-bodied robot with multimodal locomotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Wenqi; Lum, Guo Zhan; Mastrangeli, Massimo; Sitti, Metin

2018-02-01

Untethered small-scale (from several millimetres down to a few micrometres in all dimensions) robots that can non-invasively access confined, enclosed spaces may enable applications in microfactories such as the construction of tissue scaffolds by robotic assembly, in bioengineering such as single-cell manipulation and biosensing, and in healthcare such as targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery. Existing small-scale robots, however, have very limited mobility because they are unable to negotiate obstacles and changes in texture or material in unstructured environments. Of these small-scale robots, soft robots have greater potential to realize high mobility via multimodal locomotion, because such machines have higher degrees of freedom than their rigid counterparts. Here we demonstrate magneto-elastic soft millimetre-scale robots that can swim inside and on the surface of liquids, climb liquid menisci, roll and walk on solid surfaces, jump over obstacles, and crawl within narrow tunnels. These robots can transit reversibly between different liquid and solid terrains, as well as switch between locomotive modes. They can additionally execute pick-and-place and cargo-release tasks. We also present theoretical models to explain how the robots move. Like the large-scale robots that can be used to study locomotion, these soft small-scale robots could be used to study soft-bodied locomotion produced by small organisms.

Paralyzed subject controls telepresence mobile robot using novel sEMG brain-computer interface: case study.

PubMed

Lyons, Kenneth R; Joshi, Sanjay S

2013-06-01

Here we demonstrate the use of a new singlesignal surface electromyography (sEMG) brain-computer interface (BCI) to control a mobile robot in a remote location. Previous work on this BCI has shown that users are able to perform cursor-to-target tasks in two-dimensional space using only a single sEMG signal by continuously modulating the signal power in two frequency bands. Using the cursor-to-target paradigm, targets are shown on the screen of a tablet computer so that the user can select them, commanding the robot to move in different directions for a fixed distance/angle. A Wifi-enabled camera transmits video from the robot's perspective, giving the user feedback about robot motion. Current results show a case study with a C3-C4 spinal cord injury (SCI) subject using a single auricularis posterior muscle site to navigate a simple obstacle course. Performance metrics for operation of the BCI as well as completion of the telerobotic command task are developed. It is anticipated that this noninvasive and mobile system will open communication opportunities for the severely paralyzed, possibly using only a single sensor.

Kinematic evaluation of mobile robotic platforms for overground gait neurorehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alias, N. Akmal; Huq, M. Saiful; Ibrahim, B. S. K. K.; Omar, Rosli

2017-09-01

Gait assistive devices offer a great solution to the walking re-education which reduce patients theoretical limit by aiding the anatomical joints to be in line with the rehabilitation session. Overground gait training, which is differs significantly from body-weight supported treadmill training in many aspects, essentially consists of a mobile robotic base to support the subject securely (usually with overhead harness) while its motion and orientation is controlled seamlessly to facilitate subjects free movement. In this study, efforts have been made for evaluation of both holonomic and nonholonomic drives, the outcome of which may constitute the primarily results to the effective approach in designing a robotic platform for the mobile rehabilitation robot. The sets of kinematic equations are derived using typical geometries of two different drives. The results indicate that omnidirectional mecanum wheel platform is capable for more sophisticated discipline. Although the differential drive platform happens to be more simple and easy to construct, but it is less desirable as it has limited number of motions applicable to the system. The omnidirectional robot consisting of mecanum wheels, which is classified as holonomic is potentially the best solution in terms of its capability to move in arbitrary direction without concerning the changing of wheel's direction.

Welding torch trajectory generation for hull joining using autonomous welding mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hascoet, J. Y.; Hamilton, K.; Carabin, G.; Rauch, M.; Alonso, M.; Ares, E.

2012-04-01

Shipbuilding processes involve highly dangerous manual welding operations. Welding of ship hulls presents a hazardous environment for workers. This paper describes a new robotic system, developed by the SHIPWELD consortium, that moves autonomously on the hull and automatically executes the required welding processes. Specific focus is placed on the trajectory control of such a system and forms the basis for the discussion in this paper. It includes a description of the robotic hardware design as well as some methodology used to establish the torch trajectory control.

Evolving mobile robots able to display collective behaviors.

PubMed

Baldassarre, Gianluca; Nolfi, Stefano; Parisi, Domenico

2003-01-01

We present a set of experiments in which simulated robots are evolved for the ability to aggregate and move together toward a light target. By developing and using quantitative indexes that capture the structural properties of the emerged formations, we show that evolved individuals display interesting behavioral patterns in which groups of robots act as a single unit. Moreover, evolved groups of robots with identical controllers display primitive forms of situated specialization and play different behavioral functions within the group according to the circumstances. Overall, the results presented in the article demonstrate that evolutionary techniques, by exploiting the self-organizing behavioral properties that emerge from the interactions between the robots and between the robots and the environment, are a powerful method for synthesizing collective behavior.

Integrating obstacle avoidance, global path planning, visual cue detection, and landmark triangulation in a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortenkamp, David; Huber, Marcus J.; Congdon, Clare B.; Huffman, Scott B.; Bidlack, Clint R.; Cohen, Charles J.; Koss, Frank V.; Raschke, Ulrich; Weymouth, Terry E.

1993-05-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of an integrated system for combining obstacle avoidance, path planning, landmark detection and position triangulation. Such an integrated system allows the robot to move from place to place in an environment, avoiding obstacles and planning its way out of traps, while maintaining its position and orientation using distinctive landmarks. The task the robot performs is to search a 22 m X 22 m arena for 10 distinctive objects, visiting each object in turn. This same task was recently performed by a dozen different robots at a competition in which the robot described in this paper finished first.

How do walkers behave when crossing the way of a mobile robot that replicates human interaction rules?

PubMed

Vassallo, Christian; Olivier, Anne-Hélène; Souères, Philippe; Crétual, Armel; Stasse, Olivier; Pettré, Julien

2018-02-01

Previous studies showed the existence of implicit interaction rules shared by human walkers when crossing each other. Especially, each walker contributes to the collision avoidance task and the crossing order, as set at the beginning, is preserved along the interaction. This order determines the adaptation strategy: the first arrived increases his/her advance by slightly accelerating and changing his/her heading, whereas the second one slows down and moves in the opposite direction. In this study, we analyzed the behavior of human walkers crossing the trajectory of a mobile robot that was programmed to reproduce this human avoidance strategy. In contrast with a previous study, which showed that humans mostly prefer to give the way to a non-reactive robot, we observed similar behaviors between human-human avoidance and human-robot avoidance when the robot replicates the human interaction rules. We discuss this result in relation with the importance of controlling robots in a human-like way in order to ease their cohabitation with humans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SLAM algorithm applied to robotics assistance for navigation in unknown environments

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The combination of robotic tools with assistance technology determines a slightly explored area of applications and advantages for disability or elder people in their daily tasks. Autonomous motorized wheelchair navigation inside an environment, behaviour based control of orthopaedic arms or user's preference learning from a friendly interface are some examples of this new field. In this paper, a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is implemented to allow the environmental learning by a mobile robot while its navigation is governed by electromyographic signals. The entire system is part autonomous and part user-decision dependent (semi-autonomous). The environmental learning executed by the SLAM algorithm and the low level behaviour-based reactions of the mobile robot are robotic autonomous tasks, whereas the mobile robot navigation inside an environment is commanded by a Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI). Methods In this paper, a sequential Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) feature-based SLAM algorithm is implemented. The features correspond to lines and corners -concave and convex- of the environment. From the SLAM architecture, a global metric map of the environment is derived. The electromyographic signals that command the robot's movements can be adapted to the patient's disabilities. For mobile robot navigation purposes, five commands were obtained from the MCI: turn to the left, turn to the right, stop, start and exit. A kinematic controller to control the mobile robot was implemented. A low level behavior strategy was also implemented to avoid robot's collisions with the environment and moving agents. Results The entire system was tested in a population of seven volunteers: three elder, two below-elbow amputees and two young normally limbed patients. The experiments were performed within a closed low dynamic environment. Subjects took an average time of 35 minutes to navigate the environment and to learn how to use the MCI. The SLAM results have shown a consistent reconstruction of the environment. The obtained map was stored inside the Muscle-Computer Interface. Conclusions The integration of a highly demanding processing algorithm (SLAM) with a MCI and the communication between both in real time have shown to be consistent and successful. The metric map generated by the mobile robot would allow possible future autonomous navigation without direct control of the user, whose function could be relegated to choose robot destinations. Also, the mobile robot shares the same kinematic model of a motorized wheelchair. This advantage can be exploited for wheelchair autonomous navigation. PMID:20163735

A New Remote Health-Care System Based on Moving Robot Intended for the Elderly at Home

PubMed Central

Zhou, Bing; Wu, Kaige; Wang, Jing; Chen, Gang; Ji, Bo; Liu, Siying

2018-01-01

Nowadays, due to the growing need for remote care and the constantly increasing popularity of mobile devices, a large amount of mobile applications for remote care support has been developed. Although mobile phones are very suitable for young people, there are still many problems related to remote health care of the elderly. Due to hearing loss or limited movements, it is difficult for the elderly to contact their families or doctors via real-time video call. In this paper, we introduce a new remote health-care system based on moving robots intended for the elderly at home. Since the proposed system is an online system, the elderly can contact their families and doctors quickly anytime and anywhere. Besides call, our system involves the accurate indoor object detection algorithms and automatic health data collection, which are not included in existing remote care systems. Therefore, the proposed system solves some challenging problems related to the elderly care. The experiment has shown that the proposed care system achieves excellent performance and provides good user experience. PMID:29599949

Simulation of cooperating robot manipulators on a mobile platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Stephen H.; Wen, John Ting-Yung; Saridis, George N.

1991-01-01

The dynamic equations of motion are presented for two or more cooperating manipulators on a freely moving mobile platform. The system of cooperating robot manipulators forms a closed kinematic chain where the force of interaction must be included in the formulation of robot and platform dynamics. The formulation includes the full dynamic interactions from arms to platform and arm tip to arm tip, and the possible translation and rotation of the platform. The equations of motion are shown to be identical in structure to the fixed-platform cooperative manipulator dynamics. The number of DOFs of the system is sufficiently large to make recursive dynamic calculation methods potentially more efficient than closed-form solutions. A complete simulation with two 6-DOF manipulators of a free-floating platform is presented along a with a multiple-arm controller to position the common load.

Magnetic resonant wireless power transfer for propulsion of implantable micro-robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D.; Kim, M.; Yoo, J.; Park, H.-H.; Ahn, S.

2015-05-01

Recently, various types of mobile micro-robots have been proposed for medical and industrial applications. Especially in medical applications, a motor system for propulsion cannot easily be used in a micro-robot due to their small size. Therefore, micro-robots are usually actuated by controlling the magnitude and direction of an external magnetic field. However, for micro-robots, these methods in general are only applicable for moving and drilling operations, but not for the undertaking of various missions. In this paper, we propose a new micro-robot concept, which uses wireless power transfer to deliver the propulsion force and electric power simultaneously. The mechanism of Lorentz force generation and the coil design methodologies are explained, and validation of the proposed propulsion system for a micro-robot is discussed thorough a simulation and with actual measurements with up-scaled test vehicles.

The magic glove: a gesture-based remote controller for intelligent mobile robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Chaomin; Chen, Yue; Krishnan, Mohan; Paulik, Mark

2012-01-01

This paper describes the design of a gesture-based Human Robot Interface (HRI) for an autonomous mobile robot entered in the 2010 Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC). While the robot is meant to operate autonomously in the various Challenges of the competition, an HRI is useful in moving the robot to the starting position and after run termination. In this paper, a user-friendly gesture-based embedded system called the Magic Glove is developed for remote control of a robot. The system consists of a microcontroller and sensors that is worn by the operator as a glove and is capable of recognizing hand signals. These are then transmitted through wireless communication to the robot. The design of the Magic Glove included contributions on two fronts: hardware configuration and algorithm development. A triple axis accelerometer used to detect hand orientation passes the information to a microcontroller, which interprets the corresponding vehicle control command. A Bluetooth device interfaced to the microcontroller then transmits the information to the vehicle, which acts accordingly. The user-friendly Magic Glove was successfully demonstrated first in a Player/Stage simulation environment. The gesture-based functionality was then also successfully verified on an actual robot and demonstrated to judges at the 2010 IGVC.

A fuzzy logic controller for an autonomous mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, John; Pfluger, Nathan

1993-01-01

The ability of a mobile robot system to plan and move intelligently in a dynamic system is needed if robots are to be useful in areas other than controlled environments. An example of a use for this system is to control an autonomous mobile robot in a space station, or other isolated area where it is hard or impossible for human life to exist for long periods of time (e.g., Mars). The system would allow the robot to be programmed to carry out the duties normally accomplished by a human being. Some of the duties that could be accomplished include operating instruments, transporting objects, and maintenance of the environment. The main focus of our early work has been on developing a fuzzy controller that takes a path and adapts it to a given environment. The robot only uses information gathered from the sensors, but retains the ability to avoid dynamically placed obstacles near and along the path. Our fuzzy logic controller is based on the following algorithm: (1) determine the desired direction of travel; (2) determine the allowed direction of travel; and (3) combine the desired and allowed directions in order to determine a direciton that is both desired and allowed. The desired direction of travel is determined by projecting ahead to a point along the path that is closer to the goal. This gives a local direction of travel for the robot and helps to avoid obstacles.

Space_Station_Crew_Members_Walk_in_Space_to_Complete_Robotics_Upgrades

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-16

Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted a spacewalk to move a Latching End Effector, or hand, for the Canadarm2 robotic arm into the Quest airlock that was removed during another excursion last October and to move a degraded end effector replaced during a Jan. 23 spacewalk onto a payload attachment device on the station’s Mobile Base System railcar. The spacewalk was the 208th in station history for assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the fourth in Vande Hei’s career and the first for Kanai, who became only the fourth Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

KSC-07pd0449

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-02-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, workers use a hoisting device to move the Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm, toward the Japanese Experiment Module for installation and testing. The RMS is one of the payloads scheduled to be delivered to the station on a future mission tentatively scheduled for 2008.The RMS is similar to the robotic arm already installed on the station's mobile base system. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

KSC-07pd0448

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-02-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, workers use a hoisting device to move the Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm, toward the Japanese Experiment Module for installation and testing. The RMS is one of the payloads scheduled to be delivered to the station on a future mission tentatively scheduled for 2008.The RMS is similar to the robotic arm already installed on the station's mobile base system. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

Numerical Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic Parameters for Vibration Driven Mobile Robot: Preliminary Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baharudin, M. E.; Nor, A. M.; Saad, A. R. M.; Yusof, A. M.

2018-03-01

The motion of vibration-driven robots is based on an internal oscillating mass which can move without legs or wheels. The oscillation of the unbalanced mass by a motor is translated into vibration which in turn produces vertical and horizontal forces. Both vertical and horizontal oscillations are of the same frequency but the phases are shifted. The vertical forces will deflect the bristles which cause the robot to move forward. In this paper, the horizontal motion direction caused by the vertically vibrated bristle is numerically simulated by tuning the frequency of their oscillatory actuation. As a preliminary work, basic equations for a simple off-centered vibration location on the robot platform and simulation model for vibration excitement are introduced. It involves both static and dynamic vibration analysis of robots and analysis of different type of parameters. In addition, the orientation of the bristles and oscillators are also analysed. Results from the numerical integration seem to be in good agreement with those achieved from the literature. The presented numerical integration modeling can be used for designing the bristles and controlling the speed and direction of the robot.

Visual environment recognition for robot path planning using template matched filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orozco-Rosas, Ulises; Picos, Kenia; Díaz-Ramírez, Víctor H.; Montiel, Oscar; Sepúlveda, Roberto

2017-08-01

A visual approach in environment recognition for robot navigation is proposed. This work includes a template matching filtering technique to detect obstacles and feasible paths using a single camera to sense a cluttered environment. In this problem statement, a robot can move from the start to the goal by choosing a single path between multiple possible ways. In order to generate an efficient and safe path for mobile robot navigation, the proposal employs a pseudo-bacterial potential field algorithm to derive optimal potential field functions using evolutionary computation. Simulation results are evaluated in synthetic and real scenes in terms of accuracy of environment recognition and efficiency of path planning computation.

Tracked robot controllers for climbing obstacles autonomously

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincent, Isabelle

2009-05-01

Research in mobile robot navigation has demonstrated some success in navigating flat indoor environments while avoiding obstacles. However, the challenge of analyzing complex environments to climb obstacles autonomously has had very little success due to the complexity of the task. Unmanned ground vehicles currently exhibit simple autonomous behaviours compared to the human ability to move in the world. This paper presents the control algorithms designed for a tracked mobile robot to autonomously climb obstacles by varying its tracks configuration. Two control algorithms are proposed to solve the autonomous locomotion problem for climbing obstacles. First, a reactive controller evaluates the appropriate geometric configuration based on terrain and vehicle geometric considerations. Then, a reinforcement learning algorithm finds alternative solutions when the reactive controller gets stuck while climbing an obstacle. The methodology combines reactivity to learning. The controllers have been demonstrated in box and stair climbing simulations. The experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for crossing obstacles.

Decentralised consensus-based formation tracking of multiple differential drive robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Xing; Peng, Zhaoxia; Wen, Guoguang; Rahmani, Ahmed

2017-11-01

This article investigates the control problem for formation tracking of multiple nonholonomic robots under distributed manner which means each robot only needs local information exchange. A class of general state and input transform is introduced to convert the formation-tracking issue of multi-robot systems into the consensus-like problem with time-varying reference. The distributed observer-based protocol with nonlinear dynamics is developed for each robot to achieve the consensus tracking of the new system, which namely means a group of nonholonomic mobile robots can form the desired formation configuration with its centroid moving along the predefined reference trajectory. The finite-time stability of observer and control law is analysed rigorously by using the Lyapunov direct method, algebraic graph theory and matrix analysis. Numerical examples are finally provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theory results proposed in this paper.

A tele-operated mobile ultrasound scanner using a light-weight robot.

PubMed

Delgorge, Cécile; Courrèges, Fabien; Al Bassit, Lama; Novales, Cyril; Rosenberger, Christophe; Smith-Guerin, Natalie; Brù, Concepció; Gilabert, Rosa; Vannoni, Maurizio; Poisson, Gérard; Vieyres, Pierre

2005-03-01

This paper presents a new tele-operated robotic chain for real-time ultrasound image acquisition and medical diagnosis. This system has been developed in the frame of the Mobile Tele-Echography Using an Ultralight Robot European Project. A light-weight six degrees-of-freedom serial robot, with a remote center of motion, has been specially designed for this application. It holds and moves a real probe on a distant patient according to the expert gesture and permits an image acquisition using a standard ultrasound device. The combination of mechanical structure choice for the robot and dedicated control law, particularly nearby the singular configuration allows a good path following and a robotized gesture accuracy. The choice of compression techniques for image transmission enables a compromise between flow and quality. These combined approaches, for robotics and image processing, enable the medical specialist to better control the remote ultrasound probe holder system and to receive stable and good quality ultrasound images to make a diagnosis via any type of communication link from terrestrial to satellite. Clinical tests have been performed since April 2003. They used both satellite or Integrated Services Digital Network lines with a theoretical bandwidth of 384 Kb/s. They showed the tele-echography system helped to identify 66% of lesions and 83% of symptomatic pathologies.

Analyzing the multiple-target-multiple-agent scenario using optimal assignment algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwok, Kwan S.; Driessen, Brian J.; Phillips, Cynthia A.; Tovey, Craig A.

1997-09-01

This work considers the problem of maximum utilization of a set of mobile robots with limited sensor-range capabilities and limited travel distances. The robots are initially in random positions. A set of robots properly guards or covers a region if every point within the region is within the effective sensor range of at least one vehicle. We wish to move the vehicles into surveillance positions so as to guard or cover a region, while minimizing the maximum distance traveled by any vehicle. This problem can be formulated as an assignment problem, in which we must optimally decide which robot to assign to which slot of a desired matrix of grid points. The cost function is the maximum distance traveled by any robot. Assignment problems can be solved very efficiently. Solution times for one hundred robots took only seconds on a silicon graphics crimson workstation. The initial positions of all the robots can be sampled by a central base station and their newly assigned positions communicated back to the robots. Alternatively, the robots can establish their own coordinate system with the origin fixed at one of the robots and orientation determined by the compass bearing of another robot relative to this robot. This paper presents example solutions to the multiple-target-multiple-agent scenario using a matching algorithm. Two separate cases with one hundred agents in each were analyzed using this method. We have found these mobile robot problems to be a very interesting application of network optimization methods, and we expect this to be a fruitful area for future research.

A brain-machine interface to navigate a mobile robot in a planar workspace: enabling humans to fly simulated aircraft with EEG.

PubMed

Akce, Abdullah; Johnson, Miles; Dantsker, Or; Bretl, Timothy

2013-03-01

This paper presents an interface for navigating a mobile robot that moves at a fixed speed in a planar workspace, with noisy binary inputs that are obtained asynchronously at low bit-rates from a human user through an electroencephalograph (EEG). The approach is to construct an ordered symbolic language for smooth planar curves and to use these curves as desired paths for a mobile robot. The underlying problem is then to design a communication protocol by which the user can, with vanishing error probability, specify a string in this language using a sequence of inputs. Such a protocol, provided by tools from information theory, relies on a human user's ability to compare smooth curves, just like they can compare strings of text. We demonstrate our interface by performing experiments in which twenty subjects fly a simulated aircraft at a fixed speed and altitude with input only from EEG. Experimental results show that the majority of subjects are able to specify desired paths despite a wide range of errors made in decoding EEG signals.

Localization and Mapping Using Only a Rotating FMCW Radar Sensor

PubMed Central

Vivet, Damien; Checchin, Paul; Chapuis, Roland

2013-01-01

Rotating radar sensors are perception systems rarely used in mobile robotics. This paper is concerned with the use of a mobile ground-based panoramic radar sensor which is able to deliver both distance and velocity of multiple targets in its surrounding. The consequence of using such a sensor in high speed robotics is the appearance of both geometric and Doppler velocity distortions in the collected data. These effects are, in the majority of studies, ignored or considered as noise and then corrected based on proprioceptive sensors or localization systems. Our purpose is to study and use data distortion and Doppler effect as sources of information in order to estimate the vehicle's displacement. The linear and angular velocities of the mobile robot are estimated by analyzing the distortion of the measurements provided by the panoramic Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar, called IMPALA. Without the use of any proprioceptive sensor, these estimates are then used to build the trajectory of the vehicle and the radar map of outdoor environments. In this paper, radar-only localization and mapping results are presented for a ground vehicle moving at high speed. PMID:23567523

Localization and mapping using only a rotating FMCW radar sensor.

PubMed

Vivet, Damien; Checchin, Paul; Chapuis, Roland

2013-04-08

Rotating radar sensors are perception systems rarely used in mobile robotics. This paper is concerned with the use of a mobile ground-based panoramic radar sensor which is able to deliver both distance and velocity of multiple targets in its surrounding. The consequence of using such a sensor in high speed robotics is the appearance of both geometric and Doppler velocity distortions in the collected data. These effects are, in the majority of studies, ignored or considered as noise and then corrected based on proprioceptive sensors or localization systems. Our purpose is to study and use data distortion and Doppler effect as sources of information in order to estimate the vehicle's displacement. The linear and angular velocities of the mobile robot are estimated by analyzing the distortion of the measurements provided by the panoramic Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar, called IMPALA. Without the use of any proprioceptive sensor, these estimates are then used to build the trajectory of the vehicle and the radar map of outdoor environments. In this paper, radar-only localization and mapping results are presented for a ground vehicle moving at high speed.

Proceedings of the 1989 CESAR/CEA (Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research/Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) workshop on autonomous mobile robots (May 30--June 1, 1989)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harber, K.S.; Pin, F.G.

1990-03-01

The US DOE Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique's (CEA) Office de Robotique et Productique within the Directorat a la Valorization are working toward a long-term cooperative agreement and relationship in the area of Intelligent Systems Research (ISR). This report presents the proceedings of the first CESAR/CEA Workshop on Autonomous Mobile Robots which took place at ORNL on May 30, 31 and June 1, 1989. The purpose of the workshop was to present and discuss methodologies and algorithms under development at the two facilities in themore » area of perception and navigation for autonomous mobile robots in unstructured environments. Experimental demonstration of the algorithms and comparison of some of their features were proposed to take place within the framework of a previously mutually agreed-upon demonstration scenario or base-case.'' The base-case scenario described in detail in Appendix A, involved autonomous navigation by the robot in an a priori unknown environment with dynamic obstacles, in order to reach a predetermined goal. From the intermediate goal location, the robot had to search for and locate a control panel, move toward it, and dock in front of the panel face. The CESAR demonstration was successfully accomplished using the HERMIES-IIB robot while subsets of the CEA demonstration performed using the ARES robot simulation and animation system were presented. The first session of the workshop focused on these experimental demonstrations and on the needs and considerations for establishing benchmarks'' for testing autonomous robot control algorithms.« less

KSC-08pd0606

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-02-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane moves the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, to the payload canister for transfer to Launch Pad 39A. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station. Along with Canadarm2, which is called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, targeted for launch March 11. Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

KSC-08pd0608

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-02-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, moves nearer to the payload canister where it will be installed for transfer to Launch Pad 39A. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station. Along with Canadarm2, which is called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, targeted for launch March 11. Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

KSC-08pd0604

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-02-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, moves across the facility via an overhead crane to the payload canister for transfer to Launch Pad 39A. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station. Along with Canadarm2, which is called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, targeted for launch March 11. Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

KSC-08pd0607

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-02-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, moves closer to the payload canister where it will be installed for transfer to Launch Pad 39A. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station. Along with Canadarm2, which is called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, targeted for launch March 11. Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

KSC-07pd2866

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the starboard arm of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, is moved across the facility. The arm will be installed on the base. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Along with Canadarm2, whose technical name is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload scheduled on mission STS-123, targeted to launch Feb. 14. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

A Face Attention Technique for a Robot Able to Interpret Facial Expressions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simplício, Carlos; Prado, José; Dias, Jorge

Automatic facial expressions recognition using vision is an important subject towards human-robot interaction. Here is proposed a human face focus of attention technique and a facial expressions classifier (a Dynamic Bayesian Network) to incorporate in an autonomous mobile agent whose hardware is composed by a robotic platform and a robotic head. The focus of attention technique is based on the symmetry presented by human faces. By using the output of this module the autonomous agent keeps always targeting the human face frontally. In order to accomplish this, the robot platform performs an arc centered at the human; thus the robotic head, when necessary, moves synchronized. In the proposed probabilistic classifier the information is propagated, from the previous instant, in a lower level of the network, to the current instant. Moreover, to recognize facial expressions are used not only positive evidences but also negative.

Cooperating mobile robots

DOEpatents

Harrington, John J.; Eskridge, Steven E.; Hurtado, John E.; Byrne, Raymond H.

2004-02-03

A miniature mobile robot provides a relatively inexpensive mobile robot. A mobile robot for searching an area provides a way for multiple mobile robots in cooperating teams. A robotic system with a team of mobile robots communicating information among each other provides a way to locate a source in cooperation. A mobile robot with a sensor, a communication system, and a processor, provides a way to execute a strategy for searching an area.

Distributed multirobot sensing and tracking: a behavior-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Lynne E.

1995-09-01

An important issue that arises in the automation of many large-scale surveillance and reconnaissance tasks is that of tracking the movements of (or maintaining passive contact with) objects navigating in a bounded area of interest. Oftentimes in these problems, the area to be monitored will move over time or will not permit fixed sensors, thus requiring a team of mobile sensors--or robots--to monitor the area collectively. In these situations, the robots must not only have mechanisms for determining how to track objects and how to fuse information from neighboring robots, but they must also have distributed control strategies for ensuring that the entire area of interest is continually covered to the greatest extent possible. This paper focuses on the distributed control issue by describing a proposed decentralized control mechanism that allows a team of robots to collectively track and monitor objects in an uncluttered area of interest. The approach is based upon an extension to the ALLIANCE behavior-based architecture that generalizes from the domain of loosely-coupled, independent applications to the domain of strongly cooperative applications, in which the action selection of a robot is dependent upon the actions selected by its teammates. We conclude the paper be describing our ongoing implementation of the proposed approach on a team of four mobile robots.

Vision-based mapping with cooperative robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Little, James J.; Jennings, Cullen; Murray, Don

1998-10-01

Two stereo-vision-based mobile robots navigate and autonomously explore their environment safely while building occupancy grid maps of the environment. The robots maintain position estimates within a global coordinate frame using landmark recognition. This allows them to build a common map by sharing position information and stereo data. Stereo vision processing and map updates are done at 3 Hz and the robots move at speeds of 200 cm/s. Cooperative mapping is achieved through autonomous exploration of unstructured and dynamic environments. The map is constructed conservatively, so as to be useful for collision-free path planning. Each robot maintains a separate copy of a shared map, and then posts updates to the common map when it returns to observe a landmark at home base. Issues include synchronization, mutual localization, navigation, exploration, registration of maps, merging repeated views (fusion), centralized vs decentralized maps.

Terrain classification in navigation of an autonomous mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodds, David R.

1991-03-01

In this paper we describe a method of path planning that integrates terrain classification (by means of fractals) the certainty grid method of spatial representation Kehtarnavaz Griswold collision-zones Dubois Prade fuzzy temporal and spatial knowledge and non-point sized qualitative navigational planning. An initially planned (" end-to-end" ) path is piece-wise modified to accommodate known and inferred moving obstacles and includes attention to time-varying multiple subgoals which may influence a section of path at a time after the robot has begun traversing that planned path.

Two-dimensional radial laser scanning for circular marker detection and external mobile robot tracking.

PubMed

Teixidó, Mercè; Pallejà, Tomàs; Font, Davinia; Tresanchez, Marcel; Moreno, Javier; Palacín, Jordi

2012-11-28

This paper presents the use of an external fixed two-dimensional laser scanner to detect cylindrical targets attached to moving devices, such as a mobile robot. This proposal is based on the detection of circular markers in the raw data provided by the laser scanner by applying an algorithm for outlier avoidance and a least-squares circular fitting. Some experiments have been developed to empirically validate the proposal with different cylindrical targets in order to estimate the location and tracking errors achieved, which are generally less than 20 mm in the area covered by the laser sensor. As a result of the validation experiments, several error maps have been obtained in order to give an estimate of the uncertainty of any location computed. This proposal has been validated with a medium-sized mobile robot with an attached cylindrical target (diameter 200 mm). The trajectory of the mobile robot was estimated with an average location error of less than 15 mm, and the real location error in each individual circular fitting was similar to the error estimated with the obtained error maps. The radial area covered in this validation experiment was up to 10 m, a value that depends on the radius of the cylindrical target and the radial density of the distance range points provided by the laser scanner but this area can be increased by combining the information of additional external laser scanners.

Novel locomotion via biological inspiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Roger D.; Boxerbaum, Alexander; Palmer, Luther; Chiel, Hillel; Diller, Eric; Hunt, Alexander; Bachmann, Richard

2011-05-01

Animal behavioral, physiological and neurobiological studies are providing a wealth of inspirational data for robot design and control. Several very different biologically inspired mobile robots will be reviewed. A robot called DIGbot is being developed that moves independent of the direction of gravity using Distributed Inward Gripping (DIG) as a rapid and robust attachment mechanism observed in climbing animals. DIGbot is an 18 degree of freedom hexapod with onboard power and control systems. Passive compliance in its feet, which is inspired by the flexible tarsus of the cockroach, increases the robustness of the adhesion strategy and enables DIGbot to execute large steps and stationary turns while walking on mesh screens. A Whegs™ robot, inspired by insect locomotion principles, is being developed that can be rapidly reconfigured between tracks and wheel-legs and carry GeoSystems Zipper Mast. The mechanisms that cause it to passively change its gait on irregular terrain have been integrated into its hubs for a compact and modular design. The robot is designed to move smoothly on moderately rugged terrain using its tracks and run on irregular terrain and stairs using its wheel-legs. We are also developing soft bodied robots that use peristalsis, the same method of locomotion earthworms use. We present a technique of using a braided mesh exterior to produce fluid waves of motion along the body of the robot that increase the robot's speed relative to previous designs. The concept is highly scalable, for endoscopes to water, oil or gas line inspection.

A neural learning classifier system with self-adaptive constructivism for mobile robot control.

PubMed

Hurst, Jacob; Bull, Larry

2006-01-01

For artificial entities to achieve true autonomy and display complex lifelike behavior, they will need to exploit appropriate adaptable learning algorithms. In this context adaptability implies flexibility guided by the environment at any given time and an open-ended ability to learn appropriate behaviors. This article examines the use of constructivism-inspired mechanisms within a neural learning classifier system architecture that exploits parameter self-adaptation as an approach to realize such behavior. The system uses a rule structure in which each rule is represented by an artificial neural network. It is shown that appropriate internal rule complexity emerges during learning at a rate controlled by the learner and that the structure indicates underlying features of the task. Results are presented in simulated mazes before moving to a mobile robot platform.

KSC-07pd2867

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the starboard arm of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, is moved toward the base, in the background. The arm will be installed on the base. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Along with Canadarm2, whose technical name is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload scheduled on mission STS-123, targeted to launch Feb. 14. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd2864

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians adjust the cables of an overhead crane on the starboard arm of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre. The arm will be moved to and installed on the base. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station ISS. Along with Canadarm2, whose technical name is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload scheduled on mission STS-123, targeted to launch Feb. 14. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd2865

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-10-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians begin raising the starboard arm of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, for its move across the facility. The arm will be installed on the base. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station ISS. Along with Canadarm2, whose technical name is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload scheduled on mission STS-123, targeted to launch Feb. 14. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-08pd0605

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-02-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, moves across the facility via an overhead crane to the payload canister at right for transfer to Launch Pad 39A. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station. Along with Canadarm2, which is called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System. The three components have been designed to work together or independently. Dextre is part of the payload on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, targeted for launch March 11. Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

The Terregator Mobile Robot

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

Configuration 17 4.3 Locomotor 19 4.3.1 Base Frame 20 4.3.2 Motors and Drive Train 21 4.3.3 Roll Frame 25 4.3.4 Rack Mount Enclosure 26 4.4 On-Board...tipover, or pitfalls to lesser locomotors . The Terregator can subtcnd moves of millimeter resolution at speeds of zero to several miles per hour. The...guidance systems to achieve a prototypical "intelligent inachine". A mobile base, or locomotor , which will transport the remaining components of an

Collective search by mobile robots using alpha-beta coordination

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldsmith, S.Y.; Robinett, R. III

1998-04-01

One important application of mobile robots is searching a geographical region to locate the origin of a specific sensible phenomenon. Mapping mine fields, extraterrestrial and undersea exploration, the location of chemical and biological weapons, and the location of explosive devices are just a few potential applications. Teams of robotic bloodhounds have a simple common goal; to converge on the location of the source phenomenon, confirm its intensity, and to remain aggregated around it until directed to take some other action. In cases where human intervention through teleoperation is not possible, the robot team must be deployed in a territory withoutmore » supervision, requiring an autonomous decentralized coordination strategy. This paper presents the alpha beta coordination strategy, a family of collective search algorithms that are based on dynamic partitioning of the robotic team into two complementary social roles according to a sensor based status measure. Robots in the alpha role are risk takers, motivated to improve their status by exploring new regions of the search space. Robots in the beta role are motivated to improve but are conservative, and tend to remain aggregated and stationary until the alpha robots have identified better regions of the search space. Roles are determined dynamically by each member of the team based on the status of the individual robot relative to the current state of the collective. Partitioning the robot team into alpha and beta roles results in a balance between exploration and exploitation, and can yield collective energy savings and improved resistance to sensor noise and defectors. Alpha robots waste energy exploring new territory, and are more sensitive to the effects of ambient noise and to defectors reporting inflated status. Beta robots conserve energy by moving in a direct path to regions of confirmed high status.« less

Robot Tracking of Human Subjects in Field Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, Jeffrey; Shillcutt, Kimberly

2003-01-01

Future planetary exploration will involve both humans and robots. Understanding and improving their interaction is a main focus of research in the Intelligent Systems Branch at NASA's Johnson Space Center. By teaming intelligent robots with astronauts on surface extra-vehicular activities (EVAs), safety and productivity can be improved. The EVA Robotic Assistant (ERA) project was established to study the issues of human-robot teams, to develop a testbed robot to assist space-suited humans in exploration tasks, and to experimentally determine the effectiveness of an EVA assistant robot. A companion paper discusses the ERA project in general, its history starting with ASRO (Astronaut-Rover project), and the results of recent field tests in Arizona. This paper focuses on one aspect of the research, robot tracking, in greater detail: the software architecture and algorithms. The ERA robot is capable of moving towards and/or continuously following mobile or stationary targets or sequences of targets. The contributions made by this research include how the low-level pose data is assembled, normalized and communicated, how the tracking algorithm was generalized and implemented, and qualitative performance reports from recent field tests.

Filtering Data Based on Human-Inspired Forgetting.

PubMed

Freedman, S T; Adams, J A

2011-12-01

Robots are frequently presented with vast arrays of diverse data. Unfortunately, perfect memory and recall provides a mixed blessing. While flawless recollection of episodic data allows increased reasoning, photographic memory can hinder a robot's ability to operate in real-time dynamic environments. Human-inspired forgetting methods may enable robotic systems to rid themselves of out-dated, irrelevant, and erroneous data. This paper presents the use of human-inspired forgetting to act as a filter, removing unnecessary, erroneous, and out-of-date information. The novel ActSimple forgetting algorithm has been developed specifically to provide effective forgetting capabilities to robotic systems. This paper presents the ActSimple algorithm and how it was optimized and tested in a WiFi signal strength estimation task. The results generated by real-world testing suggest that human-inspired forgetting is an effective means of improving the ability of mobile robots to move and operate within complex and dynamic environments.

Dynamic path planning for mobile robot based on particle swarm optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yong; Cai, Feng; Wang, Ying

2017-08-01

In the contemporary, robots are used in many fields, such as cleaning, medical treatment, space exploration, disaster relief and so on. The dynamic path planning of robot without collision is becoming more and more the focus of people's attention. A new method of path planning is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the motion space model of the robot is established by using the MAKLINK graph method. Then the A* algorithm is used to get the shortest path from the start point to the end point. Secondly, this paper proposes an effective method to detect and avoid obstacles. When an obstacle is detected on the shortest path, the robot will choose the nearest safety point to move. Moreover, calculate the next point which is nearest to the target. Finally, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the path. The experimental results can prove that the proposed method is more effective.

Systems integration for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Robotics Applications Development Laboratory (RADL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, V. Leon; Nordeen, Ross

1988-01-01

A laboratory for developing robotics technology for hazardous and repetitive Shuttle and payload processing activities is discussed. An overview of the computer hardware and software responsible for integrating the laboratory systems is given. The center's anthropomorphic robot is placed on a track allowing it to be moved to different stations. Various aspects of the laboratory equipment are described, including industrial robot arm control, smart systems integration, the supervisory computer, programmable process controller, real-time tracking controller, image processing hardware, and control display graphics. Topics of research include: automated loading and unloading of hypergolics for space vehicles and payloads; the use of mobile robotics for security, fire fighting, and hazardous spill operations; nondestructive testing for SRB joint and seal verification; Shuttle Orbiter radiator damage inspection; and Orbiter contour measurements. The possibility of expanding the laboratory in the future is examined.

Capsule endoscopy of the future: What’s on the horizon?

PubMed Central

Slawinski, Piotr R; Obstein, Keith L; Valdastri, Pietro

2015-01-01

Capsule endoscopes have evolved from passively moving diagnostic devices to actively moving systems with potential therapeutic capability. In this review, we will discuss the state of the art, define the current shortcomings of capsule endoscopy, and address research areas that aim to overcome said shortcomings. Developments in capsule mobility schemes are emphasized in this text, with magnetic actuation being the most promising endeavor. Research groups are working to integrate sensor data and fuse it with robotic control to outperform today’s standard invasive procedures, but in a less intrusive manner. With recent advances in areas such as mobility, drug delivery, and therapeutics, we foresee a translation of interventional capsule technology from the bench-top to the clinical setting within the next 10 years. PMID:26457013

Bio-inspired vision based robot control using featureless estimations of time-to-contact.

PubMed

Zhang, Haijie; Zhao, Jianguo

2017-01-31

Marvelous vision based dynamic behaviors of insects and birds such as perching, landing, and obstacle avoidance have inspired scientists to propose the idea of time-to-contact, which is defined as the time for a moving observer to contact an object or surface if the current velocity is maintained. Since with only a vision sensor, time-to-contact can be directly estimated from consecutive images, it is widely used for a variety of robots to fulfill various tasks such as obstacle avoidance, docking, chasing, perching and landing. However, most of existing methods to estimate the time-to-contact need to extract and track features during the control process, which is time-consuming and cannot be applied to robots with limited computation power. In this paper, we adopt a featureless estimation method, extend this method to more general settings with angular velocities, and improve the estimation results using Kalman filtering. Further, we design an error based controller with gain scheduling strategy to control the motion of mobile robots. Experiments for both estimation and control are conducted using a customized mobile robot platform with low-cost embedded systems. Onboard experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, with the robot being controlled to successfully dock in front of a vertical wall. The estimation and control methods presented in this paper can be applied to computation-constrained miniature robots for agile locomotion such as landing, docking, or navigation.

Real-time multiple human perception with color-depth cameras on a mobile robot.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Reardon, Christopher; Parker, Lynne E

2013-10-01

The ability to perceive humans is an essential requirement for safe and efficient human-robot interaction. In real-world applications, the need for a robot to interact in real time with multiple humans in a dynamic, 3-D environment presents a significant challenge. The recent availability of commercial color-depth cameras allow for the creation of a system that makes use of the depth dimension, thus enabling a robot to observe its environment and perceive in the 3-D space. Here we present a system for 3-D multiple human perception in real time from a moving robot equipped with a color-depth camera and a consumer-grade computer. Our approach reduces computation time to achieve real-time performance through a unique combination of new ideas and established techniques. We remove the ground and ceiling planes from the 3-D point cloud input to separate candidate point clusters. We introduce the novel information concept, depth of interest, which we use to identify candidates for detection, and that avoids the computationally expensive scanning-window methods of other approaches. We utilize a cascade of detectors to distinguish humans from objects, in which we make intelligent reuse of intermediary features in successive detectors to improve computation. Because of the high computational cost of some methods, we represent our candidate tracking algorithm with a decision directed acyclic graph, which allows us to use the most computationally intense techniques only where necessary. We detail the successful implementation of our novel approach on a mobile robot and examine its performance in scenarios with real-world challenges, including occlusion, robot motion, nonupright humans, humans leaving and reentering the field of view (i.e., the reidentification challenge), human-object and human-human interaction. We conclude with the observation that the incorporation of the depth information, together with the use of modern techniques in new ways, we are able to create an accurate system for real-time 3-D perception of humans by a mobile robot.

Amorphous Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curtis, Steven A.

2010-01-01

A proposed mobile robot, denoted the amorphous rover, would vary its own size and shape in order to traverse terrain by means of rolling and/or slithering action. The amorphous rover was conceived as a robust, lightweight alternative to the wheeled rover-class robotic vehicle heretofore used in exploration of Mars. Unlike a wheeled rover, the amorphous rover would not have a predefined front, back, top, bottom, or sides. Hence, maneuvering of the amorphous rover would be more robust: the amorphous rover would not be vulnerable to overturning, could move backward or sideways as well as forward, and could even narrow itself to squeeze through small openings.

Development of an advanced mobile base for personal mobility and manipulation appliance generation II robotic wheelchair.

PubMed

Wang, Hongwu; Candiotti, Jorge; Shino, Motoki; Chung, Cheng-Shiu; Grindle, Garrett G; Ding, Dan; Cooper, Rory A

2013-07-01

This paper describes the development of a mobile base for the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance Generation II (PerMMA Gen II robotic wheelchair), an obstacle-climbing wheelchair able to move in structured and unstructured environments, and to climb over curbs as high as 8 inches. The mechanical, electrical, and software systems of the mobile base are presented in detail, and similar devices such as the iBOT mobility system, TopChair, and 6X6 Explorer are described. The mobile base of PerMMA Gen II has two operating modes: "advanced driving mode" on flat and uneven terrain, and "automatic climbing mode" during stair climbing. The different operating modes are triggered either by local and dynamic conditions or by external commands from users. A step-climbing sequence, up to 0.2 m, is under development and to be evaluated via simulation. The mathematical model of the mobile base is introduced. A feedback and a feed-forward controller have been developed to maintain the posture of the passenger when driving over uneven surfaces or slopes. The effectiveness of the controller has been evaluated by simulation using the open dynamics engine tool. Future work for PerMMA Gen II mobile base is implementation of the simulation and control on a real system and evaluation of the system via further experimental tests.

Development of an advanced mobile base for personal mobility and manipulation appliance generation II robotic wheelchair

PubMed Central

Wang, Hongwu; Candiotti, Jorge; Shino, Motoki; Chung, Cheng-Shiu; Grindle, Garrett G.; Ding, Dan; Cooper, Rory A.

2013-01-01

Background This paper describes the development of a mobile base for the Personal Mobility and Manipulation Appliance Generation II (PerMMA Gen II robotic wheelchair), an obstacle-climbing wheelchair able to move in structured and unstructured environments, and to climb over curbs as high as 8 inches. The mechanical, electrical, and software systems of the mobile base are presented in detail, and similar devices such as the iBOT mobility system, TopChair, and 6X6 Explorer are described. Findings The mobile base of PerMMA Gen II has two operating modes: “advanced driving mode” on flat and uneven terrain, and “automatic climbing mode” during stair climbing. The different operating modes are triggered either by local and dynamic conditions or by external commands from users. A step-climbing sequence, up to 0.2 m, is under development and to be evaluated via simulation. The mathematical model of the mobile base is introduced. A feedback and a feed-forward controller have been developed to maintain the posture of the passenger when driving over uneven surfaces or slopes. The effectiveness of the controller has been evaluated by simulation using the open dynamics engine tool. Conclusion Future work for PerMMA Gen II mobile base is implementation of the simulation and control on a real system and evaluation of the system via further experimental tests. PMID:23820149

Tandem robot control system and method for controlling mobile robots in tandem

DOEpatents

Hayward, David R.; Buttz, James H.; Shirey, David L.

2002-01-01

A control system for controlling mobile robots provides a way to control mobile robots, connected in tandem with coupling devices, to navigate across difficult terrain or in closed spaces. The mobile robots can be controlled cooperatively as a coupled system in linked mode or controlled individually as separate robots.

Head Pose Estimation Using Multilinear Subspace Analysis for Robot Human Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivanov, Tonislav; Matthies, Larry; Vasilescu, M. Alex O.

2009-01-01

Mobile robots, operating in unconstrained indoor and outdoor environments, would benefit in many ways from perception of the human awareness around them. Knowledge of people's head pose and gaze directions would enable the robot to deduce which people are aware of the its presence, and to predict future motions of the people for better path planning. To make such inferences, requires estimating head pose on facial images that are combination of multiple varying factors, such as identity, appearance, head pose, and illumination. By applying multilinear algebra, the algebra of higher-order tensors, we can separate these factors and estimate head pose regardless of subject's identity or image conditions. Furthermore, we can automatically handle uncertainty in the size of the face and its location. We demonstrate a pipeline of on-the-move detection of pedestrians with a robot stereo vision system, segmentation of the head, and head pose estimation in cluttered urban street scenes.

Surrogate: A Body-Dexterous Mobile Manipulation Robot with a Tracked Base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hebert, Paul (Inventor); Borders, James W. (Inventor); Hudson, Nicolas H. (Inventor); Kennedy, Brett A. (Inventor); Ma, Jeremy C. (Inventor); Bergh, Charles F. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

Robotics platforms in accordance with various embodiments of the invention can be utilized to implement highly dexterous robots capable of whole body motion. Robotics platforms in accordance with one embodiment of the invention include: a memory containing a whole body motion application; a spine, where the spine has seven degrees of freedom and comprises a spine actuator and three spine elbow joints that each include two spine joint actuators; at least one limb, where the at least one limb comprises a limb actuator and three limb elbow joints that each include two limb joint actuators; a tracked base; a connecting structure that connects the at least one limb to the spine; a second connecting structure that connects the spine to the tracked base; wherein the processor is configured by the whole body motion application to move the at least one limb and the spine to perform whole body motion.

Information-Driven Active Audio-Visual Source Localization

PubMed Central

Schult, Niclas; Reineking, Thomas; Kluss, Thorsten; Zetzsche, Christoph

2015-01-01

We present a system for sensorimotor audio-visual source localization on a mobile robot. We utilize a particle filter for the combination of audio-visual information and for the temporal integration of consecutive measurements. Although the system only measures the current direction of the source, the position of the source can be estimated because the robot is able to move and can therefore obtain measurements from different directions. These actions by the robot successively reduce uncertainty about the source’s position. An information gain mechanism is used for selecting the most informative actions in order to minimize the number of actions required to achieve accurate and precise position estimates in azimuth and distance. We show that this mechanism is an efficient solution to the action selection problem for source localization, and that it is able to produce precise position estimates despite simplified unisensory preprocessing. Because of the robot’s mobility, this approach is suitable for use in complex and cluttered environments. We present qualitative and quantitative results of the system’s performance and discuss possible areas of application. PMID:26327619

Map generation in unknown environments by AUKF-SLAM using line segment-type and point-type landmarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishihta, Sho; Maeyama, Shoichi; Watanebe, Keigo

2018-02-01

Recently, autonomous mobile robots that collect information at disaster sites are being developed. Since it is difficult to obtain maps in advance in disaster sites, the robots being capable of autonomous movement under unknown environments are required. For this objective, the robots have to build maps, as well as the estimation of self-location. This is called a SLAM problem. In particular, AUKF-SLAM which uses corners in the environment as point-type landmarks has been developed as a solution method so far. However, when the robots move in an environment like a corridor consisting of few point-type features, the accuracy of self-location estimated by the landmark is decreased and it causes some distortions in the map. In this research, we propose AUKF-SLAM which uses walls in the environment as a line segment-type landmark. We demonstrate that the robot can generate maps in unknown environment by AUKF-SLAM, using line segment-type and point-type landmarks.

Robot environment expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, J. L.

1985-01-01

The Robot Environment Expert System uses a hexidecimal tree data structure to model a complex robot environment where not only the robot arm moves, but also the robot itself and other objects may move. The hextree model allows dynamic updating, collision avoidance and path planning over time, to avoid moving objects.

Steerable vertical to horizontal energy transducer for mobile robots

DOEpatents

Spletzer, Barry L.; Fischer, Gary J.; Feddema, John T.

2001-01-01

The present invention provides a steerable vertical to horizontal energy transducer for mobile robots that less complex and requires less power than two degree of freedom tilt mechanisms. The present invention comprises an end effector that, when mounted with a hopping actuator, translates along axis (typically vertical) actuation into combined vertical and horizontal motion. The end effector, or foot, mounts with an end of the actuator that moves toward the support surface (typically a floor or the earth). The foot is shaped so that the first contact with the support surface is off the axis of the actuator. Off-axis contact with the support surface generates an on-axis force (typically resulting in vertical motion) and a moment orthogonal to the axis. The moment initiates a horizontal tumbling motion, and tilts the actuator so that its axis is oriented with a horizontal component and continued actuation generates both vertical and horizontal force.

Reactive navigation in extremely dense and highly intricate environments

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Reactive navigation is a well-known paradigm for controlling an autonomous mobile robot, which suggests making all control decisions through some light processing of the current/recent sensor data. Among the many advantages of this paradigm are: 1) the possibility to apply it to robots with limited and low-priced hardware resources, and 2) the fact of being able to safely navigate a robot in completely unknown environments containing unpredictable moving obstacles. As a major disadvantage, nevertheless, the reactive paradigm may occasionally cause robots to get trapped in certain areas of the environment—typically, these conflicting areas have a large concave shape and/or are full of closely-spaced obstacles. In this last respect, an enormous effort has been devoted to overcome such a serious drawback during the last two decades. As a result of this effort, a substantial number of new approaches for reactive navigation have been put forward. Some of these approaches have clearly improved the way how a reactively-controlled robot can move among densely cluttered obstacles; some other approaches have essentially focused on increasing the variety of obstacle shapes and sizes that could be successfully circumnavigated; etc. In this paper, as a starting point, we choose the best existing reactive approach to move in densely cluttered environments, and we also choose the existing reactive approach with the greatest ability to circumvent large intricate-shaped obstacles. Then, we combine these two approaches in a way that makes the most of them. From the experimental point of view, we use both simulated and real scenarios of challenging complexity for testing purposes. In such scenarios, we demonstrate that the combined approach herein proposed clearly outperforms the two individual approaches on which it is built. PMID:29287078

A neural network-based exploratory learning and motor planning system for co-robots

PubMed Central

Galbraith, Byron V.; Guenther, Frank H.; Versace, Massimiliano

2015-01-01

Collaborative robots, or co-robots, are semi-autonomous robotic agents designed to work alongside humans in shared workspaces. To be effective, co-robots require the ability to respond and adapt to dynamic scenarios encountered in natural environments. One way to achieve this is through exploratory learning, or “learning by doing,” an unsupervised method in which co-robots are able to build an internal model for motor planning and coordination based on real-time sensory inputs. In this paper, we present an adaptive neural network-based system for co-robot control that employs exploratory learning to achieve the coordinated motor planning needed to navigate toward, reach for, and grasp distant objects. To validate this system we used the 11-degrees-of-freedom RoPro Calliope mobile robot. Through motor babbling of its wheels and arm, the Calliope learned how to relate visual and proprioceptive information to achieve hand-eye-body coordination. By continually evaluating sensory inputs and externally provided goal directives, the Calliope was then able to autonomously select the appropriate wheel and joint velocities needed to perform its assigned task, such as following a moving target or retrieving an indicated object. PMID:26257640

A neural network-based exploratory learning and motor planning system for co-robots.

PubMed

Galbraith, Byron V; Guenther, Frank H; Versace, Massimiliano

2015-01-01

Collaborative robots, or co-robots, are semi-autonomous robotic agents designed to work alongside humans in shared workspaces. To be effective, co-robots require the ability to respond and adapt to dynamic scenarios encountered in natural environments. One way to achieve this is through exploratory learning, or "learning by doing," an unsupervised method in which co-robots are able to build an internal model for motor planning and coordination based on real-time sensory inputs. In this paper, we present an adaptive neural network-based system for co-robot control that employs exploratory learning to achieve the coordinated motor planning needed to navigate toward, reach for, and grasp distant objects. To validate this system we used the 11-degrees-of-freedom RoPro Calliope mobile robot. Through motor babbling of its wheels and arm, the Calliope learned how to relate visual and proprioceptive information to achieve hand-eye-body coordination. By continually evaluating sensory inputs and externally provided goal directives, the Calliope was then able to autonomously select the appropriate wheel and joint velocities needed to perform its assigned task, such as following a moving target or retrieving an indicated object.

Increased reward in ankle robotics training enhances motor control and cortical efficiency in stroke.

PubMed

Goodman, Ronald N; Rietschel, Jeremy C; Roy, Anindo; Jung, Brian C; Diaz, Jason; Macko, Richard F; Forrester, Larry W

2014-01-01

Robotics is rapidly emerging as a viable approach to enhance motor recovery after disabling stroke. Current principles of cognitive motor learning recognize a positive relationship between reward and motor learning. Yet no prior studies have established explicitly whether reward improves the rate or efficacy of robotics-assisted rehabilitation or produces neurophysiologic adaptations associated with motor learning. We conducted a 3 wk, 9-session clinical pilot with 10 people with chronic hemiparetic stroke, randomly assigned to train with an impedance-controlled ankle robot (anklebot) under either high reward (HR) or low reward conditions. The 1 h training sessions entailed playing a seated video game by moving the paretic ankle to hit moving onscreen targets with the anklebot only providing assistance as needed. Assessments included paretic ankle motor control, learning curves, electroencephalograpy (EEG) coherence and spectral power during unassisted trials, and gait function. While both groups exhibited changes in EEG, the HR group had faster learning curves (p = 0.05), smoother movements (p

A Robot Equipped with a High-Speed LSPR Gas Sensor Module for Collecting Spatial Odor Information from On-Ground Invisible Odor Sources.

PubMed

Yang, Zhongyuan; Sassa, Fumihiro; Hayashi, Kenshi

2018-06-22

Improving the efficiency of detecting the spatial distribution of gas information with a mobile robot is a great challenge that requires rapid sample collection, which is basically determined by the speed of operation of gas sensors. The present work developed a robot equipped with a high-speed gas sensor module based on localized surface plasmon resonance. The sensor module is designed to sample gases from an on-ground odor source, such as a footprint material or artificial odor marker, via a fine sampling tubing. The tip of the sampling tubing was placed close to the ground to reduce the sampling time and the effect of natural gas diffusion. On-ground ethanol odor sources were detected by the robot at high resolution (i.e., 2.5 cm when the robot moved at 10 cm/s), and the reading of gas information was demonstrated experimentally. This work may help in the development of environmental sensing robots, such as the development of odor source mapping and multirobot systems with pheromone tracing.

Multi-hop path tracing of mobile robot with multi-range image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Ramakanta; Samal, Chandrakanta; Choudhury, Umakanta

2010-02-01

It is well known that image processing depends heavily upon image representation technique . This paper intends to find out the optimal path of mobile robots for a specified area where obstacles are predefined as well as modified. Here the optimal path is represented by using the Quad tree method. Since there has been rising interest in the use of quad tree, we have tried to use the successive subdivision of images into quadrants from which the quad tree is developed. In the quad tree, obstacles-free area and the partial filled area are represented with different notations. After development of quad tree the algorithm is used to find the optimal path by employing neighbor finding technique, with a view to move the robot from the source to destination. The algorithm, here , permeates through the entire tree, and tries to locate the common ancestor for computation. The computation and the algorithm, aim at easing the ability of the robot to trace the optimal path with the help of adjacencies between the neighboring nodes as well as determining such adjacencies in the horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions. In this paper efforts have been made to determine the movement of the adjacent block in the quad tree and to detect the transition between the blocks equal size and finally generate the result.

Cooperative Autonomous Robots for Reconnaissance

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-06

REPORT Cooperative Autonomous Robots for Reconnaissance 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: Collaborating mobile robots equipped with WiFi ...Cooperative Autonomous Robots for Reconnaissance Report Title ABSTRACT Collaborating mobile robots equipped with WiFi transceivers are configured as a mobile...equipped with WiFi transceivers are configured as a mobile ad-hoc network. Algorithms are developed to take advantage of the distributed processing

Tandem mobile robot system

DOEpatents

Buttz, James H.; Shirey, David L.; Hayward, David R.

2003-01-01

A robotic vehicle system for terrain navigation mobility provides a way to climb stairs, cross crevices, and navigate across difficult terrain by coupling two or more mobile robots with a coupling device and controlling the robots cooperatively in tandem.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-06-01

Backdropped against the blackness of space and the Earth's horizon, the Mobile Remote Base System (MBS) is moved by the Canadarm2 for installation on the International Space Station (ISS). Delivered by the STS-111 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in June 2002, the MBS is an important part of the Station's Mobile Servicing System allowing the robotic arm to travel the length of the Station, which is neccessary for future construction tasks. In addition, STS-111 delivered a new crew, Expedition Five, replacing Expedition Four after remaining a record-setting 196 days in space. Three spacewalks enabled the STS-111 crew to accomplish the delivery and installation of the MBS to the Mobile Transporter on the S0 (S-zero) truss, the replacement of a wrist roll joint on the Station's robotic arm, and the task of unloading supplies and science experiments from the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, which made its third trip to the orbital outpost. The STS-111 mission, the 14th Shuttle mission to visit the ISS, was launched on June 5, 2002 and landed June 19, 2002.

An intelligent space for mobile robot localization using a multi-camera system.

PubMed

Rampinelli, Mariana; Covre, Vitor Buback; de Queiroz, Felippe Mendonça; Vassallo, Raquel Frizera; Bastos-Filho, Teodiano Freire; Mazo, Manuel

2014-08-15

This paper describes an intelligent space, whose objective is to localize and control robots or robotic wheelchairs to help people. Such an intelligent space has 11 cameras distributed in two laboratories and a corridor. The cameras are fixed in the environment, and image capturing is done synchronously. The system was programmed as a client/server with TCP/IP connections, and a communication protocol was defined. The client coordinates the activities inside the intelligent space, and the servers provide the information needed for that. Once the cameras are used for localization, they have to be properly calibrated. Therefore, a calibration method for a multi-camera network is also proposed in this paper. A robot is used to move a calibration pattern throughout the field of view of the cameras. Then, the captured images and the robot odometry are used for calibration. As a result, the proposed algorithm provides a solution for multi-camera calibration and robot localization at the same time. The intelligent space and the calibration method were evaluated under different scenarios using computer simulations and real experiments. The results demonstrate the proper functioning of the intelligent space and validate the multi-camera calibration method, which also improves robot localization.

An Intelligent Space for Mobile Robot Localization Using a Multi-Camera System

PubMed Central

Rampinelli, Mariana.; Covre, Vitor Buback.; de Queiroz, Felippe Mendonça.; Vassallo, Raquel Frizera.; Bastos-Filho, Teodiano Freire.; Mazo, Manuel.

2014-01-01

This paper describes an intelligent space, whose objective is to localize and control robots or robotic wheelchairs to help people. Such an intelligent space has 11 cameras distributed in two laboratories and a corridor. The cameras are fixed in the environment, and image capturing is done synchronously. The system was programmed as a client/server with TCP/IP connections, and a communication protocol was defined. The client coordinates the activities inside the intelligent space, and the servers provide the information needed for that. Once the cameras are used for localization, they have to be properly calibrated. Therefore, a calibration method for a multi-camera network is also proposed in this paper. A robot is used to move a calibration pattern throughout the field of view of the cameras. Then, the captured images and the robot odometry are used for calibration. As a result, the proposed algorithm provides a solution for multi-camera calibration and robot localization at the same time. The intelligent space and the calibration method were evaluated under different scenarios using computer simulations and real experiments. The results demonstrate the proper functioning of the intelligent space and validate the multi-camera calibration method, which also improves robot localization. PMID:25196009

Optimization of power utilization in multimobile robot foraging behavior inspired by honeybees system.

PubMed

Ahmad, Faisul Arif; Ramli, Abd Rahman; Samsudin, Khairulmizam; Hashim, Shaiful Jahari

2014-01-01

Deploying large numbers of mobile robots which can interact with each other produces swarm intelligent behavior. However, mobile robots are normally running with finite energy resource, supplied from finite battery. The limitation of energy resource required human intervention for recharging the batteries. The sharing information among the mobile robots would be one of the potentials to overcome the limitation on previously recharging system. A new approach is proposed based on integrated intelligent system inspired by foraging of honeybees applied to multimobile robot scenario. This integrated approach caters for both working and foraging stages for known/unknown power station locations. Swarm mobile robot inspired by honeybee is simulated to explore and identify the power station for battery recharging. The mobile robots will share the location information of the power station with each other. The result showed that mobile robots consume less energy and less time when they are cooperating with each other for foraging process. The optimizing of foraging behavior would result in the mobile robots spending more time to do real work.

Optimization of Power Utilization in Multimobile Robot Foraging Behavior Inspired by Honeybees System

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Faisul Arif; Ramli, Abd Rahman; Samsudin, Khairulmizam; Hashim, Shaiful Jahari

2014-01-01

Deploying large numbers of mobile robots which can interact with each other produces swarm intelligent behavior. However, mobile robots are normally running with finite energy resource, supplied from finite battery. The limitation of energy resource required human intervention for recharging the batteries. The sharing information among the mobile robots would be one of the potentials to overcome the limitation on previously recharging system. A new approach is proposed based on integrated intelligent system inspired by foraging of honeybees applied to multimobile robot scenario. This integrated approach caters for both working and foraging stages for known/unknown power station locations. Swarm mobile robot inspired by honeybee is simulated to explore and identify the power station for battery recharging. The mobile robots will share the location information of the power station with each other. The result showed that mobile robots consume less energy and less time when they are cooperating with each other for foraging process. The optimizing of foraging behavior would result in the mobile robots spending more time to do real work. PMID:24949491

A Unified Approach to Motion Control of Motion Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, H.

1994-01-01

This paper presents a simple on-line approach for motion control of mobile robots made up of a manipulator arm mounted on a mobile base. The proposed approach is equally applicable to nonholonomic mobile robots, such as rover-mounted manipulators and to holonomic mobile robots such as tracked robots or compound manipulators. The computational efficiency of the proposed control scheme makes it particularly suitable for real-time implementation.

Perception for mobile robot navigation: A survey of the state of the art

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kortenkamp, David

1994-01-01

In order for mobile robots to navigate safely in unmapped and dynamic environments they must perceive their environment and decide on actions based on those perceptions. There are many different sensing modalities that can be used for mobile robot perception; the two most popular are ultrasonic sonar sensors and vision sensors. This paper examines the state-of-the-art in sensory-based mobile robot navigation. The first issue in mobile robot navigation is safety. This paper summarizes several competing sonar-based obstacle avoidance techniques and compares them. Another issue in mobile robot navigation is determining the robot's position and orientation (sometimes called the robot's pose) in the environment. This paper examines several different classes of vision-based approaches to pose determination. One class of approaches uses detailed, a prior models of the robot's environment. Another class of approaches triangulates using fixed, artificial landmarks. A third class of approaches builds maps using natural landmarks. Example implementations from each of these three classes are described and compared. Finally, the paper presents a completely implemented mobile robot system that integrates sonar-based obstacle avoidance with vision-based pose determination to perform a simple task.

Solution to the SLAM problem in low dynamic environments using a pose graph and an RGB-D sensor.

PubMed

Lee, Donghwa; Myung, Hyun

2014-07-11

In this study, we propose a solution to the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem in low dynamic environments by using a pose graph and an RGB-D (red-green-blue depth) sensor. The low dynamic environments refer to situations in which the positions of objects change over long intervals. Therefore, in the low dynamic environments, robots have difficulty recognizing the repositioning of objects unlike in highly dynamic environments in which relatively fast-moving objects can be detected using a variety of moving object detection algorithms. The changes in the environments then cause groups of false loop closing when the same moved objects are observed for a while, which means that conventional SLAM algorithms produce incorrect results. To address this problem, we propose a novel SLAM method that handles low dynamic environments. The proposed method uses a pose graph structure and an RGB-D sensor. First, to prune the falsely grouped constraints efficiently, nodes of the graph, that represent robot poses, are grouped according to the grouping rules with noise covariances. Next, false constraints of the pose graph are pruned according to an error metric based on the grouped nodes. The pose graph structure is reoptimized after eliminating the false information, and the corrected localization and mapping results are obtained. The performance of the method was validated in real experiments using a mobile robot system.

Global Sensor Management: Military Asset Allocation

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-06

solution (referred to as moves). A similar approach has been suggested by Zweben et al. (1993), who use a local search base metaheuristic , specifically...trapped in a local optimum. Hansen and Mladenovic (1998) describe the concept of variable neighborhood local search algorithms , and describe an...Mataric and G.S. Sukhatme (2002). “An incremental deployment algorithm for mobile robot teams,” Proceedings of the 2002 IEEE/RSJ Intl. Conference on

Perspectives on mobile robots as tools for child development and pediatric rehabilitation.

PubMed

Michaud, François; Salter, Tamie; Duquette, Audrey; Laplante, Jean-François

2007-01-01

Mobile robots (i.e., robots capable of translational movements) can be designed to become interesting tools for child development studies and pediatric rehabilitation. In this article, the authors present two of their projects that involve mobile robots interacting with children: One is a spherical robot deployed in a variety of contexts, and the other is mobile robots used as pedagogical tools for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Locomotion capability appears to be key in creating meaningful and sustained interactions with children: Intentional and purposeful motion is an implicit appealing factor in obtaining children's attention and engaging them in interaction and learning. Both of these projects started with robotic objectives but are revealed to be rich sources of interdisciplinary collaborations in the field of assistive technology. This article presents perspectives on how mobile robots can be designed to address the requirements of child-robot interactions and studies. The authors also argue that mobile robot technology can be a useful tool in rehabilitation engineering, reaching its full potential through strong collaborations between roboticists and pediatric specialists.

Identifying the Potential for Robotics to Assist Older Adults in Different Living Environments

PubMed Central

Mitzner, Tracy L.; Chen, Tiffany L.; Kemp, Charles C.; Rogers, Wendy A.

2014-01-01

As the older adult population grows and becomes more diverse, so will their needs and preferences for living environments. Many adults over 65 years of age require some assistance [1, 2]; yet it is important for their feelings of well-being that the assistance not restrict their autonomy [3]. Not only is autonomy correlated with quality of life [4], autonomy enhancement may improve functionality [2, 5]. The goal of this paper is to provide guidance for the development of technology to enhance autonomy and quality of life for older adults. We explore the potential for robotics to meet these needs. We evaluated older adults' diverse living situations and the predictors of residential moves to higher levels of care in the United States. We also examined older adults' needs for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and medical conditions when living independently or in a long-term care residence. By providing support for older adults, mobile manipulator robots may reduce need-driven, undesired moves from residences with lower levels of care (i.e., private homes, assisted living) to those with higher levels of care (i.e., skilled nursing). PMID:24729800

Web Environment for Programming and Control of a Mobile Robot in a Remote Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

dos Santos Lopes, Maísa Soares; Gomes, Iago Pacheco; Trindade, Roque M. P.; da Silva, Alzira F.; de C. Lima, Antonio C.

2017-01-01

Remote robotics laboratories have been successfully used for engineering education. However, few of them use mobile robots to to teach computer science. This article describes a mobile robot Control and Programming Environment (CPE) and its pedagogical applications. The system comprises a remote laboratory for robotics, an online programming tool,…

Development and validation of a low-cost mobile robotics testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Michael; Hayes, Martin J.

2012-03-01

This paper considers the design, construction and validation of a low-cost experimental robotic testbed, which allows for the localisation and tracking of multiple robotic agents in real time. The testbed system is suitable for research and education in a range of different mobile robotic applications, for validating theoretical as well as practical research work in the field of digital control, mobile robotics, graphical programming and video tracking systems. It provides a reconfigurable floor space for mobile robotic agents to operate within, while tracking the position of multiple agents in real-time using the overhead vision system. The overall system provides a highly cost-effective solution to the topical problem of providing students with practical robotics experience within severe budget constraints. Several problems encountered in the design and development of the mobile robotic testbed and associated tracking system, such as radial lens distortion and the selection of robot identifier templates are clearly addressed. The testbed performance is quantified and several experiments involving LEGO Mindstorm NXT and Merlin System MiaBot robots are discussed.

Estimation of Visual Maps with a Robot Network Equipped with Vision Sensors

PubMed Central

Gil, Arturo; Reinoso, Óscar; Ballesta, Mónica; Juliá, Miguel; Payá, Luis

2010-01-01

In this paper we present an approach to the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problem using a team of autonomous vehicles equipped with vision sensors. The SLAM problem considers the case in which a mobile robot is equipped with a particular sensor, moves along the environment, obtains measurements with its sensors and uses them to construct a model of the space where it evolves. In this paper we focus on the case where several robots, each equipped with its own sensor, are distributed in a network and view the space from different vantage points. In particular, each robot is equipped with a stereo camera that allow the robots to extract visual landmarks and obtain relative measurements to them. We propose an algorithm that uses the measurements obtained by the robots to build a single accurate map of the environment. The map is represented by the three-dimensional position of the visual landmarks. In addition, we consider that each landmark is accompanied by a visual descriptor that encodes its visual appearance. The solution is based on a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter that estimates the paths of the robots and the position of the visual landmarks. The validity of our proposal is demonstrated by means of experiments with a team of real robots in a office-like indoor environment. PMID:22399930

Estimation of visual maps with a robot network equipped with vision sensors.

PubMed

Gil, Arturo; Reinoso, Óscar; Ballesta, Mónica; Juliá, Miguel; Payá, Luis

2010-01-01

In this paper we present an approach to the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problem using a team of autonomous vehicles equipped with vision sensors. The SLAM problem considers the case in which a mobile robot is equipped with a particular sensor, moves along the environment, obtains measurements with its sensors and uses them to construct a model of the space where it evolves. In this paper we focus on the case where several robots, each equipped with its own sensor, are distributed in a network and view the space from different vantage points. In particular, each robot is equipped with a stereo camera that allow the robots to extract visual landmarks and obtain relative measurements to them. We propose an algorithm that uses the measurements obtained by the robots to build a single accurate map of the environment. The map is represented by the three-dimensional position of the visual landmarks. In addition, we consider that each landmark is accompanied by a visual descriptor that encodes its visual appearance. The solution is based on a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter that estimates the paths of the robots and the position of the visual landmarks. The validity of our proposal is demonstrated by means of experiments with a team of real robots in a office-like indoor environment.

Development of mobile sensor for volcanic observation "HOMURA": Test campaigns for a long-term operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, K.; Iwahori, K.; Ito, K.; Sagi, H.

2016-12-01

Unmanned robots are useful to observe volcanic phenomena near active volcanic vents, to learn symptoms and transitions of eruptions, and to mitigate volcanic disasters. We have been trying to develop a practical UGV robot for flexible observation of active volcanic vents. We named this system "Homura". In this presentation, we report results of test campaigns of Homura for observation in a volcanic field. We have developed a prototype of Homura, which is a small robot vehicle with six wheels (75 x 43 x 31 cm and a weight of about 12 kg). It is remotely controlled with mobile phone radio waves; it can move in volcanic fields and send real time data of sensors (camera and gas sensors) equipped in the vehicle to the base station. Homura has a small solar panel (4 W). Power consumption of Homura is about 4 W in operation of sensors and less than 0.1 W in idle state, so that Homura can work outdoors for a long time by intermittent operation.We carried out two test campaigns of Homura at Iwo-yama to examine if Homura can work for a few month in natural volcanic fields (however, it had no solar panel in these campaigns). Iwo-yama is one of craters in the Kirishima volcanic field, SW Japan; the area within 1 km from the crater was an off-limit area from Oct., 2014 to May, 2015 and from Feb. to Mar., 2016 because of strong volcanic seismicity. On Feb. 19th, 2015 and Mar. 7th, 2016, we carried and put Homura at the rim of the crater. Unfortunately, mobile phone connectivity was not entirely stable around Iwo-yama. Then, we did not move Homura and only obtain real time data of the sensors. In the two campaigns, we operated Homura at our office for a few hours every day for 49 and 37 days, respectively. Although the weather was often bad (rain, fog, or cold temperature) during the campaigns, Homura perfectly worked. The results of these campaigns indicate that Homura is useful as s simple monitoring station in volcanic fields where mobile phone connection is available.

Development of mobile sensor for volcanic observation "HOMURA": Test campaign at Kirishima Iwo-yama, SW Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, K.; Ito, K.; Iwahori, K.; Anbe, Y.

2015-12-01

Monitoring volcanoes near active craters is important to know symptoms and transitions of volcanic eruptions. In order to observe volcanic phenomena near craters according to the circumstance, monitoring system with unmanned robots are useful. We have been trying to develop a practical UGV-type robot, and have completed a prototype, which we named "Homura". Homura is a small-sized, vehicle-type robot with six wheels (750 x 430 x 310 mm in dimensions and a weight of about 12 kg). Homura is remotely controlled with mobile phone radio waves; it can move in volcanic fields and send real time data of sensors equipped in the vehicle to the base station. We carried out a test campaign of Homura from Feb. 19th to Apr. 8th, 2015 at Iwo-yama to examine if Homura can work for a few month in natural volcanic fields. Iwo-yama is one of craters in the Kirishima volcanic field, SW Japan; the area within 1 km from the crater was an off-limit area from Oct. 24th, 2014 to May 5th, 2015 because volcanic seismicity there was active and eruption might occur. On Feb. 19th, we carried and put Homura at the rim of the crater. Unfortunately, mobile phone connectivity was not entirely stable around Iwo-yama. Then, we decided not to move Homura and only to obtain real time data of the sensors (a camera, CO2 gas sensor, and thermometer). After we returned to our office, we operated Homura for one to two hours every day until Apr. 8th. Although the weather was often bad (rain, fog, or cold temperature) during the test campaign, we could completely operate Homura without any trouble. On Apr. 8th, the battery in Homura ran down. After we collected Homura from Iwo-yama and recharged the battery, Homura perfectly worked again. The results of this campaign indicate that Homura stably operates for a long time in volcanic field. Homura is useful as simple monitoring station in volcanic fields where mobile phone connection is available.

Surgical evaluation of a novel tethered robotic capsule endoscope using micro-patterned treads.

PubMed

Sliker, Levin J; Kern, Madalyn D; Schoen, Jonathan A; Rentschler, Mark E

2012-10-01

The state-of-the-art technology for gastrointestinal (GI) tract exploration is a capsule endoscope (CE). Capsule endoscopes are pill-sized devices that provide visual feedback of the GI tract as they move passively through the patient. These passive devices could benefit from a mobility system enabling maneuverability and controllability. Potential benefits of a tethered robotic capsule endoscope (tRCE) include faster travel speeds, reaction force generation for biopsy, and decreased capsule retention. In this work, a tethered CE is developed with an active locomotion system for mobility within a collapsed lumen. Micro-patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treads are implemented onto a custom capsule housing as a mobility method. The tRCE housing contains a direct current (DC) motor and gear train to drive the treads, a video camera for visual feedback, and two light sources (infrared and visible) for illumination. The device was placed within the insufflated abdomen of a live anesthetized pig to evaluate mobility performance on a planar tissue surface, as well as within the cecum to evaluate mobility performance in a collapsed lumen. The tRCE was capable of forward and reverse mobility for both planar and collapsed lumen tissue environments. Also, using an onboard visual system, the tRCE was capable of demonstrating visual feedback within an insufflated, anesthetized porcine abdomen. Proof-of-concept in vivo tRCE mobility using micro-patterned PDMS treads was shown. This suggests that a similar method could be implemented in future smaller, faster, and untethered RCEs.

Fast-moving soft electronic fish.

PubMed

Li, Tiefeng; Li, Guorui; Liang, Yiming; Cheng, Tingyu; Dai, Jing; Yang, Xuxu; Liu, Bangyuan; Zeng, Zedong; Huang, Zhilong; Luo, Yingwu; Xie, Tao; Yang, Wei

2017-04-01

Soft robots driven by stimuli-responsive materials have unique advantages over conventional rigid robots, especially in their high adaptability for field exploration and seamless interaction with humans. The grand challenge lies in achieving self-powered soft robots with high mobility, environmental tolerance, and long endurance. We are able to advance a soft electronic fish with a fully integrated onboard system for power and remote control. Without any motor, the fish is driven solely by a soft electroactive structure made of dielectric elastomer and ionically conductive hydrogel. The electronic fish can swim at a speed of 6.4 cm/s (0.69 body length per second), which is much faster than previously reported untethered soft robotic fish driven by soft responsive materials. The fish shows consistent performance in a wide temperature range and permits stealth sailing due to its nearly transparent nature. Furthermore, the fish is robust, as it uses the surrounding water as the electric ground and can operate for 3 hours with one single charge. The design principle can be potentially extended to a variety of flexible devices and soft robots.

Fast-moving soft electronic fish

PubMed Central

Li, Tiefeng; Li, Guorui; Liang, Yiming; Cheng, Tingyu; Dai, Jing; Yang, Xuxu; Liu, Bangyuan; Zeng, Zedong; Huang, Zhilong; Luo, Yingwu; Xie, Tao; Yang, Wei

2017-01-01

Soft robots driven by stimuli-responsive materials have unique advantages over conventional rigid robots, especially in their high adaptability for field exploration and seamless interaction with humans. The grand challenge lies in achieving self-powered soft robots with high mobility, environmental tolerance, and long endurance. We are able to advance a soft electronic fish with a fully integrated onboard system for power and remote control. Without any motor, the fish is driven solely by a soft electroactive structure made of dielectric elastomer and ionically conductive hydrogel. The electronic fish can swim at a speed of 6.4 cm/s (0.69 body length per second), which is much faster than previously reported untethered soft robotic fish driven by soft responsive materials. The fish shows consistent performance in a wide temperature range and permits stealth sailing due to its nearly transparent nature. Furthermore, the fish is robust, as it uses the surrounding water as the electric ground and can operate for 3 hours with one single charge. The design principle can be potentially extended to a variety of flexible devices and soft robots. PMID:28435879

MBS grappled to the Canadarm2 SSRMS during STS-111 UF-2 installation OPS on the ISS truss structure

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-06-10

STS111-E-5139 (10 June 2002) --- Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon, the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS) is moved by the Canadarm2 for installation on the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer, and Carl E. Walz, Expedition Four flight engineer, attached the MBS to the Mobile Transporter on the S0 (S-zero) Truss at 8:03 a.m. (CDT) on June 10, 2002. The MBS is an important part of the station’s Mobile Servicing System, which will allow the station’s robotic arm to travel the length of the station to perform construction tasks.

MBS grappled to the Canadarm2 SSRMS during STS-111 UF-2 installation OPS on the ISS truss structure

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-06-10

STS111-E-5142 (10 June 2002) --- Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon, the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS) is moved by the Canadarm2 for installation on the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer, and Carl E. Walz, Expedition Four flight engineer, attached the MBS to the Mobile Transporter on the S0 (S-zero) Truss at 8:03 a.m. (CDT) on June 10, 2002. The MBS is an important part of the station’s Mobile Servicing System, which will allow the station’s robotic arm to travel the length of the station to perform construction tasks.

A Low Cost Mobile Robot Based on Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Control System and Odometer for Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haq, R.; Prayitno, H.; Dzulkiflih; Sucahyo, I.; Rahmawati, E.

2018-03-01

In this article, the development of a low cost mobile robot based on PID controller and odometer for education is presented. PID controller and odometer is applied for controlling mobile robot position. Two-dimensional position vector in cartesian coordinate system have been inserted to robot controller as an initial and final position. Mobile robot has been made based on differential drive and sensor magnetic rotary encoder which measured robot position from a number of wheel rotation. Odometry methode use data from actuator movements for predicting change of position over time. The mobile robot is examined to get final position with three different heading angle 30°, 45° and 60° by applying various value of KP, KD and KI constant.

Rule-Based vs. Behavior-Based Self-Deployment for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Urdiales, Cristina; Aguilera, Francisco; González-Parada, Eva; Cano-García, Jose; Sandoval, Francisco

2016-01-01

In mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN), nodes are allowed to move autonomously for deployment. This process is meant: (i) to achieve good coverage; and (ii) to distribute the communication load as homogeneously as possible. Rather than optimizing deployment, reactive algorithms are based on a set of rules or behaviors, so nodes can determine when to move. This paper presents an experimental evaluation of both reactive deployment approaches: rule-based and behavior-based ones. Specifically, we compare a backbone dispersion algorithm with a social potential fields algorithm. Most tests are done under simulation for a large number of nodes in environments with and without obstacles. Results are validated using a small robot network in the real world. Our results show that behavior-based deployment tends to provide better coverage and communication balance, especially for a large number of nodes in areas with obstacles. PMID:27399709

Fundamentals of soft robot locomotion

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Soft robotics and its related technologies enable robot abilities in several robotics domains including, but not exclusively related to, manipulation, manufacturing, human–robot interaction and locomotion. Although field applications have emerged for soft manipulation and human–robot interaction, mobile soft robots appear to remain in the research stage, involving the somehow conflictual goals of having a deformable body and exerting forces on the environment to achieve locomotion. This paper aims to provide a reference guide for researchers approaching mobile soft robotics, to describe the underlying principles of soft robot locomotion with its pros and cons, and to envisage applications and further developments for mobile soft robotics. PMID:28539483

Fundamentals of soft robot locomotion.

PubMed

Calisti, M; Picardi, G; Laschi, C

2017-05-01

Soft robotics and its related technologies enable robot abilities in several robotics domains including, but not exclusively related to, manipulation, manufacturing, human-robot interaction and locomotion. Although field applications have emerged for soft manipulation and human-robot interaction, mobile soft robots appear to remain in the research stage, involving the somehow conflictual goals of having a deformable body and exerting forces on the environment to achieve locomotion. This paper aims to provide a reference guide for researchers approaching mobile soft robotics, to describe the underlying principles of soft robot locomotion with its pros and cons, and to envisage applications and further developments for mobile soft robotics. © 2017 The Author(s).

Meeting the challenges of installing a mobile robotic system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decorte, Celeste

1994-01-01

The challenges of integrating a mobile robotic system into an application environment are many. Most problems inherent to installing the mobile robotic system fall into one of three categories: (1) the physical environment - location(s) where, and conditions under which, the mobile robotic system will work; (2) the technological environment - external equipment with which the mobile robotic system will interact; and (3) the human environment - personnel who will operate and interact with the mobile robotic system. The successful integration of a mobile robotic system into these three types of application environment requires more than a good pair of pliers. The tools for this job include: careful planning, accurate measurement data (as-built drawings), complete technical data of systems to be interfaced, sufficient time and attention of key personnel for training on how to operate and program the robot, on-site access during installation, and a thorough understanding and appreciation - by all concerned - of the mobile robotic system's role in the security mission at the site, as well as the machine's capabilities and limitations. Patience, luck, and a sense of humor are also useful tools to keep handy during a mobile robotic system installation. This paper will discuss some specific examples of problems in each of three categories, and explore approaches to solving these problems. The discussion will draw from the author's experience with on-site installations of mobile robotic systems in various applications. Most of the information discussed in this paper has come directly from knowledge learned during installations of Cybermotion's SR2 security robots. A large part of the discussion will apply to any vehicle with a drive system, collision avoidance, and navigation sensors, which is, of course, what makes a vehicle autonomous. And it is with these sensors and a drive system that the installer must become familiar in order to foresee potential trouble areas in the physical, technical, and human environment.

Analysis of the position of robotic cell components and its impact on energy consumption by robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banas, W.; Gwiazda, A.; Monica, Z.; Sekala, A.; Foit, K.

2016-08-01

Location elements in the robot cell is very important must provide reasonable access to technological points. This is a basic condition, but it is possible to shift these elements worth considering over other criteria. One of them can be energy consumption. This is an economic parameter and in most cases its improvement make shorten the working time an industrial robot. In most conventional mechanical systems you do not need to consume power in standby mode only for a move. Robot because of its construction, even if it does not move has enabled engines and is ready to move. In this case, the servo speed is zero. During this stop servo squeak. Low-speed motors cause the engine torque is reduced and increases power consumption. In larger robots are installed brakes that when the robot does not move mechanically hold the position. Off the robot has enabled brakes and remembers the position servo drives. Brakes must be released when the robot wants to move and drives hold the position.

Robot Evolutionary Localization Based on Attentive Visual Short-Term Memory

PubMed Central

Vega, Julio; Perdices, Eduardo; Cañas, José M.

2013-01-01

Cameras are one of the most relevant sensors in autonomous robots. However, two of their challenges are to extract useful information from captured images, and to manage the small field of view of regular cameras. This paper proposes implementing a dynamic visual memory to store the information gathered from a moving camera on board a robot, followed by an attention system to choose where to look with this mobile camera, and a visual localization algorithm that incorporates this visual memory. The visual memory is a collection of relevant task-oriented objects and 3D segments, and its scope is wider than the current camera field of view. The attention module takes into account the need to reobserve objects in the visual memory and the need to explore new areas. The visual memory is useful also in localization tasks, as it provides more information about robot surroundings than the current instantaneous image. This visual system is intended as underlying technology for service robot applications in real people's homes. Several experiments have been carried out, both with simulated and real Pioneer and Nao robots, to validate the system and each of its components in office scenarios. PMID:23337333

Towards autonomous locomotion: CPG-based control of smooth 3D slithering gait transition of a snake-like robot.

PubMed

Bing, Zhenshan; Cheng, Long; Chen, Guang; Röhrbein, Florian; Huang, Kai; Knoll, Alois

2017-04-04

Snake-like robots with 3D locomotion ability have significant advantages of adaptive travelling in diverse complex terrain over traditional legged or wheeled mobile robots. Despite numerous developed gaits, these snake-like robots suffer from unsmooth gait transitions by changing the locomotion speed, direction, and body shape, which would potentially cause undesired movement and abnormal torque. Hence, there exists a knowledge gap for snake-like robots to achieve autonomous locomotion. To address this problem, this paper presents the smooth slithering gait transition control based on a lightweight central pattern generator (CPG) model for snake-like robots. First, based on the convergence behavior of the gradient system, a lightweight CPG model with fast computing time was designed and compared with other widely adopted CPG models. Then, by reshaping the body into a more stable geometry, the slithering gait was modified, and studied based on the proposed CPG model, including the gait transition of locomotion speed, moving direction, and body shape. In contrast to sinusoid-based method, extensive simulations and prototype experiments finally demonstrated that smooth slithering gait transition can be effectively achieved using the proposed CPG-based control method without generating undesired locomotion and abnormal torque.

Embodied Computation: An Active-Learning Approach to Mobile Robotics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riek, L. D.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a newly designed upper-level undergraduate and graduate course, Autonomous Mobile Robots. The course employs active, cooperative, problem-based learning and is grounded in the fundamental computational problems in mobile robotics defined by Dudek and Jenkin. Students receive a broad survey of robotics through lectures, weekly…

Simulation of cooperating robot manipulators on a mobile platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Steve H.; Wen, John T.; Saridis, George N.

1990-01-01

The dynamic equations of motion for two manipulators holding a common object on a freely moving mobile platform are developed. The full dynamic interactions from arms to platform and arm-tip to arm-tip are included in the formulation. The development of the closed chain dynamics allows for the use of any solution for the open topological tree of base and manipulator links. In particular, because the system has 18 degrees of freedom, recursive solutions for the dynamic simulation become more promising for efficient calculations of the motion. Simulation of the system is accomplished through a MATLAB program, and the response is visualized graphically using the SILMA Cimstation.

Automated exterior inspection of an aircraft with a pan-tilt-zoom camera mounted on a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jovančević, Igor; Larnier, Stanislas; Orteu, Jean-José; Sentenac, Thierry

2015-11-01

This paper deals with an automated preflight aircraft inspection using a pan-tilt-zoom camera mounted on a mobile robot moving autonomously around the aircraft. The general topic is image processing framework for detection and exterior inspection of different types of items, such as closed or unlatched door, mechanical defect on the engine, the integrity of the empennage, or damage caused by impacts or cracks. The detection step allows to focus on the regions of interest and point the camera toward the item to be checked. It is based on the detection of regular shapes, such as rounded corner rectangles, circles, and ellipses. The inspection task relies on clues, such as uniformity of isolated image regions, convexity of segmented shapes, and periodicity of the image intensity signal. The approach is applied to the inspection of four items of Airbus A320: oxygen bay handle, air-inlet vent, static ports, and fan blades. The results are promising and demonstrate the feasibility of an automated exterior inspection.

[Mobile autonomous robots-Possibilities and limits].

PubMed

Maehle, E; Brockmann, W; Walthelm, A

2002-02-01

Besides industrial robots, which today are firmly established in production processes, service robots are becoming more and more important. They shall provide services for humans in different areas of their professional and everyday environment including medicine. Most of these service robots are mobile which requires an intelligent autonomous behaviour. After characterising the different kinds of robots the relevant paradigms of intelligent autonomous behaviour for mobile robots are critically discussed in this paper and illustrated by three concrete examples of robots realized in Lübeck. In addition a short survey of actual kinds of surgical robots as well as an outlook to future developments is given.

Unified Approach To Control Of Motions Of Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, Homayoun

1995-01-01

Improved computationally efficient scheme developed for on-line coordinated control of both manipulation and mobility of robots that include manipulator arms mounted on mobile bases. Present scheme similar to one described in "Coordinated Control of Mobile Robotic Manipulators" (NPO-19109). Both schemes based on configuration-control formalism. Present one incorporates explicit distinction between holonomic and nonholonomic constraints. Several other prior articles in NASA Tech Briefs discussed aspects of configuration-control formalism. These include "Increasing the Dexterity of Redundant Robots" (NPO-17801), "Redundant Robot Can Avoid Obstacles" (NPO-17852), "Configuration-Control Scheme Copes with Singularities" (NPO-18556), "More Uses for Configuration Control of Robots" (NPO-18607/NPO-18608).

Modular Track System For Positioning Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Jeff

1995-01-01

Conceptual system for positioning mobile robotic manipulators on large main structure includes modular tracks and ancillary structures assembled easily along with main structure. System, called "tracked robotic location system" (TROLS), originally intended for application to platforms in outer space, but TROLS concept might also prove useful on Earth; for example, to position robots in factories and warehouses. T-cross-section rail keeps mobile robot on track. Bar codes mark locations along track. Each robot equipped with bar-code-recognizing circuitry so it quickly finds way to assigned location.

Long-Term Simultaneous Localization and Mapping in Dynamic Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

core competencies required for autonomous mobile robotics is the ability to use sensors to perceive the environment. From this noisy sensor data, the...and mapping (SLAM), is a prerequisite for almost all higher-level autonomous behavior in mobile robotics. By associating the robot???s sensory...distributed stochastic neighbor embedding x ABSTRACT One of the core competencies required for autonomous mobile robotics is the ability to use sensors

Optimal control of 2-wheeled mobile robot at energy performance index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaliński, Krzysztof J.; Mazur, Michał

2016-03-01

The paper presents the application of the optimal control method at the energy performance index towards motion control of the 2-wheeled mobile robot. With the use of the proposed method of control the 2-wheeled mobile robot can realise effectively the desired trajectory. The problem of motion control of mobile robots is usually neglected and thus performance of the realisation of the high level control tasks is limited.

Two-dimensional laser servoing for precision motion control of an ODV robotic license plate recognition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Zhen; Moore, Kevin L.; Chen, YangQuan; Bahl, Vikas

2003-09-01

As an outgrowth of series of projects focused on mobility of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), an omni-directional (ODV), multi-robot, autonomous mobile parking security system has been developed. The system has two types of robots: the low-profile Omni-Directional Inspection System (ODIS), which can be used for under-vehicle inspections, and the mid-sized T4 robot, which serves as a ``marsupial mothership'' for the ODIS vehicles and performs coarse resolution inspection. A key task for the T4 robot is license plate recognition (LPR). For a successful LPR task without compromising the recognition rate, the robot must be able to identify the bumper locations of vehicles in the parking area and then precisely position the LPR camera relative to the bumper. This paper describes a 2D-laser scanner based approach to bumper identification and laser servoing for the T4 robot. The system uses a gimbal-mounted scanning laser. As the T4 robot travels down a row of parking stalls, data is collected from the laser every 100ms. For each parking stall in the range of the laser during the scan, the data is matched to a ``bumper box'' corresponding to where a car bumper is expected, resulting in a point cloud of data corresponding to a vehicle bumper for each stall. Next, recursive line-fitting algorithms are used to determine a line for the data in each stall's ``bumper box.'' The fitting technique uses Hough based transforms, which are robust against segmentation problems and fast enough for real-time line fitting. Once a bumper line is fitted with an acceptable confidence, the bumper location is passed to the T4 motion controller, which moves to position the LPR camera properly relative to the bumper. The paper includes examples and results that show the effectiveness of the technique, including its ability to work in real-time.

A Simple Interface for 3D Position Estimation of a Mobile Robot with Single Camera

PubMed Central

Chao, Chun-Tang; Chung, Ming-Hsuan; Chiou, Juing-Shian; Wang, Chi-Jo

2016-01-01

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of mobile robots controlled by a smart phone or tablet. This paper proposes a visual control interface for a mobile robot with a single camera to easily control the robot actions and estimate the 3D position of a target. In this proposal, the mobile robot employed an Arduino Yun as the core processor and was remote-controlled by a tablet with an Android operating system. In addition, the robot was fitted with a three-axis robotic arm for grasping. Both the real-time control signal and video transmission are transmitted via Wi-Fi. We show that with a properly calibrated camera and the proposed prototype procedures, the users can click on a desired position or object on the touchscreen and estimate its 3D coordinates in the real world by simple analytic geometry instead of a complicated algorithm. The results of the measurement verification demonstrates that this approach has great potential for mobile robots. PMID:27023556

Adding navigation, artificial audition and vital sign monitoring capabilities to a telepresence mobile robot for remote home care applications.

PubMed

Laniel, Sebastien; Letourneau, Dominic; Labbe, Mathieu; Grondin, Francois; Polgar, Janice; Michaud, Francois

2017-07-01

A telepresence mobile robot is a remote-controlled, wheeled device with wireless internet connectivity for bidirectional audio, video and data transmission. In health care, a telepresence robot could be used to have a clinician or a caregiver assist seniors in their homes without having to travel to these locations. Many mobile telepresence robotic platforms have recently been introduced on the market, bringing mobility to telecommunication and vital sign monitoring at reasonable costs. What is missing for making them effective remote telepresence systems for home care assistance are capabilities specifically needed to assist the remote operator in controlling the robot and perceiving the environment through the robot's sensors or, in other words, minimizing cognitive load and maximizing situation awareness. This paper describes our approach adding navigation, artificial audition and vital sign monitoring capabilities to a commercially available telepresence mobile robot. This requires the use of a robot control architecture to integrate the autonomous and teleoperation capabilities of the platform.

A Simple Interface for 3D Position Estimation of a Mobile Robot with Single Camera.

PubMed

Chao, Chun-Tang; Chung, Ming-Hsuan; Chiou, Juing-Shian; Wang, Chi-Jo

2016-03-25

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of mobile robots controlled by a smart phone or tablet. This paper proposes a visual control interface for a mobile robot with a single camera to easily control the robot actions and estimate the 3D position of a target. In this proposal, the mobile robot employed an Arduino Yun as the core processor and was remote-controlled by a tablet with an Android operating system. In addition, the robot was fitted with a three-axis robotic arm for grasping. Both the real-time control signal and video transmission are transmitted via Wi-Fi. We show that with a properly calibrated camera and the proposed prototype procedures, the users can click on a desired position or object on the touchscreen and estimate its 3D coordinates in the real world by simple analytic geometry instead of a complicated algorithm. The results of the measurement verification demonstrates that this approach has great potential for mobile robots.

Mobile robotics research at Sandia National Laboratories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morse, W.D.

Sandia is a National Security Laboratory providing scientific and engineering solutions to meet national needs for both government and industry. As part of this mission, the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center conducts research and development in robotics and intelligent machine technologies. An overview of Sandia`s mobile robotics research is provided. Recent achievements and future directions in the areas of coordinated mobile manipulation, small smart machines, world modeling, and special application robots are presented.

Efficient Symbolic Task Planning for Multiple Mobile Robots

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-13

Efficient Symbolic Task Planning for Multiple Mobile Robots Yuqian Jiang December 13, 2016 Abstract Symbolic task planning enables a robot to make...high-level deci- sions toward a complex goal by computing a sequence of actions with minimum expected costs. This thesis builds on a single- robot ...time complexity of optimal planning for multiple mobile robots . In this thesis we first investigate the performance of the state-of-the-art solvers of

Time response for sensor sensed to actuator response for mobile robotic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amir, N. S.; Shafie, A. A.

2017-11-01

Time and performance of a mobile robot are very important in completing the tasks given to achieve its ultimate goal. Tasks may need to be done within a time constraint to ensure smooth operation of a mobile robot and can result in better performance. The main purpose of this research was to improve the performance of a mobile robot so that it can complete the tasks given within time constraint. The problem that is needed to be solved is to minimize the time interval between sensor detection and actuator response. The research objective is to analyse the real time operating system performance of sensors and actuators on one microcontroller and on two microcontroller for a mobile robot. The task for a mobile robot for this research is line following with an obstacle avoidance. Three runs will be carried out for the task and the time between the sensors senses to the actuator responses were recorded. Overall, the results show that two microcontroller system have better response time compared to the one microcontroller system. For this research, the average difference of response time is very important to improve the internal performance between the occurrence of a task, sensors detection, decision making and actuator response of a mobile robot. This research helped to develop a mobile robot with a better performance and can complete task within the time constraint.

From Autonomous Robots to Artificial Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastrogiovanni, Fulvio; Sgorbissa, Antonio; Zaccaria, Renato

During the past few years, starting from the two mainstream fields of Ambient Intelligence [2] and Robotics [17], several authors recognized the benefits of the socalled Ubiquitous Robotics paradigm. According to this perspective, mobile robots are no longer autonomous, physically situated and embodied entities adapting themselves to a world taliored for humans: on the contrary, they are able to interact with devices distributed throughout the environment and get across heterogeneous information by means of communication technologies. Information exchange, coupled with simple actuation capabilities, is meant to replace physical interaction between robots and their environment. Two benefits are evident: (i) smart environments overcome inherent limitations of mobile platforms, whereas (ii) mobile robots offer a mobility dimension unknown to smart environments.

A Social Potential Fields Approach for Self-Deployment and Self-Healing in Hierarchical Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

González-Parada, Eva; Cano-García, Jose; Aguilera, Francisco; Sandoval, Francisco; Urdiales, Cristina

2017-01-01

Autonomous mobile nodes in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN) allow self-deployment and self-healing. In both cases, the goals are: (i) to achieve adequate coverage; and (ii) to extend network life. In dynamic environments, nodes may use reactive algorithms so that each node locally decides when and where to move. This paper presents a behavior-based deployment and self-healing algorithm based on the social potential fields algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, nodes are attached to low cost robots to autonomously navigate in the coverage area. The proposed algorithm has been tested in environments with and without obstacles. Our study also analyzes the differences between non-hierarchical and hierarchical routing configurations in terms of network life and coverage. PMID:28075364

A Social Potential Fields Approach for Self-Deployment and Self-Healing in Hierarchical Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

González-Parada, Eva; Cano-García, Jose; Aguilera, Francisco; Sandoval, Francisco; Urdiales, Cristina

2017-01-09

Autonomous mobile nodes in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN) allow self-deployment and self-healing. In both cases, the goals are: (i) to achieve adequate coverage; and (ii) to extend network life. In dynamic environments, nodes may use reactive algorithms so that each node locally decides when and where to move. This paper presents a behavior-based deployment and self-healing algorithm based on the social potential fields algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, nodes are attached to low cost robots to autonomously navigate in the coverage area. The proposed algorithm has been tested in environments with and without obstacles. Our study also analyzes the differences between non-hierarchical and hierarchical routing configurations in terms of network life and coverage.

Intuitive control of mobile robots: an architecture for autonomous adaptive dynamic behaviour integration.

PubMed

Melidis, Christos; Iizuka, Hiroyuki; Marocco, Davide

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present a novel approach to human-robot control. Taking inspiration from behaviour-based robotics and self-organisation principles, we present an interfacing mechanism, with the ability to adapt both towards the user and the robotic morphology. The aim is for a transparent mechanism connecting user and robot, allowing for a seamless integration of control signals and robot behaviours. Instead of the user adapting to the interface and control paradigm, the proposed architecture allows the user to shape the control motifs in their way of preference, moving away from the case where the user has to read and understand an operation manual, or it has to learn to operate a specific device. Starting from a tabula rasa basis, the architecture is able to identify control patterns (behaviours) for the given robotic morphology and successfully merge them with control signals from the user, regardless of the input device used. The structural components of the interface are presented and assessed both individually and as a whole. Inherent properties of the architecture are presented and explained. At the same time, emergent properties are presented and investigated. As a whole, this paradigm of control is found to highlight the potential for a change in the paradigm of robotic control, and a new level in the taxonomy of human in the loop systems.

Robust performance of multiple tasks by a mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckerman, Martin; Barnett, Deanna L.; Dickens, Mike; Weisbin, Charles R.

1989-01-01

While there have been many successful mobile robot experiments, only a few papers have addressed issues pertaining to the range of applicability, or robustness, of robotic systems. The purpose of this paper is to report results of a series of benchmark experiments done to determine and quantify the robustness of an integrated hardware and software system of a mobile robot.

Mamdani Fuzzy System for Indoor Autonomous Mobile Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. K. A. Ahamed; Rashid, Razif; Elamvazuthi, I.

2011-06-01

Several control algorithms for autonomous mobile robot navigation have been proposed in the literature. Recently, the employment of non-analytical methods of computing such as fuzzy logic, evolutionary computation, and neural networks has demonstrated the utility and potential of these paradigms for intelligent control of mobile robot navigation. In this paper, Mamdani fuzzy system for an autonomous mobile robot is developed. The paper begins with the discussion on the conventional controller and then followed by the description of fuzzy logic controller in detail.

Trajectory tracking control for a nonholonomic mobile robot under ROS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakhdar Besseghieur, Khadir; Trębiński, Radosław; Kaczmarek, Wojciech; Panasiuk, Jarosław

2018-05-01

In this paper, the implementation of the trajectory tracking control strategy on a ROS-based mobile robot is considered. Our test-bench is the nonholonomic mobile robot ‘TURTLEBOT’. ROS facilitates considerably setting-up a suitable environment to test the designed controller. Our aim is to develop a framework using ROS concepts so that a trajectory tracking controller can be implemented on any ROS-enabled mobile robot. Practical experiments with ‘TURTLEBOT’ are conducted to assess the framework reliability.

Investigating the Mobility of Light Autonomous Tracked Vehicles using a High Performance Computing Simulation Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Negrut, Dan; Mazhar, Hammad; Melanz, Daniel; Lamb, David; Jayakumar, Paramsothy; Letherwood, Michael; Jain, Abhinandan; Quadrelli, Marco

2012-01-01

This paper is concerned with the physics-based simulation of light tracked vehicles operating on rough deformable terrain. The focus is on small autonomous vehicles, which weigh less than 100 lb and move on deformable and rough terrain that is feature rich and no longer representable using a continuum approach. A scenario of interest is, for instance, the simulation of a reconnaissance mission for a high mobility lightweight robot where objects such as a boulder or a ditch that could otherwise be considered small for a truck or tank, become major obstacles that can impede the mobility of the light autonomous vehicle and negatively impact the success of its mission. Analyzing and gauging the mobility and performance of these light vehicles is accomplished through a modeling and simulation capability called Chrono::Engine. Chrono::Engine relies on parallel execution on Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) cards.

Dusty: an assistive mobile manipulator that retrieves dropped objects for people with motor impairments.

PubMed

King, Chih-Hung; Chen, Tiffany L; Fan, Zhengqin; Glass, Jonathan D; Kemp, Charles C

2012-03-01

People with physical disabilities have ranked object retrieval as a high-priority task for assistive robots. We have developed Dusty, a teleoperated mobile manipulator that fetches objects from the floor and delivers them to users at a comfortable height. In this paper, we first demonstrate the robot's high success rate (98.4%) when autonomously grasping 25 objects considered being important by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We tested the robot with each object in five different configurations on five types of flooring. We then present the results of an experiment in which 20 people with ALS operated Dusty. Participants teleoperated Dusty to move around an obstacle, pick up an object and deliver the object to themselves. They successfully completed this task in 59 out of 60 trials (3 trials each) with a mean completion time of 61.4 SD = 20.5 seconds), and reported high overall satisfaction using Dusty (7-point Likert scale; 6.8 SD = 0.6). Participants rated Dusty to be significantly easier to use than their own hands, asking family members, and using mechanical reachers (p < 0.03, paired t-tests). Fourteen of the 20 participants reported that they would prefer using Dusty over their current methods. [Box: see text].

Towards Assessing the Human Trajectory Planning Horizon

PubMed Central

Nitsch, Verena; Meinzer, Dominik; Wollherr, Dirk

2016-01-01

Mobile robots are envisioned to cooperate closely with humans and to integrate seamlessly into a shared environment. For locomotion, these environments resemble traversable areas which are shared between multiple agents like humans and robots. The seamless integration of mobile robots into these environments requires accurate predictions of human locomotion. This work considers optimal control and model predictive control approaches for accurate trajectory prediction and proposes to integrate aspects of human behavior to improve their performance. Recently developed models are not able to reproduce accurately trajectories that result from sudden avoidance maneuvers. Particularly, the human locomotion behavior when handling disturbances from other agents poses a problem. The goal of this work is to investigate whether humans alter their trajectory planning horizon, in order to resolve abruptly emerging collision situations. By modeling humans as model predictive controllers, the influence of the planning horizon is investigated in simulations. Based on these results, an experiment is designed to identify, whether humans initiate a change in their locomotion planning behavior while moving in a complex environment. The results support the hypothesis, that humans employ a shorter planning horizon to avoid collisions that are triggered by unexpected disturbances. Observations presented in this work are expected to further improve the generalizability and accuracy of prediction methods based on dynamic models. PMID:27936015

Dusty: an assistive mobile manipulator that retrieves dropped objects for people with motor impairments

PubMed Central

King, Chih-Hung; Chen, Tiffany L; Fan, Zhengqin; Glass, Jonathan D; Kemp, Charles C

2012-01-01

People with physical disabilities have ranked object retrieval as a high priority task for assistive robots. We have developed Dusty, a teleoperated mobile manipulator that fetches objects from the floor and delivers them to users at a comfortable height. In this paper, we first demonstrate the robot's high success rate (98.4%) when autonomously grasping 25 objects considered important by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We tested the robot with each object in five different configurations on five types of flooring. We then present the results of an experiment in which 20 people with ALS operated Dusty. Participants teleoperated Dusty to move around an obstacle, pick up an object, and deliver the object to themselves. They successfully completed this task in 59 out of 60 trials (3 trials each) with a mean completion time of 61.4 seconds (SD=20.5 seconds), and reported high overall satisfaction using Dusty (7-point Likert scale; 6.8 SD=0.6). Participants rated Dusty to be significantly easier to use than their own hands, asking family members, and using mechanical reachers (p < 0.03, paired t-tests). 14 of the 20 participants reported that they would prefer using Dusty over their current methods. PMID:22013888

Towards Assessing the Human Trajectory Planning Horizon.

PubMed

Carton, Daniel; Nitsch, Verena; Meinzer, Dominik; Wollherr, Dirk

2016-01-01

Mobile robots are envisioned to cooperate closely with humans and to integrate seamlessly into a shared environment. For locomotion, these environments resemble traversable areas which are shared between multiple agents like humans and robots. The seamless integration of mobile robots into these environments requires accurate predictions of human locomotion. This work considers optimal control and model predictive control approaches for accurate trajectory prediction and proposes to integrate aspects of human behavior to improve their performance. Recently developed models are not able to reproduce accurately trajectories that result from sudden avoidance maneuvers. Particularly, the human locomotion behavior when handling disturbances from other agents poses a problem. The goal of this work is to investigate whether humans alter their trajectory planning horizon, in order to resolve abruptly emerging collision situations. By modeling humans as model predictive controllers, the influence of the planning horizon is investigated in simulations. Based on these results, an experiment is designed to identify, whether humans initiate a change in their locomotion planning behavior while moving in a complex environment. The results support the hypothesis, that humans employ a shorter planning horizon to avoid collisions that are triggered by unexpected disturbances. Observations presented in this work are expected to further improve the generalizability and accuracy of prediction methods based on dynamic models.

US_EVA_48_part_1-of-5

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-20

Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted a spacewalk to move a Latching End Effector, or hand, for the Canadarm2 robotic arm into the Quest airlock that was removed during another excursion last October and to move a degraded end effector replaced during a Jan. 23 spacewalk onto a payload attachment device on the station’s Mobile Base System railcar. The spacewalk was the 208th in station history for assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the fourth in Vande Hei’s career and the first for Kanai, who became only the fourth Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

US_EVA_48_Part_2-of-5

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-20

Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted a spacewalk to move a Latching End Effector, or hand, for the Canadarm2 robotic arm into the Quest airlock that was removed during another excursion last October and to move a degraded end effector replaced during a Jan. 23 spacewalk onto a payload attachment device on the station’s Mobile Base System railcar. The spacewalk was the 208th in station history for assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the fourth in Vande Hei’s career and the first for Kanai, who became only the fourth Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

US_EVA_48_Part_5_of_5

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-21

Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted a spacewalk to move a Latching End Effector, or hand, for the Canadarm2 robotic arm into the Quest airlock that was removed during another excursion last October and to move a degraded end effector replaced during a Jan. 23 spacewalk onto a payload attachment device on the station’s Mobile Base System railcar. The spacewalk was the 208th in station history for assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the fourth in Vande Hei’s career and the first for Kanai, who became only the fourth Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

US_EVA_48_Part_4_of_5

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-21

Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted a spacewalk to move a Latching End Effector, or hand, for the Canadarm2 robotic arm into the Quest airlock that was removed during another excursion last October and to move a degraded end effector replaced during a Jan. 23 spacewalk onto a payload attachment device on the station’s Mobile Base System railcar. The spacewalk was the 208th in station history for assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the fourth in Vande Hei’s career and the first for Kanai, who became only the fourth Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

US_EVA_48_Part_3_of_5

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-21

Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted a spacewalk to move a Latching End Effector, or hand, for the Canadarm2 robotic arm into the Quest airlock that was removed during another excursion last October and to move a degraded end effector replaced during a Jan. 23 spacewalk onto a payload attachment device on the station’s Mobile Base System railcar. The spacewalk was the 208th in station history for assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the fourth in Vande Hei’s career and the first for Kanai, who became only the fourth Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

Coordination of multiple robot arms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barker, L. K.; Soloway, D.

1987-01-01

Kinematic resolved-rate control from one robot arm is extended to the coordinated control of multiple robot arms in the movement of an object. The structure supports the general movement of one axis system (moving reference frame) with respect to another axis system (control reference frame) by one or more robot arms. The grippers of the robot arms do not have to be parallel or at any pre-disposed positions on the object. For multiarm control, the operator chooses the same moving and control reference frames for each of the robot arms. Consequently, each arm then moves as though it were carrying out the commanded motions by itself.

Smart mobile robot system for rubbish collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Mohammed A. H.; Sien Siang, Tan

2018-03-01

This paper records the research and procedures of developing a smart mobility robot with detection system to collect rubbish. The objective of this paper is to design a mobile robot that can detect and recognize medium-size rubbish such as drinking cans. Besides that, the objective is also to design a mobile robot with the ability to estimate the position of rubbish from the robot. In addition, the mobile robot is also able to approach the rubbish based on position of rubbish. This paper explained about the types of image processing, detection and recognition methods and image filters. This project implements RGB subtraction method as the prior system. Other than that, algorithm for distance measurement based on image plane is implemented in this project. This project is limited to use computer webcam as the sensor. Secondly, the robot is only able to approach the nearest rubbish in the same views of camera vision and any rubbish that contain RGB colour components on its body.

Reactive navigation for autonomous guided vehicle using neuro-fuzzy techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Jin; Liao, Xiaoqun; Hall, Ernest L.

1999-08-01

A Neuro-fuzzy control method for navigation of an Autonomous Guided Vehicle robot is described. Robot navigation is defined as the guiding of a mobile robot to a desired destination or along a desired path in an environment characterized by as terrain and a set of distinct objects, such as obstacles and landmarks. The autonomous navigate ability and road following precision are mainly influenced by its control strategy and real-time control performance. Neural network and fuzzy logic control techniques can improve real-time control performance for mobile robot due to its high robustness and error-tolerance ability. For a mobile robot to navigate automatically and rapidly, an important factor is to identify and classify mobile robots' currently perceptual environment. In this paper, a new approach of the current perceptual environment feature identification and classification, which are based on the analysis of the classifying neural network and the Neuro- fuzzy algorithm, is presented. The significance of this work lies in the development of a new method for mobile robot navigation.

Decentralized control scheme for myriapod robot inspired by adaptive and resilient centipede locomotion.

PubMed

Yasui, Kotaro; Sakai, Kazuhiko; Kano, Takeshi; Owaki, Dai; Ishiguro, Akio

2017-01-01

Recently, myriapods have attracted the attention of engineers because mobile robots that mimic them potentially have the capability of producing highly stable, adaptive, and resilient behaviors. The major challenge here is to develop a control scheme that can coordinate their numerous legs in real time, and an autonomous decentralized control could be the key to solve this problem. Therefore, we focus on real centipedes and aim to design a decentralized control scheme for myriapod robots by drawing inspiration from behavioral experiments on centipede locomotion under unusual conditions. In the behavioral experiments, we observed the response to the removal of a part of the terrain and to amputation of several legs. Further, we determined that the ground reaction force is significant for generating rhythmic leg movements; the motion of each leg is likely affected by a sensory input from its neighboring legs. Thus, we constructed a two-dimensional model wherein a simple local reflexive mechanism was implemented in each leg. We performed simulations by using this model and demonstrated that the myriapod robot could move adaptively to changes in the environment and body properties. Our findings will shed new light on designing adaptive and resilient myriapod robots that can function under various circumstances.

Conduction Electrohydrodynamics with Mobile Electrodes: A Novel Actuation System for Untethered Robots.

PubMed

Cacucciolo, Vito; Shigemune, Hiroki; Cianchetti, Matteo; Laschi, Cecilia; Maeda, Shingo

2017-09-01

Electrohydrodynamics (EHD) refers to the direct conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy of a fluid. Through the use of mobile electrodes, this principle is exploited in a novel fashion for designing and testing a millimeter-scale untethered robot, which is powered harvesting the energy from an external electric field. The robot is designed as an inverted sail-boat, with the thrust generated on the sail submerged in the liquid. The diffusion constant of the robot is experimentally computed, proving that its movement is not driven by thermal fluctuations, and then its kinematic and dynamic responses are characterized for different applied voltages. The results show the feasibility of using EHD with mobile electrodes for powering untethered robots and provide new evidences for the further development of this actuation system for both mobile robots and compliant actuators in soft robotics.

Advanced wireless mobile collaborative sensing network for tactical and strategic missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Hao

2017-05-01

In this paper, an advanced wireless mobile collaborative sensing network will be developed. Through properly combining wireless sensor network, emerging mobile robots and multi-antenna sensing/communication techniques, we could demonstrate superiority of developed sensing network. To be concrete, heterogeneous mobile robots including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) are equipped with multi-model sensors and wireless transceiver antennas. Through real-time collaborative formation control, multiple mobile robots can team the best formation that can provide most accurate sensing results. Also, formatting multiple mobile robots can also construct a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system that can provide a reliable and high performance communication network.

Guarded Motion for Mobile Robots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2005-03-30

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has created codes that ensure that a robot will come to a stop at a precise, specified distance from any obstacle regardless of the robot's initial speed, its physical characteristics, and the responsiveness of the low-level motor control schema. This Guarded Motion for Mobile Robots system iteratively adjusts the robot's action in response to information about the robot's environment.

Development of quadruped walking locomotion gait generator using a hybrid method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasni, F.; Shafie, A. A.

2013-12-01

The earth, in many areas is hardly reachable by the wheeled or tracked locomotion system. Thus, walking locomotion system is becoming a favourite option for mobile robot these days. This is because of the ability of walking locomotion to move on the rugged and unlevel terrains. However, to develop a walking locomotion gait for a robot is not a simple task. Central Pattern Generator (CPGs) method is a biological inspired method that is introduced as a method to develop the gait for the walking robot recently to tackle the issue faced by the conventional method of pre-designed trajectory based method. However, research shows that even the CPG method do have some limitations. Thus, in this paper, a hybrid method that combines CPG and the pre-designed trajectory based method is introduced to develop a walking gait for quadruped walking robot. The 3-D foot trajectories and the joint angle trajectories developed using the proposed method are compared with the data obtained via the conventional method of pre-designed trajectory to confirm the performance.

Engineering Sensorial Delay to Control Phototaxis and Emergent Collective Behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mijalkov, Mite; McDaniel, Austin; Wehr, Jan; Volpe, Giovanni

2016-01-01

Collective motions emerging from the interaction of autonomous mobile individuals play a key role in many phenomena, from the growth of bacterial colonies to the coordination of robotic swarms. For these collective behaviors to take hold, the individuals must be able to emit, sense, and react to signals. When dealing with simple organisms and robots, these signals are necessarily very elementary; e.g., a cell might signal its presence by releasing chemicals and a robot by shining light. An additional challenge arises because the motion of the individuals is often noisy; e.g., the orientation of cells can be altered by Brownian motion and that of robots by an uneven terrain. Therefore, the emphasis is on achieving complex and tunable behaviors from simple autonomous agents communicating with each other in robust ways. Here, we show that the delay between sensing and reacting to a signal can determine the individual and collective long-term behavior of autonomous agents whose motion is intrinsically noisy. We experimentally demonstrate that the collective behavior of a group of phototactic robots capable of emitting a radially decaying light field can be tuned from segregation to aggregation and clustering by controlling the delay with which they change their propulsion speed in response to the light intensity they measure. We track this transition to the underlying dynamics of this system, in particular, to the ratio between the robots' sensorial delay time and the characteristic time of the robots' random reorientation. Supported by numerics, we discuss how the same mechanism can be applied to control active agents, e.g., airborne drones, moving in a three-dimensional space. Given the simplicity of this mechanism, the engineering of sensorial delay provides a potentially powerful tool to engineer and dynamically tune the behavior of large ensembles of autonomous mobile agents; furthermore, this mechanism might already be at work within living organisms such as chemotactic cells.

Soft Pushing Operation with Dual Compliance Controllers Based on Estimated Torque and Visual Force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muis, Abdul; Ohnishi, Kouhei

Sensor fusion extends robot ability to perform more complex tasks. An interesting application in such an issue is pushing operation, in which through multi-sensor, the robot moves an object by pushing it. Generally, a pushing operation consists of “approaching, touching, and pushing"(1). However, most researches in this field are dealing with how the pushed object follows the predefined trajectory. In which, the implication as the robot body or the tool-tip hits an object is neglected. Obviously on collision, the robot momentum may crash sensor, robot's surface or even the object. For that reason, this paper proposes a soft pushing operation with dual compliance controllers. Mainly, a compliance control is a control system with trajectory compensation so that the external force may be followed. In this paper, the first compliance controller is driven by estimated external force based on reaction torque observer(2), which compensates contact sensation. The other one compensates non-contact sensation. Obviously, a contact sensation, acquired from force sensor either reaction torque observer of an object, is measurable once the robot touched the object. Therefore, a non-contact sensation is introduced before touching an object, which is realized with visual sensor in this paper. Here, instead of using visual information as command reference, the visual information such as depth, is treated as virtual force for the second compliance controller. Thus, having contact and non-contact sensation, the robot will be compliant with wider sensation. This paper considers a heavy mobile manipulator and a heavy object, which have significant momentum on touching stage. A chopstick is attached on the object side to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Here, both compliance controllers adjust the mobile manipulator command reference to provide soft pushing operation. Finally, the experimental result shows the validity of the proposed method.

Object classification for obstacle avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regensburger, Uwe; Graefe, Volker

1991-03-01

Object recognition is necessary for any mobile robot operating autonomously in the real world. This paper discusses an object classifier based on a 2-D object model. Obstacle candidates are tracked and analyzed false alarms generated by the object detector are recognized and rejected. The methods have been implemented on a multi-processor system and tested in real-world experiments. They work reliably under favorable conditions but sometimes problems occur e. g. when objects contain many features (edges) or move in front of structured background.

Automated Cartography by an Autonomous Mobile Robot Using Ultrasonic Range Finders

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

loco.c Temporal Type: Sequential Function (xd, yd, td, 0) dirctix vehicle fou TP S~obstacle IP EP Figure A.24 - The para function Move to a... tp (type POINT), and type (type int). In the case of an fline func- tion, the path element returned is a cubic spiral or an sline depending on the...geu~nst-> tp )) I --no_o...paths; currentsroboLpath.pc = get inst->c; currentLrobot...path.type = getLinst->class; readjinsto; )*end if * if (skipjflag

JOMAR: Joint Operations with Mobile Autonomous Robots

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-21

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2015-0009 JOMAR: Joint Operations with Mobile Autonomous Robots Edwin Olson UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Final Report 12/21/2015...SUBTITLE JOMAR: Joint Operations with Mobile Autonomous Robots 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA23861114024 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...14. ABSTRACT Under this grant, we formulated and implemented a variety of novel algorithms that address core problems in multi- robot systems. These

ANYmal - A Highly Mobile and Dynamic Quadrupedal Robot

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-09

ANYmal - A Highly Mobile and Dynamic Quadrupedal Robot * Marco Hutter1, Christian Gehring2, Dominic Jud1, Andreas Lauber1, C. Dario Bellicoso1...Abstract— This paper introduces ANYmal, a quadrupedal robot that features outstanding mobility and dynamic motion capability. Thanks to novel...compliant joint modules with integrated electronics, the 30 kg, 0.5 m tall robotic dog is torque controllable and very robust against impulsive loads during

Modelling of Dynamics of a Wheeled Mobile Robot with Mecanum Wheels with the use of Lagrange Equations of the Second Kind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendzel, Z.; Rykała, Ł.

2017-02-01

The work presents the dynamic equations of motion of a wheeled mobile robot with mecanum wheels derived with the use of Lagrange equations of the second kind. Mecanum wheels are a new type of wheels used in wheeled mobile robots and they consist of freely rotating rollers attached to the circumference of the wheels. In order to derive dynamic equations of motion of a wheeled mobile robot, the kinetic energy of the system is determined, as well as the generalised forces affecting the system. The resulting mathematical model of a wheeled mobile robot was generated with the use of Maple V software. The results of a solution of inverse and forward problems of dynamics of the discussed object are also published.

On-Line Method and Apparatus for Coordinated Mobility and Manipulation of Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, Homayoun (Inventor)

1996-01-01

A simple and computationally efficient approach is disclosed for on-line coordinated control of mobile robots consisting of a manipulator arm mounted on a mobile base. The effect of base mobility on the end-effector manipulability index is discussed. The base mobility and arm manipulation degrees-of-freedom are treated equally as the joints of a kinematically redundant composite robot. The redundancy introduced by the mobile base is exploited to satisfy a set of user-defined additional tasks during the end-effector motion. A simple on-line control scheme is proposed which allows the user to assign weighting factors to individual degrees-of-mobility and degrees-of-manipulation, as well as to each task specification. The computational efficiency of the control algorithm makes it particularly suitable for real-time implementations. Four case studies are discussed in detail to demonstrate the application of the coordinated control scheme to various mobile robots.

Conduction Electrohydrodynamics with Mobile Electrodes: A Novel Actuation System for Untethered Robots

PubMed Central

Shigemune, Hiroki; Cianchetti, Matteo; Laschi, Cecilia

2017-01-01

Electrohydrodynamics (EHD) refers to the direct conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy of a fluid. Through the use of mobile electrodes, this principle is exploited in a novel fashion for designing and testing a millimeter‐scale untethered robot, which is powered harvesting the energy from an external electric field. The robot is designed as an inverted sail‐boat, with the thrust generated on the sail submerged in the liquid. The diffusion constant of the robot is experimentally computed, proving that its movement is not driven by thermal fluctuations, and then its kinematic and dynamic responses are characterized for different applied voltages. The results show the feasibility of using EHD with mobile electrodes for powering untethered robots and provide new evidences for the further development of this actuation system for both mobile robots and compliant actuators in soft robotics. PMID:28932659

Spacecraft 3D Augmented Reality Mobile App

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hussey, Kevin J.; Doronila, Paul R.; Kumanchik, Brian E.; Chan, Evan G.; Ellison, Douglas J.; Boeck, Andrea; Moore, Justin M.

2013-01-01

The Spacecraft 3D application allows users to learn about and interact with iconic NASA missions in a new and immersive way using common mobile devices. Using Augmented Reality (AR) techniques to project 3D renditions of the mission spacecraft into real-world surroundings, users can interact with and learn about Curiosity, GRAIL, Cassini, and Voyager. Additional updates on future missions, animations, and information will be ongoing. Using a printed AR Target and camera on a mobile device, users can get up close with these robotic explorers, see how some move, and learn about these engineering feats, which are used to expand knowledge and understanding about space. The software receives input from the mobile device's camera to recognize the presence of an AR marker in the camera's field of view. It then displays a 3D rendition of the selected spacecraft in the user's physical surroundings, on the mobile device's screen, while it tracks the device's movement in relation to the physical position of the spacecraft's 3D image on the AR marker.

Development and Control of Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Mobile Robot for Acquisition of Road Environmental Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, Naoya; Katsura, Seiichiro

Acquisition of information about the environment around a mobile robot is important for purposes such as controlling the robot from a remote location and in situations such as that when the robot is running autonomously. In many researches, audiovisual information is used. However, acquisition of information about force sensation, which is included in environmental information, has not been well researched. The mobile-hapto, which is a remote control system with force information, has been proposed, but the robot used for the system can acquire only the horizontal component of forces. For this reason, in this research, a three-wheeled mobile robot that consists of seven actuators was developed and its control system was constructed. It can get information on horizontal and vertical forces without using force sensors. By using this robot, detailed information on the forces in the environment can be acquired and the operability of the robot and its capability to adjust to the environment are expected to improve.

Target Trailing With Safe Navigation for Maritime Autonomous Surface Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Michael; Kuwata, Yoshiaki; Zarzhitsky, Dimitri V.

2013-01-01

This software implements a motion-planning module for a maritime autonomous surface vehicle (ASV). The module trails a given target while also avoiding static and dynamic surface hazards. When surface hazards are other moving boats, the motion planner must apply International Regulations for Avoiding Collisions at Sea (COLREGS). A key subset of these rules has been implemented in the software. In case contact with the target is lost, the software can receive and follow a "reacquisition route," provided by a complementary system, until the target is reacquired. The programmatic intention is that the trailed target is a submarine, although any mobile naval platform could serve as the target. The algorithmic approach to combining motion with a (possibly moving) goal location, while avoiding local hazards, may be applicable to robotic rovers, automated landing systems, and autonomous airships. The software operates in JPL s CARACaS (Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing) software architecture and relies on other modules for environmental perception data and information on the predicted detectability of the target, as well as the low-level interface to the boat controls.

Cooperative system and method using mobile robots for testing a cooperative search controller

DOEpatents

Byrne, Raymond H.; Harrington, John J.; Eskridge, Steven E.; Hurtado, John E.

2002-01-01

A test system for testing a controller provides a way to use large numbers of miniature mobile robots to test a cooperative search controller in a test area, where each mobile robot has a sensor, a communication device, a processor, and a memory. A method of using a test system provides a way for testing a cooperative search controller using multiple robots sharing information and communicating over a communication network.

US Army TARDEC Ground Vehicle Mobility: Dynamics Modeling, Simluation, and Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-24

DRIVEN. WARFIGHTER FOCUSED. For official use only Stair Climbing of a Small Robot Robotic Vehicle Step Climbing UNCLASSIFIED For official use only...NOTES NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, mobility, and robotics section. Briefing to the jet propulsion lab. 14. ABSTRACT N/A 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16...JLTV GCV M2 M915 ASV FTTS HMMWV Platforms Supported APDSmall Robot UNCLASSIFIED For official use only Mobility Events • Vehicle stability • Ride

Extensible Hardware Architecture for Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Eric; Kobayashi, Linda; Lee, Susan Y.

2005-01-01

The Intelligent Robotics Group at NASA Ames Research Center has developed a new mobile robot hardware architecture designed for extensibility and reconfigurability. Currently implemented on the k9 rover. and won to be integrated onto the K10 series of human-robot collaboration research robots, this architecture allows for rapid changes in instrumentation configuration and provides a high degree of modularity through a synergistic mix of off-the-shelf and custom designed components, allowing eased transplantation into a wide vane6 of mobile robot platforms. A component level overview of this architecture is presented along with a description of the changes required for implementation on K10 , followed by plans for future work.

A mobile robots experimental environment with event-based wireless communication.

PubMed

Guinaldo, María; Fábregas, Ernesto; Farias, Gonzalo; Dormido-Canto, Sebastián; Chaos, Dictino; Sánchez, José; Dormido, Sebastián

2013-07-22

An experimental platform to communicate between a set of mobile robots through a wireless network has been developed. The mobile robots get their position through a camera which performs as sensor. The video images are processed in a PC and a Waspmote card sends the corresponding position to each robot using the ZigBee standard. A distributed control algorithm based on event-triggered communications has been designed and implemented to bring the robots into the desired formation. Each robot communicates to its neighbors only at event times. Furthermore, a simulation tool has been developed to design and perform experiments with the system. An example of usage is presented.

Finite-time tracking control for multiple non-holonomic mobile robots based on visual servoing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ou, Meiying; Li, Shihua; Wang, Chaoli

2013-12-01

This paper investigates finite-time tracking control problem of multiple non-holonomic mobile robots via visual servoing. It is assumed that the pinhole camera is fixed to the ceiling, and camera parameters are unknown. The desired reference trajectory is represented by a virtual leader whose states are available to only a subset of the followers, and the followers have only interaction. First, the camera-objective visual kinematic model is introduced by utilising the pinhole camera model for each mobile robot. Second, a unified tracking error system between camera-objective visual servoing model and desired reference trajectory is introduced. Third, based on the neighbour rule and by using finite-time control method, continuous distributed cooperative finite-time tracking control laws are designed for each mobile robot with unknown camera parameters, where the communication topology among the multiple mobile robots is assumed to be a directed graph. Rigorous proof shows that the group of mobile robots converges to the desired reference trajectory in finite time. Simulation example illustrates the effectiveness of our method.

Bioinspired microrobots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palagi, Stefano; Fischer, Peer

2018-06-01

Microorganisms can move in complex media, respond to the environment and self-organize. The field of microrobotics strives to achieve these functions in mobile robotic systems of sub-millimetre size. However, miniaturization of traditional robots and their control systems to the microscale is not a viable approach. A promising alternative strategy in developing microrobots is to implement sensing, actuation and control directly in the materials, thereby mimicking biological matter. In this Review, we discuss design principles and materials for the implementation of robotic functionalities in microrobots. We examine different biological locomotion strategies, and we discuss how they can be artificially recreated in magnetic microrobots and how soft materials improve control and performance. We show that smart, stimuli-responsive materials can act as on-board sensors and actuators and that `active matter' enables autonomous motion, navigation and collective behaviours. Finally, we provide a critical outlook for the field of microrobotics and highlight the challenges that need to be overcome to realize sophisticated microrobots, which one day might rival biological machines.

A mobile robot system for ground servicing operations on the space shuttle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dowling, K.; Bennett, R.; Blackwell, M.; Graham, T.; Gatrall, S.; O'Toole, R.; Schempf, H.

1992-11-01

A mobile system for space shuttle servicing, the Tessellator, has been configured, designed and is currently being built and integrated. Robot tasks include chemical injection and inspection of the shuttle's thermal protection system. This paper outlines tasks, rationale, and facility requirements for the development of this system. A detailed look at the mobile system and manipulator follow with a look at mechanics, electronics, and software. Salient features of the mobile robot include omnidirectionality, high reach, high stiffness and accuracy with safety and self-reliance integral to all aspects of the design. The robot system is shown to meet task, facility, and NASA requirements in its design resulting in unprecedented specifications for a mobile-manipulation system.

A mobile robot system for ground servicing operations on the space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dowling, K.; Bennett, R.; Blackwell, M.; Graham, T.; Gatrall, S.; O'Toole, R.; Schempf, H.

1992-01-01

A mobile system for space shuttle servicing, the Tessellator, has been configured, designed and is currently being built and integrated. Robot tasks include chemical injection and inspection of the shuttle's thermal protection system. This paper outlines tasks, rationale, and facility requirements for the development of this system. A detailed look at the mobile system and manipulator follow with a look at mechanics, electronics, and software. Salient features of the mobile robot include omnidirectionality, high reach, high stiffness and accuracy with safety and self-reliance integral to all aspects of the design. The robot system is shown to meet task, facility, and NASA requirements in its design resulting in unprecedented specifications for a mobile-manipulation system.

Object Detection Applied to Indoor Environments for Mobile Robot Navigation.

PubMed

Hernández, Alejandra Carolina; Gómez, Clara; Crespo, Jonathan; Barber, Ramón

2016-07-28

To move around the environment, human beings depend on sight more than their other senses, because it provides information about the size, shape, color and position of an object. The increasing interest in building autonomous mobile systems makes the detection and recognition of objects in indoor environments a very important and challenging task. In this work, a vision system to detect objects considering usual human environments, able to work on a real mobile robot, is developed. In the proposed system, the classification method used is Support Vector Machine (SVM) and as input to this system, RGB and depth images are used. Different segmentation techniques have been applied to each kind of object. Similarly, two alternatives to extract features of the objects are explored, based on geometric shape descriptors and bag of words. The experimental results have demonstrated the usefulness of the system for the detection and location of the objects in indoor environments. Furthermore, through the comparison of two proposed methods for extracting features, it has been determined which alternative offers better performance. The final results have been obtained taking into account the proposed problem and that the environment has not been changed, that is to say, the environment has not been altered to perform the tests.

Object Detection Applied to Indoor Environments for Mobile Robot Navigation

PubMed Central

Hernández, Alejandra Carolina; Gómez, Clara; Crespo, Jonathan; Barber, Ramón

2016-01-01

To move around the environment, human beings depend on sight more than their other senses, because it provides information about the size, shape, color and position of an object. The increasing interest in building autonomous mobile systems makes the detection and recognition of objects in indoor environments a very important and challenging task. In this work, a vision system to detect objects considering usual human environments, able to work on a real mobile robot, is developed. In the proposed system, the classification method used is Support Vector Machine (SVM) and as input to this system, RGB and depth images are used. Different segmentation techniques have been applied to each kind of object. Similarly, two alternatives to extract features of the objects are explored, based on geometric shape descriptors and bag of words. The experimental results have demonstrated the usefulness of the system for the detection and location of the objects in indoor environments. Furthermore, through the comparison of two proposed methods for extracting features, it has been determined which alternative offers better performance. The final results have been obtained taking into account the proposed problem and that the environment has not been changed, that is to say, the environment has not been altered to perform the tests. PMID:27483264

Industrial-Like Vehicle Platforms for Postgraduate Laboratory Courses on Robotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, P. J.; Fernandez, C.; Sanchez, P.

2013-01-01

The interdisciplinary nature of robotics allows mobile robots to be used successfully in a broad range of courses at the postgraduate level and in Ph.D. research. Practical industrial-like mobile robotic demonstrations encourage students and increase their motivation by providing them with learning benefits not achieved with traditional…

Brain Computer Interfaces for Enhanced Interaction with Mobile Robot Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-27

synergistic and complementary way. This project focused on acquiring a mobile robotic agent platform that can be used to explore these interfaces...providing a test environment where the human control of a robot agent can be experimentally validated in 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND...Distribution Unlimited UU UU UU UU 27-07-2016 17-Sep-2013 16-Sep-2014 Final Report: Brain Computer Interfaces for Enhanced Interactions with Mobile Robot

The design of mobile robot control system for the aged and the disabled

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiang, Wang; Lei, Shi; Xiang, Gao; Jin, Zhang

2017-01-01

This paper designs a control system of mobile robot for the aged and the disabled, which consists of two main parts: human-computer interaction and drive control module. The data of the two parts is transferred via universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter. In the former part, the speed and direction information of the mobile robot is obtained by hall joystick. In the latter part, the electronic differential algorithm is developed to implement the robot mobile function by driving two-wheel motors. In order to improve the comfort of the robot when speed or direction is changed, the least squares algorithm is used to optimize the speed characteristic curves of the two motors. Experimental results have verified the effectiveness of the designed system.

Collaboration of Miniature Multi-Modal Mobile Smart Robots over a Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-14

theoretical research on mathematics of failures in sensor-network-based miniature multimodal mobile robots and electromechanical systems. The views...theoretical research on mathematics of failures in sensor-network-based miniature multimodal mobile robots and electromechanical systems. The...independently evolving research directions based on physics-based models of mechanical, electromechanical and electronic devices, operational constraints

SyRoTek--Distance Teaching of Mobile Robotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulich, M.; Chudoba, J.; Kosnar, K.; Krajnik, T.; Faigl, J.; Preucil, L.

2013-01-01

E-learning is a modern and effective approach for training in various areas and at different levels of education. This paper gives an overview of SyRoTek, an e-learning platform for mobile robotics, artificial intelligence, control engineering, and related domains. SyRoTek provides remote access to a set of fully autonomous mobile robots placed in…

System design of a hand-held mobile robot for craniotomy.

PubMed

Kane, Gavin; Eggers, Georg; Boesecke, Robert; Raczkowsky, Jörg; Wörn, Heinz; Marmulla, Rüdiger; Mühling, Joachim

2009-01-01

This contribution reports the development and initial testing of a Mobile Robot System for Surgical Craniotomy, the Craniostar. A kinematic system based on a unicycle robot is analysed to provide local positioning through two spiked wheels gripping directly onto a patients skull. A control system based on a shared control system between both the Surgeon and Robot is employed in a hand-held design that is tested initially on plastic phantom and swine skulls. Results indicate that the system has substantially lower risk than present robotically assisted craniotomies, and despite being a hand-held mobile robot, the Craniostar is still capable of sub-millimetre accuracy in tracking along a trajectory and thus achieving an accurate transfer of pre-surgical plan to the operating room procedure, without the large impact of current medical robots based on modified industrial robots.

A Mobile Robots Experimental Environment with Event-Based Wireless Communication

PubMed Central

Guinaldo, María; Fábregas, Ernesto; Farias, Gonzalo; Dormido-Canto, Sebastián; Chaos, Dictino; Sánchez, José; Dormido, Sebastián

2013-01-01

An experimental platform to communicate between a set of mobile robots through a wireless network has been developed. The mobile robots get their position through a camera which performs as sensor. The video images are processed in a PC and a Waspmote card sends the corresponding position to each robot using the ZigBee standard. A distributed control algorithm based on event-triggered communications has been designed and implemented to bring the robots into the desired formation. Each robot communicates to its neighbors only at event times. Furthermore, a simulation tool has been developed to design and perform experiments with the system. An example of usage is presented. PMID:23881139

Advanced Robotics for Air Force Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

evaluated current and potential uses of advanced robotics to support Air Force systems, (2) recommended the most effective aplications of advanced robotics...manpower. Such a robot system would The boom would not only transfer fuel, be considerably more mobile and effi- 10 ADVANCED ROBOTICS FOR AIR FORCE...increased manpower resources in war tive clothing reduce vision, hearing, and make this an attractive potential appli- mobility , which further reduce

Local Free-Space Mapping and Path Guidance for Mobile Robots.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

CM a CD U 00 Technical Document 1227 March 1988 Local Free- Space Mapping o and Path Guidance for Mobile Robots o William T. Gex N’% Nancy L. Campbell...TITLE (inludvSeocutCl&sas~o*) Local Free- Space Mapping and Path Guidance for Mobile Robots 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) William T. Gex and Nancy L...Description of Robot System... 2 Free- Space Mapping ... 4 Map Construction ... 4 . ,12pping Examplk... 5 ’ft Sensor Unreliability... 8 % Path Guidance

Nonholonomic camera-space manipulation using cameras mounted on a mobile base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwine, Bill; Seelinger, Michael J.; Skaar, Steven B.; Ma, Qun

1998-10-01

The body of work called `Camera Space Manipulation' is an effective and proven method of robotic control. Essentially, this technique identifies and refines the input-output relationship of the plant using estimation methods and drives the plant open-loop to its target state. 3D `success' of the desired motion, i.e., the end effector of the manipulator engages a target at a particular location with a particular orientation, is guaranteed when there is camera space success in two cameras which are adequately separated. Very accurate, sub-pixel positioning of a robotic end effector is possible using this method. To date, however, most efforts in this area have primarily considered holonomic systems. This work addresses the problem of nonholonomic camera space manipulation by considering the problem of a nonholonomic robot with two cameras and a holonomic manipulator on board the nonholonomic platform. While perhaps not as common in robotics, such a combination of holonomic and nonholonomic degrees of freedom are ubiquitous in industry: fork lifts and earth moving equipment are common examples of a nonholonomic system with an on-board holonomic actuator. The nonholonomic nature of the system makes the automation problem more difficult due to a variety of reasons; in particular, the target location is not fixed in the image planes, as it is for holonomic systems (since the cameras are attached to a moving platform), and there is a fundamental `path dependent' nature of nonholonomic kinematics. This work focuses on the sensor space or camera-space-based control laws necessary for effectively implementing an autonomous system of this type.

Vision-Based Real-Time Traversable Region Detection for Mobile Robot in the Outdoors.

PubMed

Deng, Fucheng; Zhu, Xiaorui; He, Chao

2017-09-13

Environment perception is essential for autonomous mobile robots in human-robot coexisting outdoor environments. One of the important tasks for such intelligent robots is to autonomously detect the traversable region in an unstructured 3D real world. The main drawback of most existing methods is that of high computational complexity. Hence, this paper proposes a binocular vision-based, real-time solution for detecting traversable region in the outdoors. In the proposed method, an appearance model based on multivariate Gaussian is quickly constructed from a sample region in the left image adaptively determined by the vanishing point and dominant borders. Then, a fast, self-supervised segmentation scheme is proposed to classify the traversable and non-traversable regions. The proposed method is evaluated on public datasets as well as a real mobile robot. Implementation on the mobile robot has shown its ability in the real-time navigation applications.

Teleautonomous guidance for mobile robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borenstein, J.; Koren, Y.

1990-01-01

Teleautonomous guidance (TG), a technique for the remote guidance of fast mobile robots, has been developed and implemented. With TG, the mobile robot follows the general direction prescribed by an operator. However, if the robot encounters an obstacle, it autonomously avoids collision with that obstacle while trying to match the prescribed direction as closely as possible. This type of shared control is completely transparent and transfers control between teleoperation and autonomous obstacle avoidance gradually. TG allows the operator to steer vehicles and robots at high speeds and in cluttered environments, even without visual contact. TG is based on the virtual force field (VFF) method, which was developed earlier for autonomous obstacle avoidance. The VFF method is especially suited to the accommodation of inaccurate sensor data (such as that produced by ultrasonic sensors) and sensor fusion, and allows the mobile robot to travel quickly without stopping for obstacles.

Modelling cooperation of industrial robots as multi-agent systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hryniewicz, P.; Banas, W.; Foit, K.; Gwiazda, A.; Sekala, A.

2017-08-01

Nowadays, more and more often in a cell is more than one robot, there is also a dual arm robots, because of this cooperation of two robots in the same space becomes more and more important. Programming robotic cell consisting of two or more robots are currently performed separately for each element of the robot and the cell. It is performed only synchronization programs, but no robot movements. In such situations often placed industrial robots so they do not have common space so the robots are operated separately. When industrial robots are a common space this space can occupy only one robot the other one must be outside the common space. It is very difficult to find applications where two robots are in the same workspace. It was tested but one robot did not do of movement when moving the second and waited for permission to move from the second when it sent a permit - stop the move. Such programs are very difficult and require a lot of experience from the programmer and must be tested separately at the beginning and then very slowly under control. Ideally, the operator takes care of exactly one robot during the test and it is very important to take special care.

Autonomous Mobile Platform for Research in Cooperative Robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daemi, Ali; Pena, Edward; Ferguson, Paul

1998-01-01

This paper describes the design and development of a platform for research in cooperative mobile robotics. The structure and mechanics of the vehicles are based on R/C cars. The vehicle is rendered mobile by a DC motor and servo motor. The perception of the robot's environment is achieved using IR sensors and a central vision system. A laptop computer processes images from a CCD camera located above the testing area to determine the position of objects in sight. This information is sent to each robot via RF modem. Each robot is operated by a Motorola 68HC11E micro-controller, and all actions of the robots are realized through the connections of IR sensors, modem, and motors. The intelligent behavior of each robot is based on a hierarchical fuzzy-rule based approach.

Self-Adaptive Correction of Heading Direction in Stair Climbing for Tracked Mobile Robots Using Visual Servoing Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Peng; Song, Aiguo; Song, Zimo; Liu, Yuqing; Jiang, Guohua; Zhao, Guopu

2017-02-01

In this paper, we describe a heading direction correction algorithm for a tracked mobile robot. To save hardware resources as far as possible, the mobile robot’s wrist camera is used as the only sensor, which is rotated to face stairs. An ensemble heading deviation detector is proposed to help the mobile robot correct its heading direction. To improve the generalization ability, a multi-scale Gabor filter is used to process the input image previously. Final deviation result is acquired by applying the majority vote strategy on all the classifiers’ results. The experimental results show that our detector is able to enable the mobile robot to correct its heading direction adaptively while it is climbing the stairs.

A Mobile, Map-Based Tasking Interface for Human-Robot Interaction

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

A MOBILE, MAP-BASED TASKING INTERFACE FOR HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION By Eli R. Hooten Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of...SUBTITLE A Mobile, Map-Based Tasking Interface for Human-Robot Interaction 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...3 II.1 Interactive Modalities and Multi-Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 II.2

Gas Source Localization via Behaviour Based Mobile Robot and Weighted Arithmetic Mean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeon, Ahmad Shakaff Ali; Kamarudin, Kamarulzaman; Visvanathan, Retnam; Mamduh Syed Zakaria, Syed Muhammad; Zakaria, Ammar; Munirah Kamarudin, Latifah

2018-03-01

This work is concerned with the localization of gas source in dynamic indoor environment using a single mobile robot system. Algorithms such as Braitenberg, Zig-Zag and the combination of the two were implemented on the mobile robot as gas plume searching and tracing behaviours. To calculate the gas source location, a weighted arithmetic mean strategy was used. All experiments were done on an experimental testbed consisting of a large gas sensor array (LGSA) to monitor real-time gas concentration within the testbed. Ethanol gas was released within the testbed and the source location was marked using a pattern that can be tracked by a pattern tracking system. A pattern template was also mounted on the mobile robot to track the trajectory of the mobile robot. Measurements taken by the mobile robot and the LGSA were then compared to verify the experiments. A combined total of 36.5 hours of real time experimental runs were done and the typical results from such experiments were presented in this paper. From the results, we obtained gas source localization errors between 0.4m to 1.2m from the real source location.

RoCoMAR: robots' controllable mobility aided routing and relay architecture for mobile sensor networks.

PubMed

Le, Duc Van; Oh, Hoon; Yoon, Seokhoon

2013-07-05

In a practical deployment, mobile sensor network (MSN) suffers from a low performance due to high node mobility, time-varying wireless channel properties, and obstacles between communicating nodes. In order to tackle the problem of low network performance and provide a desired end-to-end data transfer quality, in this paper we propose a novel ad hoc routing and relaying architecture, namely RoCoMAR (Robots' Controllable Mobility Aided Routing) that uses robotic nodes' controllable mobility. RoCoMAR repeatedly performs link reinforcement process with the objective of maximizing the network throughput, in which the link with the lowest quality on the path is identified and replaced with high quality links by placing a robotic node as a relay at an optimal position. The robotic node resigns as a relay if the objective is achieved or no more gain can be obtained with a new relay. Once placed as a relay, the robotic node performs adaptive link maintenance by adjusting its position according to the movements of regular nodes. The simulation results show that RoCoMAR outperforms existing ad hoc routing protocols for MSN in terms of network throughput and end-to-end delay.

Evaluation of a Home Biomonitoring Autonomous Mobile Robot.

PubMed

Dorronzoro Zubiete, Enrique; Nakahata, Keigo; Imamoglu, Nevrez; Sekine, Masashi; Sun, Guanghao; Gomez, Isabel; Yu, Wenwei

2016-01-01

Increasing population age demands more services in healthcare domain. It has been shown that mobile robots could be a potential solution to home biomonitoring for the elderly. Through our previous studies, a mobile robot system that is able to track a subject and identify his daily living activities has been developed. However, the system has not been tested in any home living scenarios. In this study we did a series of experiments to investigate the accuracy of activity recognition of the mobile robot in a home living scenario. The daily activities tested in the evaluation experiment include watching TV and sleeping. A dataset recorded by a distributed distance-measuring sensor network was used as a reference to the activity recognition results. It was shown that the accuracy is not consistent for all the activities; that is, mobile robot could achieve a high success rate in some activities but a poor success rate in others. It was found that the observation position of the mobile robot and subject surroundings have high impact on the accuracy of the activity recognition, due to the variability of the home living daily activities and their transitional process. The possibility of improvement of recognition accuracy has been shown too.

RoCoMAR: Robots' Controllable Mobility Aided Routing and Relay Architecture for Mobile Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Van Le, Duc; Oh, Hoon; Yoon, Seokhoon

2013-01-01

In a practical deployment, mobile sensor network (MSN) suffers from a low performance due to high node mobility, time-varying wireless channel properties, and obstacles between communicating nodes. In order to tackle the problem of low network performance and provide a desired end-to-end data transfer quality, in this paper we propose a novel ad hoc routing and relaying architecture, namely RoCoMAR (Robots' Controllable Mobility Aided Routing) that uses robotic nodes' controllable mobility. RoCoMAR repeatedly performs link reinforcement process with the objective of maximizing the network throughput, in which the link with the lowest quality on the path is identified and replaced with high quality links by placing a robotic node as a relay at an optimal position. The robotic node resigns as a relay if the objective is achieved or no more gain can be obtained with a new relay. Once placed as a relay, the robotic node performs adaptive link maintenance by adjusting its position according to the movements of regular nodes. The simulation results show that RoCoMAR outperforms existing ad hoc routing protocols for MSN in terms of network throughput and end-to-end delay. PMID:23881134

Mobile in vivo camera robots provide sole visual feedback for abdominal exploration and cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Rentschler, M E; Dumpert, J; Platt, S R; Ahmed, S I; Farritor, S M; Oleynikov, D

2006-01-01

The use of small incisions in laparoscopy reduces patient trauma, but also limits the surgeon's ability to view and touch the surgical environment directly. These limitations generally restrict the application of laparoscopy to procedures less complex than those performed during open surgery. Although current robot-assisted laparoscopy improves the surgeon's ability to manipulate and visualize the target organs, the instruments and cameras remain fundamentally constrained by the entry incisions. This limits tool tip orientation and optimal camera placement. The current work focuses on developing a new miniature mobile in vivo adjustable-focus camera robot to provide sole visual feedback to surgeons during laparoscopic surgery. A miniature mobile camera robot was inserted through a trocar into the insufflated abdominal cavity of an anesthetized pig. The mobile robot allowed the surgeon to explore the abdominal cavity remotely and view trocar and tool insertion and placement without entry incision constraints. The surgeon then performed a cholecystectomy using the robot camera alone for visual feedback. This successful trial has demonstrated that miniature in vivo mobile robots can provide surgeons with sufficient visual feedback to perform common procedures while reducing patient trauma.

Constrained motion model of mobile robots and its applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Fei; Xi, Yugeng; Lin, Zongli; Chen, Weidong

2009-06-01

Target detecting and dynamic coverage are fundamental tasks in mobile robotics and represent two important features of mobile robots: mobility and perceptivity. This paper establishes the constrained motion model and sensor model of a mobile robot to represent these two features and defines the k -step reachable region to describe the states that the robot may reach. We show that the calculation of the k-step reachable region can be reduced from that of 2(k) reachable regions with the fixed motion styles to k + 1 such regions and provide an algorithm for its calculation. Based on the constrained motion model and the k -step reachable region, the problems associated with target detecting and dynamic coverage are formulated and solved. For target detecting, the k-step detectable region is used to describe the area that the robot may detect, and an algorithm for detecting a target and planning the optimal path is proposed. For dynamic coverage, the k-step detected region is used to represent the area that the robot has detected during its motion, and the dynamic-coverage strategy and algorithm are proposed. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the coverage algorithm in both convex and concave environments.

Intelligent robot control using an adaptive critic with a task control center and dynamic database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, E. L.; Ghaffari, M.; Liao, X.; Alhaj Ali, S. M.

2006-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design, development and simulation of a real time controller for an intelligent, vision guided robot. The use of a creative controller that can select its own tasks is demonstrated. This creative controller uses a task control center and dynamic database. The dynamic database stores both global environmental information and local information including the kinematic and dynamic models of the intelligent robot. The kinematic model is very useful for position control and simulations. However, models of the dynamics of the manipulators are needed for tracking control of the robot's motions. Such models are also necessary for sizing the actuators, tuning the controller, and achieving superior performance. Simulations of various control designs are shown. Also, much of the model has also been used for the actual prototype Bearcat Cub mobile robot. This vision guided robot was designed for the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Contest. A novel feature of the proposed approach is that the method is applicable to both robot arm manipulators and robot bases such as wheeled mobile robots. This generality should encourage the development of more mobile robots with manipulator capability since both models can be easily stored in the dynamic database. The multi task controller also permits wide applications. The use of manipulators and mobile bases with a high-level control are potentially useful for space exploration, certain rescue robots, defense robots, and medical robotics aids.

Analyzing Cyber-Physical Threats on Robotic Platforms.

PubMed

Ahmad Yousef, Khalil M; AlMajali, Anas; Ghalyon, Salah Abu; Dweik, Waleed; Mohd, Bassam J

2018-05-21

Robots are increasingly involved in our daily lives. Fundamental to robots are the communication link (or stream) and the applications that connect the robots to their clients or users. Such communication link and applications are usually supported through client/server network connection. This networking system is amenable of being attacked and vulnerable to the security threats. Ensuring security and privacy for robotic platforms is thus critical, as failures and attacks could have devastating consequences. In this paper, we examine several cyber-physical security threats that are unique to the robotic platforms; specifically the communication link and the applications. Threats target integrity, availability and confidential security requirements of the robotic platforms, which use MobileEyes/arnlServer client/server applications. A robot attack tool (RAT) was developed to perform specific security attacks. An impact-oriented approach was adopted to analyze the assessment results of the attacks. Tests and experiments of attacks were conducted in simulation environment and physically on the robot. The simulation environment was based on MobileSim; a software tool for simulating, debugging and experimenting on MobileRobots/ActivMedia platforms and their environments. The robot platform PeopleBot TM was used for physical experiments. The analysis and testing results show that certain attacks were successful at breaching the robot security. Integrity attacks modified commands and manipulated the robot behavior. Availability attacks were able to cause Denial-of-Service (DoS) and the robot was not responsive to MobileEyes commands. Integrity and availability attacks caused sensitive information on the robot to be hijacked. To mitigate security threats, we provide possible mitigation techniques and suggestions to raise awareness of threats on the robotic platforms, especially when the robots are involved in critical missions or applications.

Analyzing Cyber-Physical Threats on Robotic Platforms †

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Robots are increasingly involved in our daily lives. Fundamental to robots are the communication link (or stream) and the applications that connect the robots to their clients or users. Such communication link and applications are usually supported through client/server network connection. This networking system is amenable of being attacked and vulnerable to the security threats. Ensuring security and privacy for robotic platforms is thus critical, as failures and attacks could have devastating consequences. In this paper, we examine several cyber-physical security threats that are unique to the robotic platforms; specifically the communication link and the applications. Threats target integrity, availability and confidential security requirements of the robotic platforms, which use MobileEyes/arnlServer client/server applications. A robot attack tool (RAT) was developed to perform specific security attacks. An impact-oriented approach was adopted to analyze the assessment results of the attacks. Tests and experiments of attacks were conducted in simulation environment and physically on the robot. The simulation environment was based on MobileSim; a software tool for simulating, debugging and experimenting on MobileRobots/ActivMedia platforms and their environments. The robot platform PeopleBotTM was used for physical experiments. The analysis and testing results show that certain attacks were successful at breaching the robot security. Integrity attacks modified commands and manipulated the robot behavior. Availability attacks were able to cause Denial-of-Service (DoS) and the robot was not responsive to MobileEyes commands. Integrity and availability attacks caused sensitive information on the robot to be hijacked. To mitigate security threats, we provide possible mitigation techniques and suggestions to raise awareness of threats on the robotic platforms, especially when the robots are involved in critical missions or applications. PMID:29883403

A Null Space Control of Two Wheels Driven Mobile Manipulator Using Passivity Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Tsuyoshi; Murakami, Toshiyuki

This paper describes a control strategy of null space motion of a two wheels driven mobile manipulator. Recently, robot is utilized in various industrial fields and it is preferable for the robot manipulator to have multiple degrees of freedom motion. Several studies of kinematics for null space motion have been proposed. However stability analysis of null space motion is not enough. Furthermore, these approaches apply to stable systems, but they do not apply unstable systems. Then, in this research, base of manipulator equips with two wheels driven mobile robot. This robot is called two wheels driven mobile manipulator, which becomes unstable system. In the proposed approach, a control design of null space uses passivity based stabilizing. A proposed controller is decided so that closed-loop system of robot dynamics satisfies passivity. This is passivity based control. Then, control strategy is that stabilizing of the robot system applies to work space observer based approach and null space control while keeping end-effector position. The validity of the proposed approach is verified by simulations and experiments of two wheels driven mobile manipulator.

A hardware/software environment to support R D in intelligent machines and mobile robotic systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mann, R.C.

1990-01-01

The Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR) serves as a focal point at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for basic and applied research in intelligent machines. R D at CESAR addresses issues related to autonomous systems, unstructured (i.e. incompletely known) operational environments, and multiple performing agents. Two mobile robot prototypes (HERMIES-IIB and HERMIES-III) are being used to test new developments in several robot component technologies. This paper briefly introduces the computing environment at CESAR which includes three hypercube concurrent computers (two on-board the mobile robots), a graphics workstation, VAX, and multiple VME-based systems (several on-board the mobile robots).more » The current software environment at CESAR is intended to satisfy several goals, e.g.: code portability, re-usability in different experimental scenarios, modularity, concurrent computer hardware transparent to applications programmer, future support for multiple mobile robots, support human-machine interface modules, and support for integration of software from other, geographically disparate laboratories with different hardware set-ups. 6 refs., 1 fig.« less

Portable control device for networked mobile robots

DOEpatents

Feddema, John T.; Byrne, Raymond H.; Bryan, Jon R.; Harrington, John J.; Gladwell, T. Scott

2002-01-01

A handheld control device provides a way for controlling one or multiple mobile robotic vehicles by incorporating a handheld computer with a radio board. The device and software use a personal data organizer as the handheld computer with an additional microprocessor and communication device on a radio board for use in controlling one robot or multiple networked robots.

Innovative Mobile Robot Method: Improving the Learning of Programming Languages in Engineering Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Octavio Ortiz; Pastor Franco, Juan Ángel; Alcover Garau, Pedro María; Herrero Martín, Ruth

2017-01-01

This paper describes a study of teaching a programming language in a C programming course by having students assemble and program a low-cost mobile robot. Writing their own programs to define the robot's behavior raised students' motivation. Working in small groups, students programmed the robots by using the control structures of structured…

Laser-Camera Vision Sensing for Spacecraft Mobile Robot Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maluf, David A.; Khalil, Ahmad S.; Dorais, Gregory A.; Gawdiak, Yuri

2002-01-01

The advent of spacecraft mobile robots-free-flyng sensor platforms and communications devices intended to accompany astronauts or remotely operate on space missions both inside and outside of a spacecraft-has demanded the development of a simple and effective navigation schema. One such system under exploration involves the use of a laser-camera arrangement to predict relative positioning of the mobile robot. By projecting laser beams from the robot, a 3D reference frame can be introduced. Thus, as the robot shifts in position, the position reference frame produced by the laser images is correspondingly altered. Using normalization and camera registration techniques presented in this paper, the relative translation and rotation of the robot in 3D are determined from these reference frame transformations.

Towards Principled Experimental Study of Autonomous Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gat, Erann

1995-01-01

We review the current state of research in autonomous mobile robots and conclude that there is an inadequate basis for predicting the reliability and behavior of robots operating in unengineered environments. We present a new approach to the study of autonomous mobile robot performance based on formal statistical analysis of independently reproducible experiments conducted on real robots. Simulators serve as models rather than experimental surrogates. We demonstrate three new results: 1) Two commonly used performance metrics (time and distance) are not as well correlated as is often tacitly assumed. 2) The probability distributions of these performance metrics are exponential rather than normal, and 3) a modular, object-oriented simulation accurately predicts the behavior of the real robot in a statistically significant manner.

Hierarchical Modelling Of Mobile, Seeing Robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luh, Cheng-Jye; Zeigler, Bernard P.

1990-03-01

This paper describes the implementation of a hierarchical robot simulation which supports the design of robots with vision and mobility. A seeing robot applies a classification expert system for visual identification of laboratory objects. The visual data acquisition algorithm used by the robot vision system has been developed to exploit multiple viewing distances and perspectives. Several different simulations have been run testing the visual logic in a laboratory environment. Much work remains to integrate the vision system with the rest of the robot system.

Hierarchical modelling of mobile, seeing robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luh, Cheng-Jye; Zeigler, Bernard P.

1990-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of a hierarchical robot simulation which supports the design of robots with vision and mobility. A seeing robot applies a classification expert system for visual identification of laboratory objects. The visual data acquisition algorithm used by the robot vision system has been developed to exploit multiple viewing distances and perspectives. Several different simulations have been run testing the visual logic in a laboratory environment. Much work remains to integrate the vision system with the rest of the robot system.

Lidar-based door and stair detection from a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansal, Mayank; Southall, Ben; Matei, Bogdan; Eledath, Jayan; Sawhney, Harpreet

2010-04-01

We present an on-the-move LIDAR-based object detection system for autonomous and semi-autonomous unmanned vehicle systems. In this paper we make several contributions: (i) we describe an algorithm for real-time detection of objects such as doors and stairs in indoor environments; (ii) we describe efficient data structures and algorithms for processing 3D point clouds acquired by laser scanners in a streaming manner, which minimize the memory copying and access. We show qualitative results demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach on runs in an indoor office environment.

Dynamics of a Two-Link Vehicle in an L-Shaped Corridor Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonyuk, E. Ya.; Zabuga, A. T.

2014-03-01

The kinematics of a two-link mobile robot with three steerable wheels moving in an L-shaped corridor is analyzed. A smooth (with continuous first derivative) path is designed maintaining the optimal maneuverability of the vehicle. The motion of the vehicle along this path is planned. Analytical expressions for the reactions at the contact of the wheels with the ground are given in the general case of motion. The radius of curvature of the programmed path is shown to have a strong influence on the reactions.

Exhaustive geographic search with mobile robots along space-filling curves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spires, S.V.; Goldsmith, S.Y.

1998-03-01

Swarms of mobile robots can be tasked with searching a geographic region for targets of interest, such as buried land mines. The authors assume that the individual robots are equipped with sensors tuned to the targets of interest, that these sensors have limited range, and that the robots can communicate with one another to enable cooperation. How can a swarm of cooperating sensate robots efficiently search a given geographic region for targets in the absence of a priori information about the target`s locations? Many of the obvious approaches are inefficient or lack robustness. One efficient approach is to have themore » robots traverse a space-filling curve. For many geographic search applications, this method is energy-frugal, highly robust, and provides guaranteed coverage in a finite time that decreases as the reciprocal of the number of robots sharing the search task. Furthermore, it minimizes the amount of robot-to-robot communication needed for the robots to organize their movements. This report presents some preliminary results from applying the Hilbert space-filling curve to geographic search by mobile robots.« less

Position Estimation of an Epicardial Crawling Robot on the Beating Heart by Modeling of Physiological Motion

PubMed Central

Wood, Nathan A.; del Agua, Diego Moral; Zenati, Marco A.; Riviere, Cameron N.

2012-01-01

HeartLander, a small mobile robot designed to provide treatments to the surface of the beating heart, overcomes a major difficulty of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, providing a stable operating platform. This is achieved inherently in the way the robot adheres to and crawls over the surface of the heart. This mode of operation does not require physiological motion compensation to provide this stable environment; however, modeling of physiological motion is advantageous in providing more accurate position estimation as well as synchronization of motion to the physiological cycles. The work presented uses an Extended Kalman Filter framework to estimate parameters of non-stationary Fourier series models of the motion of the heart due to the respiratory and cardiac cycles as well as the position of the robot as it moves over the surface of the heart. The proposed method is demonstrated in the laboratory with HeartLander operating on a physiological motion simulator. Improved performance is demonstrated in comparison to the filtering methods previously used with HeartLander. The use of detected physiological cycle phases to synchronize locomotion of HeartLander is also described. PMID:23066511

Position Estimation of an Epicardial Crawling Robot on the Beating Heart by Modeling of Physiological Motion.

PubMed

Wood, Nathan A; Del Agua, Diego Moral; Zenati, Marco A; Riviere, Cameron N

2011-12-05

HeartLander, a small mobile robot designed to provide treatments to the surface of the beating heart, overcomes a major difficulty of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, providing a stable operating platform. This is achieved inherently in the way the robot adheres to and crawls over the surface of the heart. This mode of operation does not require physiological motion compensation to provide this stable environment; however, modeling of physiological motion is advantageous in providing more accurate position estimation as well as synchronization of motion to the physiological cycles. The work presented uses an Extended Kalman Filter framework to estimate parameters of non-stationary Fourier series models of the motion of the heart due to the respiratory and cardiac cycles as well as the position of the robot as it moves over the surface of the heart. The proposed method is demonstrated in the laboratory with HeartLander operating on a physiological motion simulator. Improved performance is demonstrated in comparison to the filtering methods previously used with HeartLander. The use of detected physiological cycle phases to synchronize locomotion of HeartLander is also described.

A Mobile Service Robot for Life Science Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulenburg, Erik; Elkmann, Norbert; Fritzsche, Markus; Teutsch, Christian

In this paper we presents a project that is developing a mobile service robot to assist users in biological and pharmaceutical laboratories by executing routine jobs such as filling and transporting microplates. A preliminary overview of the design of the mobile platform with a robotic arm is provided. Safety aspects are one focus of the project since the robot and humans will share a common environment. Hence, several safety sensors such as laser scanners, thermographie components and artificial skin are employed. These are described along with the approaches to object recognition.

Verification hybrid control of a wheeled mobile robot and manipulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muszynska, Magdalena; Burghardt, Andrzej; Kurc, Krzysztof; Szybicki, Dariusz

2016-04-01

In this article, innovative approaches to realization of the wheeled mobile robots and manipulator tracking are presented. Conceptions include application of the neural-fuzzy systems to compensation of the controlled system's nonlinearities in the tracking control task. Proposed control algorithms work on-line, contain structure, that adapt to the changeable work conditions of the controlled systems, and do not require the preliminary learning. The algorithm was verification on the real object which was a Scorbot - ER 4pc robotic manipulator and a Pioneer - 2DX mobile robot.

Using insects to drive mobile robots - hybrid robots bridge the gap between biological and artificial systems.

PubMed

Ando, Noriyasu; Kanzaki, Ryohei

2017-09-01

The use of mobile robots is an effective method of validating sensory-motor models of animals in a real environment. The well-identified insect sensory-motor systems have been the major targets for modeling. Furthermore, mobile robots implemented with such insect models attract engineers who aim to avail advantages from organisms. However, directly comparing the robots with real insects is still difficult, even if we successfully model the biological systems, because of the physical differences between them. We developed a hybrid robot to bridge the gap. This hybrid robot is an insect-controlled robot, in which a tethered male silkmoth (Bombyx mori) drives the robot in order to localize an odor source. This robot has the following three advantages: 1) from a biomimetic perspective, the robot enables us to evaluate the potential performance of future insect-mimetic robots; 2) from a biological perspective, the robot enables us to manipulate the closed-loop of an onboard insect for further understanding of its sensory-motor system; and 3) the robot enables comparison with insect models as a reference biological system. In this paper, we review the recent works regarding insect-controlled robots and discuss the significance for both engineering and biology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Path planning in GPS-denied environments via collective intelligence of distributed sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Devesh K.; Chattopadhyay, Pritthi; Sarkar, Soumik; Ray, Asok

2016-05-01

This paper proposes a framework for reactive goal-directed navigation without global positioning facilities in unknown dynamic environments. A mobile sensor network is used for localising regions of interest for path planning of an autonomous mobile robot. The underlying theory is an extension of a generalised gossip algorithm that has been recently developed in a language-measure-theoretic setting. The algorithm has been used to propagate local decisions of target detection over a mobile sensor network and thus, it generates a belief map for the detected target over the network. In this setting, an autonomous mobile robot may communicate only with a few mobile sensing nodes in its own neighbourhood and localise itself relative to the communicating nodes with bounded uncertainties. The robot makes use of the knowledge based on the belief of the mobile sensors to generate a sequence of way-points, leading to a possible goal. The estimated way-points are used by a sampling-based motion planning algorithm to generate feasible trajectories for the robot. The proposed concept has been validated by numerical simulation on a mobile sensor network test-bed and a Dubin's car-like robot.

Terrain interaction with the quarter scale beam walker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chun, Wendell H.; Price, S.; Spiessbach, A.

1990-01-01

Frame walkers are a class of mobile robots that are robust and capable mobility platforms. Variations of the frame walker robot are in commercial use today. Komatsu Ltd. of Japan developed the Remotely Controlled Underwater Surveyor (ReCUS) and Normed Shipyards of France developed the Marine Robot (RM3). Both applications of the frame walker concept satisfied robotic mobility requirements that could not be met by a wheeled or tracked design. One vehicle design concept that falls within this class of mobile robots is the walking beam. A one-quarter scale prototype of the walking beam was built by Martin Marietta to evaluate the potential merits of utilizing the vehicle as a planetary rover. The initial phase of prototype rover testing was structured to evaluate the mobility performance aspects of the vehicle. Performance parameters such as vehicle power, speed, and attitude control were evaluated as a function of the environment in which the prototype vehicle was tested. Subsequent testing phases will address the integrated performance of the vehicle and a local navigation system.

Terrain Interaction With The Quarter Scale Beam Walker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, Wendell H.; Price, R. S.; Spiessbach, Andrew J.

1990-03-01

Frame walkers are a class of mobile robots that are robust and capable mobility platforms. Variations of the frame walker robot are in commercial use today. Komatsu Ltd. of Japan developed the Remotely Controlled Underwater Surveyor (ReCUS) and Normed Shipyards of France developed the Marine Robot (RM3). Both applications of the frame walker concept satisfied robotic mobility requirements that could not be met by a wheeled or tracked design. One vehicle design concept that falls within this class of mobile robots is the walking beam. A one-quarter scale prototype of the walking beam was built by Martin Marietta to evaluate the potential merits of utilizing the vehicle as a planetary rover. The initial phase of prototype rover testing was structured to evaluate the mobility performance aspects of the vehicle. Performance parameters such as vehicle power, speed, and attitude control were evaluated as a function of the environment in which the prototype vehicle was tested. Subsequent testing phases will address the integrated performance of the vehicle and a local navigation system.

Homography-based visual servo regulation of mobile robots.

PubMed

Fang, Yongchun; Dixon, Warren E; Dawson, Darren M; Chawda, Prakash

2005-10-01

A monocular camera-based vision system attached to a mobile robot (i.e., the camera-in-hand configuration) is considered in this paper. By comparing corresponding target points of an object from two different camera images, geometric relationships are exploited to derive a transformation that relates the actual position and orientation of the mobile robot to a reference position and orientation. This transformation is used to synthesize a rotation and translation error system from the current position and orientation to the fixed reference position and orientation. Lyapunov-based techniques are used to construct an adaptive estimate to compensate for a constant, unmeasurable depth parameter, and to prove asymptotic regulation of the mobile robot. The contribution of this paper is that Lyapunov techniques are exploited to craft an adaptive controller that enables mobile robot position and orientation regulation despite the lack of an object model and the lack of depth information. Experimental results are provided to illustrate the performance of the controller.

Sensor Fusion Based Model for Collision Free Mobile Robot Navigation.

PubMed

Almasri, Marwah; Elleithy, Khaled; Alajlan, Abrar

2015-12-26

Autonomous mobile robots have become a very popular and interesting topic in the last decade. Each of them are equipped with various types of sensors such as GPS, camera, infrared and ultrasonic sensors. These sensors are used to observe the surrounding environment. However, these sensors sometimes fail and have inaccurate readings. Therefore, the integration of sensor fusion will help to solve this dilemma and enhance the overall performance. This paper presents a collision free mobile robot navigation based on the fuzzy logic fusion model. Eight distance sensors and a range finder camera are used for the collision avoidance approach where three ground sensors are used for the line or path following approach. The fuzzy system is composed of nine inputs which are the eight distance sensors and the camera, two outputs which are the left and right velocities of the mobile robot's wheels, and 24 fuzzy rules for the robot's movement. Webots Pro simulator is used for modeling the environment and the robot. The proposed methodology, which includes the collision avoidance based on fuzzy logic fusion model and line following robot, has been implemented and tested through simulation and real time experiments. Various scenarios have been presented with static and dynamic obstacles using one robot and two robots while avoiding obstacles in different shapes and sizes.

Have I Been Here Before? A Method for Detecting Loop Closure With LiDAR

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

mobile robot system, which has the unfortunate task of exploring a system of austere underground tunnels with only a laser scanner as a guide. 15...INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. 1 1. Introduction Techniques for using mobile robots to generate detailed maps of different environments...durations. This is especially true for applications involving small mobile robots where sensor drift and inaccuracies can cause significant mistakes

Distributed finite-time trajectory tracking control for multiple nonholonomic mobile robots with uncertainties and external disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ou, Meiying; Sun, Haibin; Gu, Shengwei; Zhang, Yangyi

2017-11-01

This paper investigates the distributed finite-time trajectory tracking control for a group of nonholonomic mobile robots with time-varying unknown parameters and external disturbances. At first, the tracking error system is derived for each mobile robot with the aid of a global invertible transformation, which consists of two subsystems, one is a first-order subsystem and another is a second-order subsystem. Then, the two subsystems are studied respectively, and finite-time disturbance observers are proposed for each robot to estimate the external disturbances. Meanwhile, distributed finite-time tracking controllers are developed for each mobile robot such that all states of each robot can reach the desired value in finite time, where the desired reference value is assumed to be the trajectory of a virtual leader whose information is available to only a subset of the followers, and the followers are assumed to have only local interaction. The effectiveness of the theoretical results is finally illustrated by numerical simulations.

Research and development at ORNL/CESAR towards cooperating robotic systems for hazardous environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mann, R. C.; Fujimura, K.; Unseren, M. A.

1992-01-01

One of the frontiers in intelligent machine research is the understanding of how constructive cooperation among multiple autonomous agents can be effected. The effort at the Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) focuses on two problem areas: (1) cooperation by multiple mobile robots in dynamic, incompletely known environments; and (2) cooperating robotic manipulators. Particular emphasis is placed on experimental evaluation of research and developments using the CESAR robot system testbeds, including three mobile robots, and a seven-axis, kinematically redundant mobile manipulator. This paper summarizes initial results of research addressing the decoupling of position and force control for two manipulators holding a common object, and the path planning for multiple robots in a common workspace.

Mobile robot trajectory tracking using noisy RSS measurements: an RFID approach.

PubMed

Miah, M Suruz; Gueaieb, Wail

2014-03-01

Most RF beacons-based mobile robot navigation techniques rely on approximating line-of-sight (LOS) distances between the beacons and the robot. This is mostly performed using the robot's received signal strength (RSS) measurements from the beacons. However, accurate mapping between the RSS measurements and the LOS distance is almost impossible to achieve in reverberant environments. This paper presents a partially-observed feedback controller for a wheeled mobile robot where the feedback signal is in the form of noisy RSS measurements emitted from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The proposed controller requires neither an accurate mapping between the LOS distance and the RSS measurements, nor the linearization of the robot model. The controller performance is demonstrated through numerical simulations and real-time experiments. ©2013 Published by ISA. All rights reserved.

Modelling and precision of the localization of the robotic mobile platforms for constructions with laser tracker and SmartTrack sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dima, M.; Francu, C.

2016-08-01

This paper presents a way to expand the field of use of the laser tracker and SmartTrack sensor localization device used in lately for the localisation of the end effector of the industrial robots to the localization of the mobile construction robots. The research paper presents the equipment along with its characteristics, determines the relationships for the localization coordinates by comparison to the forward kinematics of the industrial robot's spherical arm (positioning mechanism in spherical coordinates) and the orientation mechanism with three revolute axes. In the end of the paper the accuracy of the mobile robot's localization is analysed.

Rice-obot 1: An intelligent autonomous mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Defigueiredo, R.; Ciscon, L.; Berberian, D.

1989-01-01

The Rice-obot I is the first in a series of Intelligent Autonomous Mobile Robots (IAMRs) being developed at Rice University's Cooperative Intelligent Mobile Robots (CIMR) lab. The Rice-obot I is mainly designed to be a testbed for various robotic and AI techniques, and a platform for developing intelligent control systems for exploratory robots. Researchers present the need for a generalized environment capable of combining all of the control, sensory and knowledge systems of an IAMR. They introduce Lisp-Nodes as such a system, and develop the basic concepts of nodes, messages and classes. Furthermore, they show how the control system of the Rice-obot I is implemented as sub-systems in Lisp-Nodes.

Olfaction and Hearing Based Mobile Robot Navigation for Odor/Sound Source Search

PubMed Central

Song, Kai; Liu, Qi; Wang, Qi

2011-01-01

Bionic technology provides a new elicitation for mobile robot navigation since it explores the way to imitate biological senses. In the present study, the challenging problem was how to fuse different biological senses and guide distributed robots to cooperate with each other for target searching. This paper integrates smell, hearing and touch to design an odor/sound tracking multi-robot system. The olfactory robot tracks the chemical odor plume step by step through information fusion from gas sensors and airflow sensors, while two hearing robots localize the sound source by time delay estimation (TDE) and the geometrical position of microphone array. Furthermore, this paper presents a heading direction based mobile robot navigation algorithm, by which the robot can automatically and stably adjust its velocity and direction according to the deviation between the current heading direction measured by magnetoresistive sensor and the expected heading direction acquired through the odor/sound localization strategies. Simultaneously, one robot can communicate with the other robots via a wireless sensor network (WSN). Experimental results show that the olfactory robot can pinpoint the odor source within the distance of 2 m, while two hearing robots can quickly localize and track the olfactory robot in 2 min. The devised multi-robot system can achieve target search with a considerable success ratio and high stability. PMID:22319401

Advances in Simultaneous Localization and Mapping in Confined Underwater Environments Using Sonar and Optical Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

satisfying journeys in my life. I would like to thank Ryan for his guidance through the truly exciting world of mobile robotics and robotic perception. Thank...Multi-session and Multi-robot SLAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1.3.3 Robust Techniques for SLAM Backends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1.4 A...sonar. xv CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.1 The Importance of SLAM in Autonomous Robotics Autonomous mobile robots are becoming a promising aid in a wide

Fast instantaneous center of rotation estimation algorithm for a skied-steered robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kniaz, V. V.

2015-05-01

Skid-steered robots are widely used as mobile platforms for machine vision systems. However it is hard to achieve a stable motion of such robots along desired trajectory due to an unpredictable wheel slip. It is possible to compensate the unpredictable wheel slip and stabilize the motion of the robot using visual odometry. This paper presents a fast optical flow based algorithm for estimation of instantaneous center of rotation, angular and longitudinal speed of the robot. The proposed algorithm is based on Horn-Schunck variational optical flow estimation method. The instantaneous center of rotation and motion of the robot is estimated by back projection of optical flow field to the ground surface. The developed algorithm was tested using skid-steered mobile robot. The robot is based on a mobile platform that includes two pairs of differential driven motors and a motor controller. Monocular visual odometry system consisting of a singleboard computer and a low cost webcam is mounted on the mobile platform. A state-space model of the robot was derived using standard black-box system identification. The input (commands) and the output (motion) were recorded using a dedicated external motion capture system. The obtained model was used to control the robot without visual odometry data. The paper is concluded with the algorithm quality estimation by comparison of the trajectories estimated by the algorithm with the data from motion capture system.

Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development.

PubMed

Bostelman, Roger; Hong, Tsai; Legowik, Steven

2016-01-01

Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems.

Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development

PubMed Central

Bostelman, Roger; Hong, Tsai; Legowik, Steven

2017-01-01

Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems. PMID:28690359

Development of robotic mobile platform with the universal chassis system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryadchikov, I.; Nikulchev, E.; Sechenev, S.; Drobotenko, M.; Svidlov, A.; Volkodav, P.; Feshin, A.

2018-02-01

The problem of stabilizing the position of mobile devices is extremely relevant at the modern level of technology development. This includes the problem of stabilizing aircraft and stabilizing the pitching of ships. In the laboratory of robotics and mechatronics of the Kuban State University, a robot is developed. The robot has additional internal degrees of freedom, responsible for compensating for deflections - the dynamic stabilization system.

Learning for intelligent mobile robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Ernest L.; Liao, Xiaoqun; Alhaj Ali, Souma M.

2003-10-01

Unlike intelligent industrial robots which often work in a structured factory setting, intelligent mobile robots must often operate in an unstructured environment cluttered with obstacles and with many possible action paths. However, such machines have many potential applications in medicine, defense, industry and even the home that make their study important. Sensors such as vision are needed. However, in many applications some form of learning is also required. The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of recent technical advances in learning for intelligent mobile robots. During the past 20 years, the use of intelligent industrial robots that are equipped not only with motion control systems but also with sensors such as cameras, laser scanners, or tactile sensors that permit adaptation to a changing environment has increased dramatically. However, relatively little has been done concerning learning. Adaptive and robust control permits one to achieve point to point and controlled path operation in a changing environment. This problem can be solved with a learning control. In the unstructured environment, the terrain and consequently the load on the robot"s motors are constantly changing. Learning the parameters of a proportional, integral and derivative controller (PID) and artificial neural network provides an adaptive and robust control. Learning may also be used for path following. Simulations that include learning may be conducted to see if a robot can learn its way through a cluttered array of obstacles. If a situation is performed repetitively, then learning can also be used in the actual application. To reach an even higher degree of autonomous operation, a new level of learning is required. Recently learning theories such as the adaptive critic have been proposed. In this type of learning a critic provides a grade to the controller of an action module such as a robot. The creative control process is used that is "beyond the adaptive critic." A mathematical model of the creative control process is presented that illustrates the use for mobile robots. Examples from a variety of intelligent mobile robot applications are also presented. The significance of this work is in providing a greater understanding of the applications of learning to mobile robots that could lead to many applications.

Navigation system for a mobile robot with a visual sensor using a fish-eye lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurata, Junichi; Grattan, Kenneth T. V.; Uchiyama, Hironobu

1998-02-01

Various position sensing and navigation systems have been proposed for the autonomous control of mobile robots. Some of these systems have been installed with an omnidirectional visual sensor system that proved very useful in obtaining information on the environment around the mobile robot for position reckoning. In this article, this type of navigation system is discussed. The sensor is composed of one TV camera with a fish-eye lens, using a reference target on a ceiling and hybrid image processing circuits. The position of the robot, with respect to the floor, is calculated by integrating the information obtained from a visual sensor and a gyroscope mounted in the mobile robot, and the use of a simple algorithm based on PTP control for guidance is discussed. An experimental trial showed that the proposed system was both valid and useful for the navigation of an indoor vehicle.

Assistant Personal Robot (APR): Conception and Application of a Tele-Operated Assisted Living Robot.

PubMed

Clotet, Eduard; Martínez, Dani; Moreno, Javier; Tresanchez, Marcel; Palacín, Jordi

2016-04-28

This paper presents the technical description, mechanical design, electronic components, software implementation and possible applications of a tele-operated mobile robot designed as an assisted living tool. This robotic concept has been named Assistant Personal Robot (or APR for short) and has been designed as a remotely telecontrolled robotic platform built to provide social and assistive services to elderly people and those with impaired mobility. The APR features a fast high-mobility motion system adapted for tele-operation in plain indoor areas, which incorporates a high-priority collision avoidance procedure. This paper presents the mechanical architecture, electrical fundaments and software implementation required in order to develop the main functionalities of an assistive robot. The APR uses a tablet in order to implement the basic peer-to-peer videoconference and tele-operation control combined with a tactile graphic user interface. The paper also presents the development of some applications proposed in the framework of an assisted living robot.

Proposal of Path Following and Arrival Judgement Methods Using Target Vector for Teleoperation of a Mobile Robot on Uneven Ground by Image Pointing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamura, Sho; Maeyama, Shoichi

Rescue robots have been actively developed since Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake. Recently, the rescue robot to reduce the risk of the secondary disaster on NBC terror and critical accident is also developed. For such a background, the development project of mobile RT system in the collapsed is started. This research also participates in this project. It is useful to use the image pointing for the control interface of the rescue robot because it can control the robot by the simple operation. However, the conventional method cannot work on a rough terrain. In this research, we propose the system which controls the robot to arrive the target position on the rough terrain. It is constructed the methods which put the destination into the vector, and control the 3D localizated robot to follow the vector. Finally, the proposed system is evaluated through experiments by remote control of a mobile robot in slope and cofirmed the feasibility.

Autonomous mobile robot teams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agah, Arvin; Bekey, George A.

1994-01-01

This paper describes autonomous mobile robot teams performing tasks in unstructured environments. The behavior and the intelligence of the group is distributed, and the system does not include a central command base or leader. The novel concept of the Tropism-Based Cognitive Architecture is introduced, which is used by the robots in order to produce behavior transforming their sensory information to proper action. The results of a number of simulation experiments are presented. These experiments include worlds where the robot teams must locate, decompose, and gather objects, and defend themselves against hostile predators, while navigating around stationary and mobile obstacles.

Robotic vehicle with multiple tracked mobility platforms

DOEpatents

Salton, Jonathan R [Albuquerque, NM; Buttz, James H [Albuquerque, NM; Garretson, Justin [Albuquerque, NM; Hayward, David R [Wetmore, CO; Hobart, Clinton G [Albuquerque, NM; Deuel, Jr., Jamieson K.

2012-07-24

A robotic vehicle having two or more tracked mobility platforms that are mechanically linked together with a two-dimensional coupling, thereby forming a composite vehicle of increased mobility. The robotic vehicle is operative in hazardous environments and can be capable of semi-submersible operation. The robotic vehicle is capable of remote controlled operation via radio frequency and/or fiber optic communication link to a remote operator control unit. The tracks have a plurality of track-edge scallop cut-outs that allow the tracks to easily grab onto and roll across railroad tracks, especially when crossing the railroad tracks at an oblique angle.

Estimating the position and orientation of a mobile robot with respect to a trajectory using omnidirectional imaging and global appearance.

PubMed

Payá, Luis; Reinoso, Oscar; Jiménez, Luis M; Juliá, Miguel

2017-01-01

Along the past years, mobile robots have proliferated both in domestic and in industrial environments to solve some tasks such as cleaning, assistance, or material transportation. One of their advantages is the ability to operate in wide areas without the necessity of introducing changes into the existing infrastructure. Thanks to the sensors they may be equipped with and their processing systems, mobile robots constitute a versatile alternative to solve a wide range of applications. When designing the control system of a mobile robot so that it carries out a task autonomously in an unknown environment, it is expected to take decisions about its localization in the environment and about the trajectory that it has to follow in order to arrive to the target points. More concisely, the robot has to find a relatively good solution to two crucial problems: building a model of the environment, and estimating the position of the robot within this model. In this work, we propose a framework to solve these problems using only visual information. The mobile robot is equipped with a catadioptric vision sensor that provides omnidirectional images from the environment. First, the robot goes along the trajectories to include in the model and uses the visual information captured to build this model. After that, the robot is able to estimate its position and orientation with respect to the trajectory. Among the possible approaches to solve these problems, global appearance techniques are used in this work. They have emerged recently as a robust and efficient alternative compared to landmark extraction techniques. A global description method based on Radon Transform is used to design mapping and localization algorithms and a set of images captured by a mobile robot in a real environment, under realistic operation conditions, is used to test the performance of these algorithms.

Performance Evaluation of a Mobile Touchscreen Interface for Assistive Robotic Manipulators: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Chung, Cheng-Shiu; Ka, Hyun W; Wang, Hongu; Ding, Dan; Kelleher, Annmarie; Cooper, Rory A

2017-01-01

Background: Assistive robotic manipulators (ARMs) have been developed to provide enhanced assistance and independence in performance of daily activities among people with spinal cord injury when a caregiver is not on site. However, the current commercial ARM user interfaces (UIs) may be difficult to learn and control. A touchscreen mobile UI was developed to overcome these challenges. Objective: The object of this study was to evaluate the performance between 2 ARM UIs, touchscreen and the original joystick, using an ARM evaluation tool (ARMET). Methods: This is a pilot study of people with upper extremity impairments ( N = 8). Participants were trained on 2 UIs, and then they chose one to use when performing 3 tasks on the ARMET: flipping a toggle switch, pushing down a door handle, and turning a knob. Task completion time, mean velocity, and open interviews were the main outcome measurements. Results: Among 8 novice participants, 7 chose the touchscreen UI and 1 chose the joystick UI. All participants could complete the ARMET tasks independently. Use of the touchscreen UI resulted in enhanced ARMET performance (higher mean moving speed and faster task completion). Conclusions: Mobile ARM UIs demonstrated easier learning experience, less physical effort, and better ARMET performance. The improved performance, the accessibility, and lower physical effort suggested that the touchscreen UI might be an efficient tool for the ARM users.

The Embudito Mission: A Case Study of the Systematics of Autonomous Ground Mobile Robots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

EICKER,PATRICK J.

2001-02-01

Ground mobile robots are much in the mind of defense planners at this time, being considered for a significant variety of missions with a diversity ranging from logistics supply to reconnaissance and surveillance. While there has been a very large amount of basic research funded in the last quarter century devoted to mobile robots and their supporting component technologies, little of this science base has been fully developed and deployed--notable exceptions being NASA's Mars rover and several terrestrial derivatives. The material in this paper was developed as a first exemplary step in the development of a more systematic approach tomore » the R and D of ground mobile robots.« less

Transient inactivation of the anterior cingulate cortex in rats disrupts avoidance of a dynamic object.

PubMed

Svoboda, Jan; Lobellová, Veronika; Popelíková, Anna; Ahuja, Nikhil; Kelemen, Eduard; Stuchlík, Aleš

2017-03-01

Although animals often learn and monitor the spatial properties of relevant moving objects such as conspecifics and predators to properly organize their own spatial behavior, the underlying brain substrate has received little attention and hence remains elusive. Because the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) participates in conflict monitoring and effort-based decision making, and ACC neurons respond to objects in the environment, it may also play a role in the monitoring of moving cues and exerting the appropriate spatial response. We used a robot avoidance task in which a rat had to maintain at least a 25cm distance from a small programmable robot to avoid a foot shock. In successive sessions, we trained ten Long Evans male rats to avoid a fast-moving robot (4cm/s), a stationary robot, and a slow-moving robot (1cm/s). In each condition, the ACC was transiently inactivated by bilateral injections of muscimol in the penultimate session and a control saline injection was given in the last session. Compared to the corresponding saline session, ACC-inactivated rats received more shocks when tested in the fast-moving condition, but not in the stationary or slow robot conditions. Furthermore, ACC-inactivated rats less frequently responded to an approaching robot with appropriate escape responses although their response to shock stimuli remained preserved. Since we observed no effect on slow or stationary robot avoidance, we conclude that the ACC may exert cognitive efforts for monitoring dynamic updating of the position of an object, a role complementary to the dorsal hippocampus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robots, systems, and methods for hazard evaluation and visualization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nielsen, Curtis W.; Bruemmer, David J.; Walton, Miles C.

A robot includes a hazard sensor, a locomotor, and a system controller. The robot senses a hazard intensity at a location of the robot, moves to a new location in response to the hazard intensity, and autonomously repeats the sensing and moving to determine multiple hazard levels at multiple locations. The robot may also include a communicator to communicate the multiple hazard levels to a remote controller. The remote controller includes a communicator for sending user commands to the robot and receiving the hazard levels from the robot. A graphical user interface displays an environment map of the environment proximatemore » the robot and a scale for indicating a hazard intensity. A hazard indicator corresponds to a robot position in the environment map and graphically indicates the hazard intensity at the robot position relative to the scale.« less

Mobile robots IV; Proceedings of the Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 6, 7, 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolfe, W.J.; Chun, W.H.

1990-01-01

The present conference on mobile robot systems discusses high-speed machine perception based on passive sensing, wide-angle optical ranging, three-dimensional path planning for flying/crawling robots, navigation of autonomous mobile intelligence in an unstructured natural environment, mechanical models for the locomotion of a four-articulated-track robot, a rule-based command language for a semiautonomous Mars rover, and a computer model of the structured light vision system for a Mars rover. Also discussed are optical flow and three-dimensional information for navigation, feature-based reasoning trail detection, a symbolic neural-net production system for obstacle avoidance and navigation, intelligent path planning for robot navigation in an unknown environment,more » behaviors from a hierarchical control system, stereoscopic TV systems, the REACT language for autonomous robots, and a man-amplifying exoskeleton.« less

Space-time modeling using environmental constraints in a mobile robot system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slack, Marc G.

1990-01-01

Grid-based models of a robot's local environment have been used by many researchers building mobile robot control systems. The attraction of grid-based models is their clear parallel between the internal model and the external world. However, the discrete nature of such representations does not match well with the continuous nature of actions and usually serves to limit the abilities of the robot. This work describes a spatial modeling system that extracts information from a grid-based representation to form a symbolic representation of the robot's local environment. The approach makes a separation between the representation provided by the sensing system and the representation used by the action system. Separation allows asynchronous operation between sensing and action in a mobile robot, as well as the generation of a more continuous representation upon which to base actions.

Interaction dynamics of multiple mobile robots with simple navigation strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, P. K. C.

1989-01-01

The global dynamic behavior of multiple interacting autonomous mobile robots with simple navigation strategies is studied. Here, the effective spatial domain of each robot is taken to be a closed ball about its mass center. It is assumed that each robot has a specified cone of visibility such that interaction with other robots takes place only when they enter its visibility cone. Based on a particle model for the robots, various simple homing and collision-avoidance navigation strategies are derived. Then, an analysis of the dynamical behavior of the interacting robots in unbounded spatial domains is made. The article concludes with the results of computer simulations studies of two or more interacting robots.

Peer-to-peer model for the area coverage and cooperative control of mobile sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Jindong; Xi, Ning

2004-09-01

This paper presents a novel model and distributed algorithms for the cooperation and redeployment of mobile sensor networks. A mobile sensor network composes of a collection of wireless connected mobile robots equipped with a variety of sensors. In such a sensor network, each mobile node has sensing, computation, communication, and locomotion capabilities. The locomotion ability enhances the autonomous deployment of the system. The system can be rapidly deployed to hostile environment, inaccessible terrains or disaster relief operations. The mobile sensor network is essentially a cooperative multiple robot system. This paper first presents a peer-to-peer model to define the relationship between neighboring communicating robots. Delaunay Triangulation and Voronoi diagrams are used to define the geometrical relationship between sensor nodes. This distributed model allows formal analysis for the fusion of spatio-temporal sensory information of the network. Based on the distributed model, this paper discusses a fault tolerant algorithm for autonomous self-deployment of the mobile robots. The algorithm considers the environment constraints, the presence of obstacles and the nonholonomic constraints of the robots. The distributed algorithm enables the system to reconfigure itself such that the area covered by the system can be enlarged. Simulation results have shown the effectiveness of the distributed model and deployment algorithms.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mann, R.C.; Fujimura, K.; Unseren, M.A.

One of the frontiers in intelligent machine research is the understanding of how constructive cooperation among multiple autonomous agents can be effected. The effort at the Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR)at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) focuses on two problem areas: (1) cooperation by multiple mobile robots in dynamic, incompletely known environments; and (2) cooperating robotic manipulators. Particular emphasis is placed on experimental evaluation of research and developments using the CESAR robot system testbeds, including three mobile robots, and a seven-axis, kinematically redundant mobile manipulator. This paper summarizes initial results of research addressing the decoupling of positionmore » and force control for two manipulators holding a common object, and the path planning for multiple robots in a common workspace. 15 refs., 3 figs.« less

Remotely controlling of mobile robots using gesture captured by the Kinect and recognized by machine learning method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Roy CHaoming; Jian, Jhih-Wei; Lin, Chih-Chuan; Lai, Chien-Hung; Liu, Cheng-Ting

2013-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to use machine learning method and Kinect and its body sensation technology to design a simple, convenient, yet effective robot remote control system. In this study, a Kinect sensor is used to capture the human body skeleton with depth information, and a gesture training and identification method is designed using the back propagation neural network to remotely command a mobile robot for certain actions via the Bluetooth. The experimental results show that the designed mobile robots remote control system can achieve, on an average, more than 96% of accurate identification of 7 types of gestures and can effectively control a real e-puck robot for the designed commands.

A multi-sensor RSS spatial sensing-based robust stochastic optimization algorithm for enhanced wireless tethering.

PubMed

Parasuraman, Ramviyas; Fabry, Thomas; Molinari, Luca; Kershaw, Keith; Di Castro, Mario; Masi, Alessandro; Ferre, Manuel

2014-12-12

The reliability of wireless communication in a network of mobile wireless robot nodes depends on the received radio signal strength (RSS). When the robot nodes are deployed in hostile environments with ionizing radiations (such as in some scientific facilities), there is a possibility that some electronic components may fail randomly (due to radiation effects), which causes problems in wireless connectivity. The objective of this paper is to maximize robot mission capabilities by maximizing the wireless network capacity and to reduce the risk of communication failure. Thus, in this paper, we consider a multi-node wireless tethering structure called the "server-relay-client" framework that uses (multiple) relay nodes in between a server and a client node. We propose a robust stochastic optimization (RSO) algorithm using a multi-sensor-based RSS sampling method at the relay nodes to efficiently improve and balance the RSS between the source and client nodes to improve the network capacity and to provide redundant networking abilities. We use pre-processing techniques, such as exponential moving averaging and spatial averaging filters on the RSS data for smoothing. We apply a receiver spatial diversity concept and employ a position controller on the relay node using a stochastic gradient ascent method for self-positioning the relay node to achieve the RSS balancing task. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is validated by extensive simulations and field experiments in CERN facilities. For the field trials, we used a youBot mobile robot platform as the relay node, and two stand-alone Raspberry Pi computers as the client and server nodes. The algorithm has been proven to be robust to noise in the radio signals and to work effectively even under non-line-of-sight conditions.

A Multi-Sensor RSS Spatial Sensing-Based Robust Stochastic Optimization Algorithm for Enhanced Wireless Tethering

PubMed Central

Parasuraman, Ramviyas; Fabry, Thomas; Molinari, Luca; Kershaw, Keith; Di Castro, Mario; Masi, Alessandro; Ferre, Manuel

2014-01-01

The reliability of wireless communication in a network of mobile wireless robot nodes depends on the received radio signal strength (RSS). When the robot nodes are deployed in hostile environments with ionizing radiations (such as in some scientific facilities), there is a possibility that some electronic components may fail randomly (due to radiation effects), which causes problems in wireless connectivity. The objective of this paper is to maximize robot mission capabilities by maximizing the wireless network capacity and to reduce the risk of communication failure. Thus, in this paper, we consider a multi-node wireless tethering structure called the “server-relay-client” framework that uses (multiple) relay nodes in between a server and a client node. We propose a robust stochastic optimization (RSO) algorithm using a multi-sensor-based RSS sampling method at the relay nodes to efficiently improve and balance the RSS between the source and client nodes to improve the network capacity and to provide redundant networking abilities. We use pre-processing techniques, such as exponential moving averaging and spatial averaging filters on the RSS data for smoothing. We apply a receiver spatial diversity concept and employ a position controller on the relay node using a stochastic gradient ascent method for self-positioning the relay node to achieve the RSS balancing task. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is validated by extensive simulations and field experiments in CERN facilities. For the field trials, we used a youBot mobile robot platform as the relay node, and two stand-alone Raspberry Pi computers as the client and server nodes. The algorithm has been proven to be robust to noise in the radio signals and to work effectively even under non-line-of-sight conditions. PMID:25615734

People Detection by a Mobile Robot Using Stereo Vision in Dynamic Indoor Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez-Polanco, José Alberto; Muñoz-Meléndez, Angélica; Morales, Eduardo F.

People detection and tracking is a key issue for social robot design and effective human robot interaction. This paper addresses the problem of detecting people with a mobile robot using a stereo camera. People detection using mobile robots is a difficult task because in real world scenarios it is common to find: unpredictable motion of people, dynamic environments, and different degrees of human body occlusion. Additionally, we cannot expect people to cooperate with the robot to perform its task. In our people detection method, first, an object segmentation method that uses the distance information provided by a stereo camera is used to separate people from the background. The segmentation method proposed in this work takes into account human body proportions to segment people and provides a first estimation of people location. After segmentation, an adaptive contour people model based on people distance to the robot is used to calculate a probability of detecting people. Finally, people are detected merging the probabilities of the contour people model and by evaluating evidence over time by applying a Bayesian scheme. We present experiments on detection of standing and sitting people, as well as people in frontal and side view with a mobile robot in real world scenarios.

Obstacle negotiation control for a mobile robot suspended on overhead ground wires by optoelectronic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Li; Yi, Ruan

2009-11-01

Power line inspection and maintenance already benefit from developments in mobile robotics. This paper presents mobile robots capable of crossing obstacles on overhead ground wires. A teleoperated robot realizes inspection and maintenance tasks on power transmission line equipment. The inspection robot is driven by 11 motor with two arms, two wheels and two claws. The inspection robot is designed to realize the function of observation, grasp, walk, rolling, turn, rise, and decline. This paper is oriented toward 100% reliable obstacle detection and identification, and sensor fusion to increase the autonomy level. An embedded computer based on PC/104 bus is chosen as the core of control system. Visible light camera and thermal infrared Camera are both installed in a programmable pan-and-tilt camera (PPTC) unit. High-quality visual feedback rapidly becomes crucial for human-in-the-loop control and effective teleoperation. The communication system between the robot and the ground station is based on Mesh wireless networks by 700 MHz bands. An expert system programmed with Visual C++ is developed to implement the automatic control. Optoelectronic laser sensors and laser range scanner were installed in robot for obstacle-navigation control to grasp the overhead ground wires. A novel prototype with careful considerations on mobility was designed to inspect the 500KV power transmission lines. Results of experiments demonstrate that the robot can be applied to execute the navigation and inspection tasks.

Mobile robot motion estimation using Hough transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldoshkin, D. N.; Yamskikh, T. N.; Tsarev, R. Yu

2018-05-01

This paper proposes an algorithm for estimation of mobile robot motion. The geometry of surrounding space is described with range scans (samples of distance measurements) taken by the mobile robot’s range sensors. A similar sample of space geometry in any arbitrary preceding moment of time or the environment map can be used as a reference. The suggested algorithm is invariant to isotropic scaling of samples or map that allows using samples measured in different units and maps made at different scales. The algorithm is based on Hough transform: it maps from measurement space to a straight-line parameters space. In the straight-line parameters, space the problems of estimating rotation, scaling and translation are solved separately breaking down a problem of estimating mobile robot localization into three smaller independent problems. The specific feature of the algorithm presented is its robustness to noise and outliers inherited from Hough transform. The prototype of the system of mobile robot orientation is described.

A Remote Lab for Experiments with a Team of Mobile Robots

PubMed Central

Casini, Marco; Garulli, Andrea; Giannitrapani, Antonio; Vicino, Antonio

2014-01-01

In this paper, a remote lab for experimenting with a team of mobile robots is presented. Robots are built with the LEGO Mindstorms technology and user-defined control laws can be directly coded in the Matlab programming language and validated on the real system. The lab is versatile enough to be used for both teaching and research purposes. Students can easily go through a number of predefined mobile robotics experiences without having to worry about robot hardware or low-level programming languages. More advanced experiments can also be carried out by uploading custom controllers. The capability to have full control of the vehicles, together with the possibility to define arbitrarily complex environments through the definition of virtual obstacles, makes the proposed facility well suited to quickly test and compare different control laws in a real-world scenario. Moreover, the user can simulate the presence of different types of exteroceptive sensors on board of the robots or a specific communication architecture among the agents, so that decentralized control strategies and motion coordination algorithms can be easily implemented and tested. A number of possible applications and real experiments are presented in order to illustrate the main features of the proposed mobile robotics remote lab. PMID:25192316

A remote lab for experiments with a team of mobile robots.

PubMed

Casini, Marco; Garulli, Andrea; Giannitrapani, Antonio; Vicino, Antonio

2014-09-04

In this paper, a remote lab for experimenting with a team of mobile robots is presented. Robots are built with the LEGO Mindstorms technology and user-defined control laws can be directly coded in the Matlab programming language and validated on the real system. The lab is versatile enough to be used for both teaching and research purposes. Students can easily go through a number of predefined mobile robotics experiences without having to worry about robot hardware or low-level programming languages. More advanced experiments can also be carried out by uploading custom controllers. The capability to have full control of the vehicles, together with the possibility to define arbitrarily complex environments through the definition of virtual obstacles, makes the proposed facility well suited to quickly test and compare different control laws in a real-world scenario. Moreover, the user can simulate the presence of different types of exteroceptive sensors on board of the robots or a specific communication architecture among the agents, so that decentralized control strategies and motion coordination algorithms can be easily implemented and tested. A number of possible applications and real experiments are presented in order to illustrate the main features of the proposed mobile robotics remote lab.

Dynamic multisensor fusion for mobile robot navigation in an indoor environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Taeseok; Lee, Jang-Myung; Luk, Bing L.; Tso, Shiu K.

2001-10-01

In this study, as the preliminary step for developing a multi-purpose Autonomous robust carrier mobile robot to transport trolleys or heavy goods and serve as robotic nursing assistant in hospital wards. The aim of this paper is to present the use of multi-sensor data fusion such as sonar, CCD camera dn IR sensor for map-building mobile robot to navigate, and presents an experimental mobile robot designed to operate autonomously within both indoor and outdoor environments. Smart sensory systems are crucial for successful autonomous systems. We will give an explanation for the robot system architecture designed and implemented in this study and a short review of existing techniques, since there exist several recent thorough books and review paper on this paper. Instead we will focus on the main results with relevance to the intelligent service robot project at the Centre of Intelligent Design, Automation & Manufacturing (CIDAM). We will conclude by discussing some possible future extensions of the project. It is first dealt with the general principle of the navigation and guidance architecture, then the detailed functions recognizing environments updated, obstacle detection and motion assessment, with the first results form the simulations run.

Omni-Directional Scanning Localization Method of a Mobile Robot Based on Ultrasonic Sensors.

PubMed

Mu, Wei-Yi; Zhang, Guang-Peng; Huang, Yu-Mei; Yang, Xin-Gang; Liu, Hong-Yan; Yan, Wen

2016-12-20

Improved ranging accuracy is obtained by the development of a novel ultrasonic sensor ranging algorithm, unlike the conventional ranging algorithm, which considers the divergence angle and the incidence angle of the ultrasonic sensor synchronously. An ultrasonic sensor scanning method is developed based on this algorithm for the recognition of an inclined plate and to obtain the localization of the ultrasonic sensor relative to the inclined plate reference frame. The ultrasonic sensor scanning method is then leveraged for the omni-directional localization of a mobile robot, where the ultrasonic sensors are installed on a mobile robot and follow the spin of the robot, the inclined plate is recognized and the position and posture of the robot are acquired with respect to the coordinate system of the inclined plate, realizing the localization of the robot. Finally, the localization method is implemented into an omni-directional scanning localization experiment with the independently researched and developed mobile robot. Localization accuracies of up to ±3.33 mm for the front, up to ±6.21 for the lateral and up to ±0.20° for the posture are obtained, verifying the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed localization method.

Research and development of electric vehicles for clean transportation.

PubMed

Wada, Masayoshi

2009-01-01

This article presents the research and development of an electric vehicle (EV) in Department of Human-Robotics Saitama Institute of Technology, Japan. Electric mobile systems developed in our laboratory include a converted electric automobile, electric wheelchair and personal mobile robot. These mobile systems contribute to realize clean transportation since energy sources and devices from all vehicles, i.e., batteries and electric motors, does not deteriorate the environment. To drive motors for vehicle traveling, robotic technologies were applied.

Robot map building based on fuzzy-extending DSmT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xinde; Huang, Xinhan; Wu, Zuyu; Peng, Gang; Wang, Min; Xiong, Youlun

2007-11-01

With the extensive application of mobile robots in many different fields, map building in unknown environments has been one of the principal issues in the field of intelligent mobile robot. However, Information acquired in map building presents characteristics of uncertainty, imprecision and even high conflict, especially in the course of building grid map using sonar sensors. In this paper, we extended DSmT with Fuzzy theory by considering the different fuzzy T-norm operators (such as Algebraic Product operator, Bounded Product operator, Einstein Product operator and Default minimum operator), in order to develop a more general and flexible combinational rule for more extensive application. At the same time, we apply fuzzy-extended DSmT to mobile robot map building with the help of new self-localization method based on neighboring field appearance matching( -NFAM), to make the new tool more robust in very complex environment. An experiment is conducted to reconstruct the map with the new tool in indoor environment, in order to compare their performances in map building with four T-norm operators, when Pioneer II mobile robot runs along the same trace. Finally, a conclusion is reached that this study develops a new idea to extend DSmT, also provides a new approach for autonomous navigation of mobile robot, and provides a human-computer interactive interface to manage and manipulate the robot remotely.

Walk and roll robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Andrew (Inventor); Punnoose, Andrew (Inventor); Strausser, Katherine (Inventor); Parikh, Neil (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A mobile robotic unit features a main body, a plurality of legs for supporting the main body on and moving the main body in forward and reverse directions about a base surface, and a drive assembly. According to an exemplary embodiment each leg includes a respective pivotal hip joint, a pivotal knee joint, and a wheeled foot adapted to roll along the base surface. Also according to an exemplary embodiments the drive assembly includes a motor operatively associated with the hip and knee joints and the wheeled foot for independently driving pivotal movement of the hip joint and the knee joint and rolling motion of the wheeled foot. The hip joint may include a ball-and-socket-type joint interconnecting top portion of the leg to the main body, such that the hip joint is adapted to pivot said leg in a direction transverse to a forward-and-reverse direction.

Design of rehabilitation robot hand for fingers CPM training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hongfu; Chan, T. W.; Tong, K. Y.; Kwong, K. K.; Yao, Xifan

2008-10-01

This paper presents a low-cost prototype for rehabilitation robot aide patient do hands CPM (continuous passive motion) training. The design of the prototype is based on the principle of Rutgers Master II glove, but it is better in performance for more improvement made. In the design, it uses linear motors to replace pneumatic actuators to make the product more portable and mobile. It increases finger training range to 180 degree for the full range training of hand finger holding and extension. Also the prototype can not only be wearing on palm and fore arm do training for face to face with finger move together, but also be put in the opposite hand glove wear direction for hand rehabilitation training. During the research, Solidworks is used as the tool for mechanical design and movement simulation. It proved through experiment that the prototype made in the research is appropriate for hand do CPM training.

Bioinspired Intelligent Algorithm and Its Applications for Mobile Robot Control: A Survey.

PubMed

Ni, Jianjun; Wu, Liuying; Fan, Xinnan; Yang, Simon X

2016-01-01

Bioinspired intelligent algorithm (BIA) is a kind of intelligent computing method, which is with a more lifelike biological working mechanism than other types. BIAs have made significant progress in both understanding of the neuroscience and biological systems and applying to various fields. Mobile robot control is one of the main application fields of BIAs which has attracted more and more attention, because mobile robots can be used widely and general artificial intelligent algorithms meet a development bottleneck in this field, such as complex computing and the dependence on high-precision sensors. This paper presents a survey of recent research in BIAs, which focuses on the research in the realization of various BIAs based on different working mechanisms and the applications for mobile robot control, to help in understanding BIAs comprehensively and clearly. The survey has four primary parts: a classification of BIAs from the biomimetic mechanism, a summary of several typical BIAs from different levels, an overview of current applications of BIAs in mobile robot control, and a description of some possible future directions for research.

Distributed and Modular CAN-Based Architecture for Hardware Control and Sensor Data Integration

PubMed Central

Losada, Diego P.; Fernández, Joaquín L.; Paz, Enrique; Sanz, Rafael

2017-01-01

In this article, we present a CAN-based (Controller Area Network) distributed system to integrate sensors, actuators and hardware controllers in a mobile robot platform. With this work, we provide a robust, simple, flexible and open system to make hardware elements or subsystems communicate, that can be applied to different robots or mobile platforms. Hardware modules can be connected to or disconnected from the CAN bus while the system is working. It has been tested in our mobile robot Rato, based on a RWI (Real World Interface) mobile platform, to replace the old sensor and motor controllers. It has also been used in the design of two new robots: BellBot and WatchBot. Currently, our hardware integration architecture supports different sensors, actuators and control subsystems, such as motor controllers and inertial measurement units. The integration architecture was tested and compared with other solutions through a performance analysis of relevant parameters such as transmission efficiency and bandwidth usage. The results conclude that the proposed solution implements a lightweight communication protocol for mobile robot applications that avoids transmission delays and overhead. PMID:28467381

Distributed and Modular CAN-Based Architecture for Hardware Control and Sensor Data Integration.

PubMed

Losada, Diego P; Fernández, Joaquín L; Paz, Enrique; Sanz, Rafael

2017-05-03

In this article, we present a CAN-based (Controller Area Network) distributed system to integrate sensors, actuators and hardware controllers in a mobile robot platform. With this work, we provide a robust, simple, flexible and open system to make hardware elements or subsystems communicate, that can be applied to different robots or mobile platforms. Hardware modules can be connected to or disconnected from the CAN bus while the system is working. It has been tested in our mobile robot Rato, based on a RWI (Real World Interface) mobile platform, to replace the old sensor and motor controllers. It has also been used in the design of two new robots: BellBot and WatchBot. Currently, our hardware integration architecture supports different sensors, actuators and control subsystems, such as motor controllers and inertial measurement units. The integration architecture was tested and compared with other solutions through a performance analysis of relevant parameters such as transmission efficiency and bandwidth usage. The results conclude that the proposed solution implements a lightweight communication protocol for mobile robot applications that avoids transmission delays and overhead.

Bioinspired Intelligent Algorithm and Its Applications for Mobile Robot Control: A Survey

PubMed Central

Ni, Jianjun; Wu, Liuying; Fan, Xinnan; Yang, Simon X.

2016-01-01

Bioinspired intelligent algorithm (BIA) is a kind of intelligent computing method, which is with a more lifelike biological working mechanism than other types. BIAs have made significant progress in both understanding of the neuroscience and biological systems and applying to various fields. Mobile robot control is one of the main application fields of BIAs which has attracted more and more attention, because mobile robots can be used widely and general artificial intelligent algorithms meet a development bottleneck in this field, such as complex computing and the dependence on high-precision sensors. This paper presents a survey of recent research in BIAs, which focuses on the research in the realization of various BIAs based on different working mechanisms and the applications for mobile robot control, to help in understanding BIAs comprehensively and clearly. The survey has four primary parts: a classification of BIAs from the biomimetic mechanism, a summary of several typical BIAs from different levels, an overview of current applications of BIAs in mobile robot control, and a description of some possible future directions for research. PMID:26819582

Control Program for an Optical-Calibration Robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Albert

2005-01-01

A computer program provides semiautomatic control of a moveable robot used to perform optical calibration of video-camera-based optoelectronic sensor systems that will be used to guide automated rendezvous maneuvers of spacecraft. The function of the robot is to move a target and hold it at specified positions. With the help of limit switches, the software first centers or finds the target. Then the target is moved to a starting position. Thereafter, with the help of an intuitive graphical user interface, an operator types in coordinates of specified positions, and the software responds by commanding the robot to move the target to the positions. The software has capabilities for correcting errors and for recording data from the guidance-sensor system being calibrated. The software can also command that the target be moved in a predetermined sequence of motions between specified positions and can be run in an advanced control mode in which, among other things, the target can be moved beyond the limits set by the limit switches.

Integrating Mobile Robotics and Vision with Undergraduate Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cielniak, G.; Bellotto, N.; Duckett, T.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the integration of robotics education into an undergraduate Computer Science curriculum. The proposed approach delivers mobile robotics as well as covering the closely related field of Computer Vision and is directly linked to the research conducted at the authors' institution. The paper describes the most relevant details of…

From Sci-Fi to Reality--Mobile Robots Get the Job Done

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Harry T.

2006-01-01

Robots are simply computers that can interact with their environment. Some are fixed in place in industrial assembly plants for cars, appliances, micro electronic circuitry, and pharmaceuticals. Another important category of robots is the mobiles, machines that can be driven to the workplace, often designed for hazardous duty operation or…

Speed Daemon: Experience-Based Mobile Robot Speed Scheduling

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

a wheeled mobile robot. Robotica , 20(2): 181–193, 2002. [7] O. Purwin and R. D‘Andrea. Trajectory generation and control for four wheeled...robot on an uneven surface. Robotica , 27(4):481–498, 2009. [9] S. Thrun, M. Montemerlo, H. Dahlkamp, D. Stavens, A. Aron, J. Diebel, P. Fong, J. Gale

A Contest-Oriented Project for Learning Intelligent Mobile Robots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsin-Hsiung; Su, Juing-Huei; Lee, Chyi-Shyong

2013-01-01

A contest-oriented project for undergraduate students to learn implementation skills and theories related to intelligent mobile robots is presented in this paper. The project, related to Micromouse, Robotrace (Robotrace is the title of Taiwanese and Japanese robot races), and line-maze contests was developed by the embedded control system research…

Effects of robot-guided passive stretching and active movement training of ankle and mobility impairments in stroke.

PubMed

Waldman, Genna; Yang, Chung-Yong; Ren, Yupeng; Liu, Lin; Guo, Xin; Harvey, Richard L; Roth, Elliot J; Zhang, Li-Qun

2013-01-01

To investigate the effects of controlled passive stretching and active movement training using a portable rehabilitation robot on stroke survivors with ankle and mobility impairment. Twenty-four patients at least 3 months post stroke were assigned to receive 6 week training using the portable robot in a research laboratory (robot group) or an instructed exercise program at home (control group). All patients underwent clinical and biomechanical evaluations in the laboratory at pre-evaluation, post-evaluation, and 6-week follow-up. Subjects in the robot group improved significantly more than that in the control group in reduction in spasticity measured by modified Ashworth scale, mobility by Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement (STREAM), the balance by Berg balance score, dorsiflexion passive range of motion, dorsiflexion strength, and load bearing on the affected limb during gait after 6-week training. Both groups improved in the STREAM, dorsiflexion active range of motion and dorsiflexor strength after the training, which were retained in the follow-up evaluation. Robot-assisted passive stretching and active movement training is effective in improving motor function and mobility post stroke.

Design of a novel wheeled tensegrity robot: a comparison of tensegrity concepts and a prototype for travelling air ducts.

PubMed

Carreño, Francisco; Post, Mark A

2018-01-01

Efforts in the research of tensegrity structures applied to mobile robots have recently been focused on a purely tensegrity solution to all design requirements. Locomotion systems based on tensegrity structures are currently slow and complex to control. Although wheeled locomotion provides better efficiency over distances there is no literature available on the value of wheeled methods with respect to tensegrity designs, nor on how to transition from a tensegrity structure to a fixed structure in mobile robotics. This paper is the first part of a larger study that aims to combine the flexibility, light weight, and strength of a tensegrity structure with the efficiency and simple control of a wheeled locomotion system. It focuses on comparing different types of tensegrity structure for applicability to a mobile robot, and experimentally finding an appropriate transitional region from a tensegrity structure to a conventional fixed structure on mobile robots. It applies this transitional structure to what is, to the authors' knowledge, the design of the world's first wheeled tensegrity robot that has been designed with the goal of traversing air ducts.

Controlling Herds of Cooperative Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quadrelli, Marco B.

2006-01-01

A document poses, and suggests a program of research for answering, questions of how to achieve autonomous operation of herds of cooperative robots to be used in exploration and/or colonization of remote planets. In a typical scenario, a flock of mobile sensory robots would be deployed in a previously unexplored region, one of the robots would be designated the leader, and the leader would issue commands to move the robots to different locations or aim sensors at different targets to maximize scientific return. It would be necessary to provide for this hierarchical, cooperative behavior even in the face of such unpredictable factors as terrain obstacles. A potential-fields approach is proposed as a theoretical basis for developing methods of autonomous command and guidance of a herd. A survival-of-the-fittest approach is suggested as a theoretical basis for selection, mutation, and adaptation of a description of (1) the body, joints, sensors, actuators, and control computer of each robot, and (2) the connectivity of each robot with the rest of the herd, such that the herd could be regarded as consisting of a set of artificial creatures that evolve to adapt to a previously unknown environment. A distributed simulation environment has been developed to test the proposed approaches in the Titan environment. One blimp guides three surface sondes via a potential field approach. The results of the simulation demonstrate that the method used for control is feasible, even if significant uncertainty exists in the dynamics and environmental models, and that the control architecture provides the autonomy needed to enable surface science data collection.

Adaptive Behavior for Mobile Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huntsberger, Terrance

2009-01-01

The term "System for Mobility and Access to Rough Terrain" (SMART) denotes a theoretical framework, a control architecture, and an algorithm that implements the framework and architecture, for enabling a land-mobile robot to adapt to changing conditions. SMART is intended to enable the robot to recognize adverse terrain conditions beyond its optimal operational envelope, and, in response, to intelligently reconfigure itself (e.g., adjust suspension heights or baseline distances between suspension points) or adapt its driving techniques (e.g., engage in a crabbing motion as a switchback technique for ascending steep terrain). Conceived for original application aboard Mars rovers and similar autonomous or semi-autonomous mobile robots used in exploration of remote planets, SMART could also be applied to autonomous terrestrial vehicles to be used for search, rescue, and/or exploration on rough terrain.

A PIC microcontroller-based system for real-life interfacing of external peripherals with a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, N. Nirmal; Chatterjee, Amitava; Rakshit, Anjan

2010-02-01

The present article describes the development of a peripheral interface controller (PIC) microcontroller-based system for interfacing external add-on peripherals with a real mobile robot, for real life applications. This system serves as an important building block of a complete integrated vision-based mobile robot system, integrated indigenously in our laboratory. The system is composed of the KOALA mobile robot in conjunction with a personal computer (PC) and a two-camera-based vision system where the PIC microcontroller is used to drive servo motors, in interrupt-driven mode, to control additional degrees of freedom of the vision system. The performance of the developed system is tested by checking it under the control of several user-specified commands, issued from the PC end.

Method of mobile robot indoor navigation by artificial landmarks with use of computer vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glibin, E. S.; Shevtsov, A. A.; Enik, O. A.

2018-05-01

The article describes an algorithm of the mobile robot indoor navigation based on the use of visual odometry. The results of the experiment identifying calculation errors in the distance traveled on a slip are presented. It is shown that the use of computer vision allows one to correct erroneous coordinates of the robot with the help of artificial landmarks. The control system utilizing the proposed method has been realized on the basis of Arduino Mego 2560 controller and a single-board computer Raspberry Pi 3. The results of the experiment on the mobile robot navigation with the use of this control system are presented.

Usability Study and Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for Installations and Base Operations (ARIBO) Driverless Vehicle Reservation Application ARIBO Mobile

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

ARL-TN-0814 ● MAR 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Usability Study and Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for...ARL-TN-0814 ● MAR 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Usability Study and Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for...Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for Installations and Base Operations (ARIBO) Driverless Vehicle Reservation Application ARIBO Mobile 5a

Research in mobile robotics at ORNL/CESAR (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mann, R.C.; Weisbin, C.R.; Pin, F.G.

1989-01-01

This paper reviews ongoing and planned research with mobile autonomous robots at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR). Specifically we report on results obtained with the robot HERMIES-IIB in navigation, intelligent sensing, learning, and on-board parallel computing in support of these functions. We briefly summarize an experiment with HERMIES-IIB that demonstrates the capability of smooth transitions between robot autonomy and tele-operation. This experiment results from collaboration among teams at the Universities of Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas; and ORNL in a program targeted at robotics for advanced nuclear power stations. We conclude bymore » summarizing ongoing R D with our new mobile robot HERMIES-III which is equipped with a seven degree-of-freedom research manipulator arm. 12 refs., 4 figs.« less

Mapping of unknown industrial plant using ROS-based navigation mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priyandoko, G.; Ming, T. Y.; Achmad, M. S. H.

2017-10-01

This research examines how humans work with teleoperated unmanned mobile robot inspection in industrial plant area resulting 2D/3D map for further critical evaluation. This experiment focuses on two parts, the way human-robot doing remote interactions using robust method and the way robot perceives the environment surround as a 2D/3D perspective map. ROS (robot operating system) as a tool was utilized in the development and implementation during the research which comes up with robust data communication method in the form of messages and topics. RGBD SLAM performs the visual mapping function to construct 2D/3D map using Kinect sensor. The results showed that the mobile robot-based teleoperated system are successful to extend human perspective in term of remote surveillance in large area of industrial plant. It was concluded that the proposed work is robust solution for large mapping within an unknown construction building.

Trial Development of a Mobile Feeding Assistive Robotic Arm for People with Physical Disabilities of the Extremities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uehara, Hideyuki; Higa, Hiroki; Soken, Takashi; Namihira, Yoshinori

A mobile feeding assistive robotic arm for people with physical disabilities of the extremities has been developed in this paper. This system is composed of a robotic arm, microcontroller, and its interface. The main unit of the robotic arm can be contained in a laptop computer's briefcase. Its weight is 5kg, including two 12-V lead acid rechargeable batteries. This robotic arm can be also mounted on a wheelchair. To verify performance of the mobile robotic arm system, drinking tea task was experimentally performed by two able-bodied subjects as well as three persons suffering from muscular dystrophy. From the experimental results, it was clear that they could smoothly carry out the drinking task, and that the robotic arm could firmly grasp a commercially available 500-ml plastic bottle. The eating task was also performed by the two able-bodied subjects. The experimental results showed that they could eat porridge by using a spoon without any difficulty.

Mobility Systems For Robotic Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, Wendell

1987-02-01

The majority of existing robotic systems can be decomposed into five distinct subsystems: locomotion, control/man-machine interface (MMI), sensors, power source, and manipulator. When designing robotic vehicles, there are two main requirements: first, to design for the environment and second, for the task. The environment can be correlated with known missions. This can be seen by analyzing existing mobile robots. Ground mobile systems are generally wheeled, tracked, or legged. More recently, underwater vehicles have gained greater attention. For example, Jason Jr. made history by surveying the sunken luxury liner, the Titanic. The next big surge of robotic vehicles will be in space. This will evolve as a result of NASA's commitment to the Space Station. The foreseeable robots will interface with current systems as well as standalone, free-flying systems. A space robotic vehicle is similar to its underwater counterpart with very few differences. Their commonality includes missions and degrees-of-freedom. The issues of stability and communication are inherent in both systems and environment.

Determining robot actions for tasks requiring sensor interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budenske, John; Gini, Maria

1989-01-01

The performance of non-trivial tasks by a mobile robot has been a long term objective of robotic research. One of the major stumbling blocks to this goal is the conversion of the high-level planning goals and commands into the actuator and sensor processing controls. In order for a mobile robot to accomplish a non-trivial task, the task must be described in terms of primitive actions of the robot's actuators. Most non-trivial tasks require the robot to interact with its environment; thus necessitating coordination of sensor processing and actuator control to accomplish the task. The main contention is that the transformation from the high level description of the task to the primitive actions should be performed primarily at execution time, when knowledge about the environment can be obtained through sensors. It is proposed to produce the detailed plan of primitive actions by using a collection of low-level planning components that contain domain specific knowledge and knowledge about the available sensors, actuators, and sensor/actuator processing. This collection will perform signal and control processing as well as serve as a control interface between an actual mobile robot and a high-level planning system. Previous research has shown the usefulness of high-level planning systems to plan the coordination of activities such to achieve a goal, but none have been fully applied to actual mobile robots due to the complexity of interacting with sensors and actuators. This control interface is currently being implemented on a LABMATE mobile robot connected to a SUN workstation and will be developed such to enable the LABMATE to perform non-trivial, sensor-intensive tasks as specified by a planning system.

Mobile robots for localizing gas emission sources on landfill sites: is bio-inspiration the way to go?

PubMed

Hernandez Bennetts, Victor; Lilienthal, Achim J; Neumann, Patrick P; Trincavelli, Marco

2011-01-01

Roboticists often take inspiration from animals for designing sensors, actuators, or algorithms that control the behavior of robots. Bio-inspiration is motivated with the uncanny ability of animals to solve complex tasks like recognizing and manipulating objects, walking on uneven terrains, or navigating to the source of an odor plume. In particular the task of tracking an odor plume up to its source has nearly exclusively been addressed using biologically inspired algorithms and robots have been developed, for example, to mimic the behavior of moths, dung beetles, or lobsters. In this paper we argue that biomimetic approaches to gas source localization are of limited use, primarily because animals differ fundamentally in their sensing and actuation capabilities from state-of-the-art gas-sensitive mobile robots. To support our claim, we compare actuation and chemical sensing available to mobile robots to the corresponding capabilities of moths. We further characterize airflow and chemosensor measurements obtained with three different robot platforms (two wheeled robots and one flying micro-drone) in four prototypical environments and show that the assumption of a constant and unidirectional airflow, which is the basis of many gas source localization approaches, is usually far from being valid. This analysis should help to identify how underlying principles, which govern the gas source tracking behavior of animals, can be usefully "translated" into gas source localization approaches that fully take into account the capabilities of mobile robots. We also describe the requirements for a reference application, monitoring of gas emissions at landfill sites with mobile robots, and discuss an engineered gas source localization approach based on statistics as an alternative to biologically inspired algorithms.

Mobile Robots for Localizing Gas Emission Sources on Landfill Sites: Is Bio-Inspiration the Way to Go?

PubMed Central

Hernandez Bennetts, Victor; Lilienthal, Achim J.; Neumann, Patrick P.; Trincavelli, Marco

2011-01-01

Roboticists often take inspiration from animals for designing sensors, actuators, or algorithms that control the behavior of robots. Bio-inspiration is motivated with the uncanny ability of animals to solve complex tasks like recognizing and manipulating objects, walking on uneven terrains, or navigating to the source of an odor plume. In particular the task of tracking an odor plume up to its source has nearly exclusively been addressed using biologically inspired algorithms and robots have been developed, for example, to mimic the behavior of moths, dung beetles, or lobsters. In this paper we argue that biomimetic approaches to gas source localization are of limited use, primarily because animals differ fundamentally in their sensing and actuation capabilities from state-of-the-art gas-sensitive mobile robots. To support our claim, we compare actuation and chemical sensing available to mobile robots to the corresponding capabilities of moths. We further characterize airflow and chemosensor measurements obtained with three different robot platforms (two wheeled robots and one flying micro-drone) in four prototypical environments and show that the assumption of a constant and unidirectional airflow, which is the basis of many gas source localization approaches, is usually far from being valid. This analysis should help to identify how underlying principles, which govern the gas source tracking behavior of animals, can be usefully “translated” into gas source localization approaches that fully take into account the capabilities of mobile robots. We also describe the requirements for a reference application, monitoring of gas emissions at landfill sites with mobile robots, and discuss an engineered gas source localization approach based on statistics as an alternative to biologically inspired algorithms. PMID:22319493

Tank-automotive robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lane, Gerald R.

1999-07-01

To provide an overview of Tank-Automotive Robotics. The briefing will contain program overviews & inter-relationships and technology challenges of TARDEC managed unmanned and robotic ground vehicle programs. Specific emphasis will focus on technology developments/approaches to achieve semi- autonomous operation and inherent chassis mobility features. Programs to be discussed include: DemoIII Experimental Unmanned Vehicle (XUV), Tactical Mobile Robotics (TMR), Intelligent Mobility, Commanders Driver Testbed, Collision Avoidance, International Ground Robotics Competition (ICGRC). Specifically, the paper will discuss unique exterior/outdoor challenges facing the IGRC competing teams and the synergy created between the IGRC and ongoing DoD semi-autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle and DoT Intelligent Transportation System programs. Sensor and chassis approaches to meet the IGRC challenges and obstacles will be shown and discussed. Shortfalls in performance to meet the IGRC challenges will be identified.

Dual adaptive dynamic control of mobile robots using neural networks.

PubMed

Bugeja, Marvin K; Fabri, Simon G; Camilleri, Liberato

2009-02-01

This paper proposes two novel dual adaptive neural control schemes for the dynamic control of nonholonomic mobile robots. The two schemes are developed in discrete time, and the robot's nonlinear dynamic functions are assumed to be unknown. Gaussian radial basis function and sigmoidal multilayer perceptron neural networks are used for function approximation. In each scheme, the unknown network parameters are estimated stochastically in real time, and no preliminary offline neural network training is used. In contrast to other adaptive techniques hitherto proposed in the literature on mobile robots, the dual control laws presented in this paper do not rely on the heuristic certainty equivalence property but account for the uncertainty in the estimates. This results in a major improvement in tracking performance, despite the plant uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics. Monte Carlo simulation and statistical hypothesis testing are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the two proposed stochastic controllers as applied to the trajectory-tracking problem of a differentially driven wheeled mobile robot.

Path optimisation of a mobile robot using an artificial neural network controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, M. K.; Parhi, D. R.

2011-01-01

This article proposed a novel approach for design of an intelligent controller for an autonomous mobile robot using a multilayer feed forward neural network, which enables the robot to navigate in a real world dynamic environment. The inputs to the proposed neural controller consist of left, right and front obstacle distance with respect to its position and target angle. The output of the neural network is steering angle. A four layer neural network has been designed to solve the path and time optimisation problem of mobile robots, which deals with the cognitive tasks such as learning, adaptation, generalisation and optimisation. A back propagation algorithm is used to train the network. This article also analyses the kinematic design of mobile robots for dynamic movements. The simulation results are compared with experimental results, which are satisfactory and show very good agreement. The training of the neural nets and the control performance analysis has been done in a real experimental setup.

Tool for Experimenting with Concepts of Mobile Robotics as Applied to Children's Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez Jojoa, E. M.; Bravo, E. C.; Bacca Cortes, E. B.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of a tool for experimenting with mobile robotics concepts, primarily for use by children and teenagers, or by the general public, without previous experience in robotics. This tool helps children learn about science in an approachable and interactive way, using scientific research principles in…

Research on robot mobile obstacle avoidance control based on visual information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Jiang

2018-03-01

Robots to detect obstacles and control robots to avoid obstacles has been a key research topic of robot control. In this paper, a scheme of visual information acquisition is proposed. By judging visual information, the visual information is transformed into the information source of path processing. In accordance with the established route, in the process of encountering obstacles, the algorithm real-time adjustment trajectory to meet the purpose of intelligent control of mobile robots. Simulation results show that, through the integration of visual sensing information, the obstacle information is fully obtained, while the real-time and accuracy of the robot movement control is guaranteed.

Automatic Operation For A Robot Lawn Mower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Y. Y.; Cao, Z. L.; Oh, S. J.; Kattan, E. U.; Hall, E. L.

1987-02-01

A domestic mobile robot, lawn mower, which performs the automatic operation mode, has been built up in the Center of Robotics Research, University of Cincinnati. The robot lawn mower automatically completes its work with the region filling operation, a new kind of path planning for mobile robots. Some strategies for region filling of path planning have been developed for a partly-known or a unknown environment. Also, an advanced omnidirectional navigation system and a multisensor-based control system are used in the automatic operation. Research on the robot lawn mower, especially on the region filling of path planning, is significant in industrial and agricultural applications.

Embedded mobile farm robot for identification of diseased plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadistap, S. S.; Botre, B. A.; Pandit, Harshavardhan; Chandrasekhar; Rao, Adesh

2013-07-01

This paper presents the development of a mobile robot used in farms for identification of diseased plants. It puts forth two of the major aspects of robotics namely automated navigation and image processing. The robot navigates on the basis of the GPS (Global Positioning System) location and data obtained from IR (Infrared) sensors to avoid any obstacles in its path. It uses an image processing algorithm to differentiate between diseased and non-diseased plants. A robotic platform consisting of an ARM9 processor, motor drivers, robot mechanical assembly, camera and infrared sensors has been used. Mini2440 microcontroller has been used wherein Embedded linux OS (Operating System) is implemented.

Effect of spine motion on mobility in quadruped running

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dongliang; Liu, Qi; Dong, Litao; Wang, Hong; Zhang, Qun

2014-11-01

Most of current running quadruped robots have similar construction: a stiff body and four compliant legs. Many researches have indicated that the stiff body without spine motion is a main factor in limitation of robots' mobility. Therefore, investigating spine motion is very important to build robots with better mobility. A planar quadruped robot is designed based on cheetahs' morphology. There is a spinal driving joint in the body of the robot. When the spinal driving joint acts, the robot has spine motion; otherwise, the robot has not spine motion. Six group prototype experiments with the robot are carried out to study the effect of spine motion on mobility. In each group, there are two comparative experiments: the spinal driving joint acts in one experiment but does not in the other experiment. The results of the prototype experiments indicate that the average speeds of the robot with spine motion are 8.7%-15.9% larger than those of the robot without spine motion. Furthermore, a simplified sagittal plane model of quadruped mammals is introduced. The simplified model also has a spinal driving joint. Using a similar process as the prototype experiments, six group simulation experiments with the simplified model are conducted. The results of the simulation experiments show that the maximum rear leg horizontal thrusts of the simplified mode with spine motion are 68.2%-71.3% larger than those of the simplified mode without spine motion. Hence, it is found that spine motion can increase the average running speed and the intrinsic reason of speed increase is the improvement of the maximum rear leg horizontal thrust.

Hopper on wheels: evolving the hopping robot concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schell, S.; Tretten, A.; Burdick, J.; Fuller, S. B.; Fiorini, P.

2001-01-01

This paper describes the evolution of our concept of hopping robot for planetary exploration, that combines coarse long range mobility achieved by hopping, with short range wheeled mobility for precision target acquisition.

Reachability Analysis for Base Placement in Mobile Manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, H.

1994-01-01

This paper addresses the problem of base placement for mobile robots, and proposes a simple off-line solution to determine the appropriate base locations from which the robot can reach a target point.

Navigation of a care and welfare robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yukawa, Toshihiro; Hosoya, Osamu; Saito, Naoki; Okano, Hideharu

2005-12-01

In this paper, we propose the development of a robot that can perform nursing tasks in a hospital. In a narrow environment such as a sickroom or a hallway, the robot must be able to move freely in arbitrary directions. Therefore, the robot needs to have high controllability and the capability to make precise movements. Our robot can recognize a line by using cameras, and can be controlled in the reference directions by means of comparison with original cell map information; furthermore, it moves safely on the basis of an original center-line established permanently in the building. Correspondence between the robot and a centralized control center enables the robot's autonomous movement in the hospital. Through a navigation system using cell map information, the robot is able to perform nursing tasks smoothly by changing the camera angle.

Control system of the inspection robots group applying auctions and multi-criteria analysis for task allocation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panfil, Wawrzyniec; Moczulski, Wojciech

2017-10-01

In the paper presented is a control system of a mobile robots group intended for carrying out inspection missions. The main research problem was to define such a control system in order to facilitate a cooperation of the robots resulting in realization of the committed inspection tasks. Many of the well-known control systems use auctions for tasks allocation, where a subject of an auction is a task to be allocated. It seems that in the case of missions characterized by much larger number of tasks than number of robots it will be better if robots (instead of tasks) are subjects of auctions. The second identified problem concerns the one-sided robot-to-task fitness evaluation. Simultaneous assessment of the robot-to-task fitness and task attractiveness for robot should affect positively for the overall effectiveness of the multi-robot system performance. The elaborated system allows to assign tasks to robots using various methods for evaluation of fitness between robots and tasks, and using some tasks allocation methods. There is proposed the method for multi-criteria analysis, which is composed of two assessments, i.e. robot's concurrency position for task among other robots and task's attractiveness for robot among other tasks. Furthermore, there are proposed methods for tasks allocation applying the mentioned multi-criteria analysis method. The verification of both the elaborated system and the proposed tasks' allocation methods was carried out with the help of simulated experiments. The object under test was a group of inspection mobile robots being a virtual counterpart of the real mobile-robot group.

Sensor Fusion Based Model for Collision Free Mobile Robot Navigation

PubMed Central

Almasri, Marwah; Elleithy, Khaled; Alajlan, Abrar

2015-01-01

Autonomous mobile robots have become a very popular and interesting topic in the last decade. Each of them are equipped with various types of sensors such as GPS, camera, infrared and ultrasonic sensors. These sensors are used to observe the surrounding environment. However, these sensors sometimes fail and have inaccurate readings. Therefore, the integration of sensor fusion will help to solve this dilemma and enhance the overall performance. This paper presents a collision free mobile robot navigation based on the fuzzy logic fusion model. Eight distance sensors and a range finder camera are used for the collision avoidance approach where three ground sensors are used for the line or path following approach. The fuzzy system is composed of nine inputs which are the eight distance sensors and the camera, two outputs which are the left and right velocities of the mobile robot’s wheels, and 24 fuzzy rules for the robot’s movement. Webots Pro simulator is used for modeling the environment and the robot. The proposed methodology, which includes the collision avoidance based on fuzzy logic fusion model and line following robot, has been implemented and tested through simulation and real time experiments. Various scenarios have been presented with static and dynamic obstacles using one robot and two robots while avoiding obstacles in different shapes and sizes. PMID:26712766

Mobile robots exploration through cnn-based reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Tai, Lei; Liu, Ming

2016-01-01

Exploration in an unknown environment is an elemental application for mobile robots. In this paper, we outlined a reinforcement learning method aiming for solving the exploration problem in a corridor environment. The learning model took the depth image from an RGB-D sensor as the only input. The feature representation of the depth image was extracted through a pre-trained convolutional-neural-networks model. Based on the recent success of deep Q-network on artificial intelligence, the robot controller achieved the exploration and obstacle avoidance abilities in several different simulated environments. It is the first time that the reinforcement learning is used to build an exploration strategy for mobile robots through raw sensor information.

ARK: Autonomous mobile robot in an industrial environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nickerson, S. B.; Jasiobedzki, P.; Jenkin, M.; Jepson, A.; Milios, E.; Down, B.; Service, J. R. R.; Terzopoulos, D.; Tsotsos, J.; Wilkes, D.

1994-01-01

This paper describes research on the ARK (Autonomous Mobile Robot in a Known Environment) project. The technical objective of the project is to build a robot that can navigate in a complex industrial environment using maps with permanent structures. The environment is not altered in any way by adding easily identifiable beacons and the robot relies on naturally occurring objects to use as visual landmarks for navigation. The robot is equipped with various sensors that can detect unmapped obstacles, landmarks and objects. In this paper we describe the robot's industrial environment, it's architecture, a novel combined range and vision sensor and our recent results in controlling the robot in the real-time detection of objects using their color and in the processing of the robot's range and vision sensor data for navigation.

Intelligent mobility research for robotic locomotion in complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trentini, Michael; Beckman, Blake; Digney, Bruce; Vincent, Isabelle; Ricard, Benoit

2006-05-01

The objective of the Autonomous Intelligent Systems Section of Defence R&D Canada - Suffield is best described by its mission statement, which is "to augment soldiers and combat systems by developing and demonstrating practical, cost effective, autonomous intelligent systems capable of completing military missions in complex operating environments." The mobility requirement for ground-based mobile systems operating in urban settings must increase significantly if robotic technology is to augment human efforts in these roles and environments. The intelligence required for autonomous systems to operate in complex environments demands advances in many fields of robotics. This has resulted in large bodies of research in areas of perception, world representation, and navigation, but the problem of locomotion in complex terrain has largely been ignored. In order to achieve its objective, the Autonomous Intelligent Systems Section is pursuing research that explores the use of intelligent mobility algorithms designed to improve robot mobility. Intelligent mobility uses sensing, control, and learning algorithms to extract measured variables from the world, control vehicle dynamics, and learn by experience. These algorithms seek to exploit available world representations of the environment and the inherent dexterity of the robot to allow the vehicle to interact with its surroundings and produce locomotion in complex terrain. The primary focus of the paper is to present the intelligent mobility research within the framework of the research methodology, plan and direction defined at Defence R&D Canada - Suffield. It discusses the progress and future direction of intelligent mobility research and presents the research tools, topics, and plans to address this critical research gap. This research will create effective intelligence to improve the mobility of ground-based mobile systems operating in urban settings to assist the Canadian Forces in their future urban operations.

Speed control for a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolli, Kaylan C.; Mallikarjun, Sreeram; Kola, Krishnamohan; Hall, Ernest L.

1997-09-01

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have many potential applications in manufacturing, medicine, space and defense. The purpose of this paper is to describe exploratory research on the design of a speed control for a modular autonomous mobile robot controller. The speed control of the traction motor is essential for safe operation of a mobile robot. The challenges of autonomous operation of a vehicle require safe, runaway and collision free operation. A mobile robot test-bed has been constructed using a golf cart base. The computer controlled speed control has been implemented and works with guidance provided by vision system and obstacle avoidance using ultrasonic sensors systems. A 486 computer through a 3- axis motion controller supervises the speed control. The traction motor is controlled via the computer by an EV-1 speed control. Testing of the system was done both in the lab and on an outside course with positive results. This design is a prototype and suggestions for improvements are also given. The autonomous speed controller is applicable for any computer controlled electric drive mobile vehicle.

A development of intelligent entertainment robot for home life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Cheoltaek; Lee, Ju-Jang

2005-12-01

The purpose of this paper was to present the study and design idea for entertainment robot with educational purpose (IRFEE). The robot has been designed for home life considering dependability and interaction. The developed robot has three objectives - 1. Develop autonomous robot, 2. Design robot considering mobility and robustness, 3. Develop robot interface and software considering entertainment and education functionalities. The autonomous navigation was implemented by active vision based SLAM and modified EPF algorithm. The two differential wheels, the pan-tilt were designed mobility and robustness and the exterior was designed considering esthetic element and minimizing interference. The speech and tracking algorithm provided the good interface with human. The image transfer and Internet site connection is needed for service of remote connection and educational purpose.

Lightweight robotic mobility: template-based modeling for dynamics and controls using ADAMS/car and MATLAB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, Peter G.; Gorsich, David J.; Hudas, Greg R.; Overholt, James

2003-09-01

The U.S. Army is seeking to develop autonomous off-road mobile robots to perform tasks in the field such as supply delivery and reconnaissance in dangerous territory. A key problem to be solved with these robots is off-road mobility, to ensure that the robots can accomplish their tasks without loss or damage. We have developed a computer model of one such concept robot, the small-scale "T-1" omnidirectional vehicle (ODV), to study the effects of different control strategies on the robot's mobility in off-road settings. We built the dynamic model in ADAMS/Car and the control system in Matlab/Simulink. This paper presents the template-based method used to construct the ADAMS model of the T-1 ODV. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of ADAMS/Car software in such an application, and describes the benefits and challenges of the approach as a whole. The paper also addresses effective linking of ADAMS/Car and Matlab for complete control system development. Finally, this paper includes a section describing the extension of the T-1 templates to other similar ODV concepts for rapid development.

Multi Sensor Fusion Framework for Indoor-Outdoor Localization of Limited Resource Mobile Robots

PubMed Central

Marín, Leonardo; Vallés, Marina; Soriano, Ángel; Valera, Ángel; Albertos, Pedro

2013-01-01

This paper presents a sensor fusion framework that improves the localization of mobile robots with limited computational resources. It employs an event based Kalman Filter to combine the measurements of a global sensor and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on an event based schedule, using fewer resources (execution time and bandwidth) but with similar performance when compared to the traditional methods. The event is defined to reflect the necessity of the global information, when the estimation error covariance exceeds a predefined limit. The proposed experimental platforms are based on the LEGO Mindstorm NXT, and consist of a differential wheel mobile robot navigating indoors with a zenithal camera as global sensor, and an Ackermann steering mobile robot navigating outdoors with a SBG Systems GPS accessed through an IGEP board that also serves as datalogger. The IMU in both robots is built using the NXT motor encoders along with one gyroscope, one compass and two accelerometers from Hitecnic, placed according to a particle based dynamic model of the robots. The tests performed reflect the correct performance and low execution time of the proposed framework. The robustness and stability is observed during a long walk test in both indoors and outdoors environments. PMID:24152933

Multi sensor fusion framework for indoor-outdoor localization of limited resource mobile robots.

PubMed

Marín, Leonardo; Vallés, Marina; Soriano, Ángel; Valera, Ángel; Albertos, Pedro

2013-10-21

This paper presents a sensor fusion framework that improves the localization of mobile robots with limited computational resources. It employs an event based Kalman Filter to combine the measurements of a global sensor and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on an event based schedule, using fewer resources (execution time and bandwidth) but with similar performance when compared to the traditional methods. The event is defined to reflect the necessity of the global information, when the estimation error covariance exceeds a predefined limit. The proposed experimental platforms are based on the LEGO Mindstorm NXT, and consist of a differential wheel mobile robot navigating indoors with a zenithal camera as global sensor, and an Ackermann steering mobile robot navigating outdoors with a SBG Systems GPS accessed through an IGEP board that also serves as datalogger. The IMU in both robots is built using the NXT motor encoders along with one gyroscope, one compass and two accelerometers from Hitecnic, placed according to a particle based dynamic model of the robots. The tests performed reflect the correct performance and low execution time of the proposed framework. The robustness and stability is observed during a long walk test in both indoors and outdoors environments.

Tele-assistance for semi-autonomous robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Erika; Murphy, Robin R.

1994-01-01

This paper describes a new approach in semi-autonomous mobile robots. In this approach the robot has sufficient computerized intelligence to function autonomously under a certain set of conditions, while the local system is a cooperative decision making unit that combines human and machine intelligence. Communication is then allowed to take place in a common mode and in a common language. A number of exception-handling scenarios that were constructed as a result of experiments with actual sensor data collected from two mobile robots were presented.

Development of a Mobile Robot with Wavy Movement by Rotating Bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitagawa, Ato; Zhang, Liang; Eguchi, Takashi; Tsukagoshi, Hideyuki

A mobile robot with a new type of movement called wavy movement is proposed in this paper. Wavy movement can be readily realized by many bars or crosses which are rotating at equivalent speeds, and the robot with simple structure and easy control method is able to ascend and descend stairs by covering the corners of stairs within separate wave shapes between touching points. The principle of wavy movement, the mechanism, and the experimental result of the proposed robot are discussed.

Symbolic dynamic filtering and language measure for behavior identification of mobile robots.

PubMed

Mallapragada, Goutham; Ray, Asok; Jin, Xin

2012-06-01

This paper presents a procedure for behavior identification of mobile robots, which requires limited or no domain knowledge of the underlying process. While the features of robot behavior are extracted by symbolic dynamic filtering of the observed time series, the behavior patterns are classified based on language measure theory. The behavior identification procedure has been experimentally validated on a networked robotic test bed by comparison with commonly used tools, namely, principal component analysis for feature extraction and Bayesian risk analysis for pattern classification.

Multicriteria adaptation principle on example of groups of mobile robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelyubin, A. P.; Misyurin, S. Yu

2017-12-01

The article presents a multicriteria approach to the adaptation of groups of search, explore or research robots to unknown and volatile environment conditions. The basis of this approach is the application of multicriteria analysis both at the design stage of a group of mobile robots and at the stage of its adaptation in real-time conditions. It is proposed to maintain a variety of robots by properties and by optimality criteria in order to take into account the preferred mode of operation.

Distributed Finite-Time Cooperative Control of Multiple High-Order Nonholonomic Mobile Robots.

PubMed

Du, Haibo; Wen, Guanghui; Cheng, Yingying; He, Yigang; Jia, Ruting

2017-12-01

The consensus problem of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots in the form of high-order chained structure is considered in this paper. Based on the model features and the finite-time control technique, a finite-time cooperative controller is explicitly constructed which guarantees that the states consensus is achieved in a finite time. As an application of the proposed results, finite-time formation control of multiple wheeled mobile robots is studied and a finite-time formation control algorithm is proposed. To show effectiveness of the proposed approach, a simulation example is given.

TRC research products: Components for service robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lob, W. Stuart

1994-01-01

Transitions Research Corporation has developed a variety of technologies to accomplish its central mission: the creation of commercially viable robots for the service industry. Collectively, these technologies comprise the TRC 'robot tool kit.' The company started by developing a robot base that serves as a foundation for mobile robot research and development, both within TRC and at customer sites around the world. A diverse collection of sensing techniques evolved more recently, many of which have been made available to the international mobile robot research community as commercial products. These 'tool-kit' research products are described in this paper. The largest component of TRC's commercial operation is a product called HelpMate for material transport and delivery in health care institutions.

Object Transportation by Two Mobile Robots with Hand Carts

PubMed Central

Hara, Tatsunori

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a methodology by which two small mobile robots can grasp, lift, and transport large objects using hand carts. The specific problems involve generating robot actions and determining the hand cart positions to achieve the stable loading of objects onto the carts. These problems are solved using nonlinear optimization, and we propose an algorithm for generating robot actions. The proposed method was verified through simulations and experiments using actual devices in a real environment. The proposed method could reduce the number of robots required to transport large objects with 50–60%. In addition, we demonstrated the efficacy of this task in real environments where errors occur in robot sensing and movement. PMID:27433499

Object Transportation by Two Mobile Robots with Hand Carts.

PubMed

Sakuyama, Takuya; Figueroa Heredia, Jorge David; Ogata, Taiki; Hara, Tatsunori; Ota, Jun

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a methodology by which two small mobile robots can grasp, lift, and transport large objects using hand carts. The specific problems involve generating robot actions and determining the hand cart positions to achieve the stable loading of objects onto the carts. These problems are solved using nonlinear optimization, and we propose an algorithm for generating robot actions. The proposed method was verified through simulations and experiments using actual devices in a real environment. The proposed method could reduce the number of robots required to transport large objects with 50-60%. In addition, we demonstrated the efficacy of this task in real environments where errors occur in robot sensing and movement.

Autonomous Evolution of Dynamic Gaits with Two Quadruped Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornby, Gregory S.; Takamura, Seichi; Yamamoto, Takashi; Fujita, Masahiro

2004-01-01

A challenging task that must be accomplished for every legged robot is creating the walking and running behaviors needed for it to move. In this paper we describe our system for autonomously evolving dynamic gaits on two of Sony's quadruped robots. Our evolutionary algorithm runs on board the robot and uses the robot's sensors to compute the quality of a gait without assistance from the experimenter. First we show the evolution of a pace and trot gait on the OPEN-R prototype robot. With the fastest gait, the robot moves at over 10/min/min., which is more than forty body-lengths/min. While these first gaits are somewhat sensitive to the robot and environment in which they are evolved, we then show the evolution of robust dynamic gaits, one of which is used on the ERS-110, the first consumer version of AIBO.

Location-Driven Image Retrieval for Images Collected by a Mobile Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Kanji; Hirayama, Mitsuru; Okada, Nobuhiro; Kondo, Eiji

Mobile robot teleoperation is a method for a human user to interact with a mobile robot over time and distance. Successful teleoperation depends on how well images taken by the mobile robot are visualized to the user. To enhance the efficiency and flexibility of the visualization, an image retrieval system on such a robot’s image database would be very useful. The main difference of the robot’s image database from standard image databases is that various relevant images exist due to variety of viewing conditions. The main contribution of this paper is to propose an efficient retrieval approach, named location-driven approach, utilizing correlation between visual features and real world locations of images. Combining the location-driven approach with the conventional feature-driven approach, our goal can be viewed as finding an optimal classifier between relevant and irrelevant feature-location pairs. An active learning technique based on support vector machine is extended for this aim.

Ambient intelligence application based on environmental measurements performed with an assistant mobile robot.

PubMed

Martinez, Dani; Teixidó, Mercè; Font, Davinia; Moreno, Javier; Tresanchez, Marcel; Marco, Santiago; Palacín, Jordi

2014-03-27

This paper proposes the use of an autonomous assistant mobile robot in order to monitor the environmental conditions of a large indoor area and develop an ambient intelligence application. The mobile robot uses single high performance embedded sensors in order to collect and geo-reference environmental information such as ambient temperature, air velocity and orientation and gas concentration. The data collected with the assistant mobile robot is analyzed in order to detect unusual measurements or discrepancies and develop focused corrective ambient actions. This paper shows an example of the measurements performed in a research facility which have enabled the detection and location of an uncomfortable temperature profile inside an office of the research facility. The ambient intelligent application has been developed by performing some localized ambient measurements that have been analyzed in order to propose some ambient actuations to correct the uncomfortable temperature profile.

Ambient Intelligence Application Based on Environmental Measurements Performed with an Assistant Mobile Robot

PubMed Central

Martinez, Dani; Teixidó, Mercè; Font, Davinia; Moreno, Javier; Tresanchez, Marcel; Marco, Santiago; Palacín, Jordi

2014-01-01

This paper proposes the use of an autonomous assistant mobile robot in order to monitor the environmental conditions of a large indoor area and develop an ambient intelligence application. The mobile robot uses single high performance embedded sensors in order to collect and geo-reference environmental information such as ambient temperature, air velocity and orientation and gas concentration. The data collected with the assistant mobile robot is analyzed in order to detect unusual measurements or discrepancies and develop focused corrective ambient actions. This paper shows an example of the measurements performed in a research facility which have enabled the detection and location of an uncomfortable temperature profile inside an office of the research facility. The ambient intelligent application has been developed by performing some localized ambient measurements that have been analyzed in order to propose some ambient actuations to correct the uncomfortable temperature profile. PMID:24681671

Intelligent mobility for robotic vehicles in the army after next

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerhart, Grant R.; Goetz, Richard C.; Gorsich, David J.

1999-07-01

The TARDEC Intelligent Mobility program addresses several essential technologies necessary to support the army after next (AAN) concept. Ground forces in the AAN time frame will deploy robotic unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in high-risk missions to avoid exposing soldiers to both friendly and unfriendly fire. Prospective robotic systems will include RSTA/scout vehicles, combat engineering/mine clearing vehicles, indirect fire artillery and missile launch platforms. The AAN concept requires high on-road and off-road mobility, survivability, transportability/deployability and low logistics burden. TARDEC is developing a robotic vehicle systems integration laboratory (SIL) to evaluate technologies and their integration into future UGV systems. Example technologies include the following: in-hub electric drive, omni-directional wheel and steering configurations, off-road tires, adaptive tire inflation, articulated vehicles, active suspension, mine blast protection, detection avoidance and evasive maneuver. This paper will describe current developments in these areas relative to the TARDEC intelligent mobility program.

Improving mobile robot localization: grid-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Junchi

2012-02-01

Autonomous mobile robots have been widely studied not only as advanced facilities for industrial and daily life automation, but also as a testbed in robotics competitions for extending the frontier of current artificial intelligence. In many of such contests, the robot is supposed to navigate on the ground with a grid layout. Based on this observation, we present a localization error correction method by exploring the geometric feature of the tile patterns. On top of the classical inertia-based positioning, our approach employs three fiber-optic sensors that are assembled under the bottom of the robot, presenting an equilateral triangle layout. The sensor apparatus, together with the proposed supporting algorithm, are designed to detect a line's direction (vertical or horizontal) by monitoring the grid crossing events. As a result, the line coordinate information can be fused to rectify the cumulative localization deviation from inertia positioning. The proposed method is analyzed theoretically in terms of its error bound and also has been implemented and tested on a customary developed two-wheel autonomous mobile robot.

A qualitative study of in-home robotic telepresence for home care of community-living elderly subjects.

PubMed

Boissy, Patrick; Corriveau, Hélène; Michaud, François; Labonté, Daniel; Royer, Marie-Pier

2007-01-01

We examined the requirements for robots in home telecare using two focus groups. The first comprised six healthcare professionals involved in geriatric care and the second comprised six elderly people with disabilities living in the community. The concept of an in-home telepresence robot was illustrated using a photograph of a mobile robot, and participants were then asked to suggest potential health care applications. Interview data derived from the transcript of each group discussion were analyzed using qualitative induction based on content analysis. The analyses yielded statements that were categorized under three themes: potential applications, usability issues and user requirements. Teleoperated mobile robotic systems in the home were thought to be useful in assisting multidisciplinary patient care through improved communication between patients and healthcare professionals, and offering respite and support to caregivers under certain conditions. The shift from a traditional hospital-centred model of care in geriatrics to a home-based model creates opportunities for using telepresence with mobile robotic systems in home telecare.

Local adjacency metric dimension of sun graph and stacked book graph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulisda Badri, Alifiah; Darmaji

2018-03-01

A graph is a mathematical system consisting of a non-empty set of nodes and a set of empty sides. One of the topics to be studied in graph theory is the metric dimension. Application in the metric dimension is the navigation robot system on a path. Robot moves from one vertex to another vertex in the field by minimizing the errors that occur in translating the instructions (code) obtained from the vertices of that location. To move the robot must give different instructions (code). In order for the robot to move efficiently, the robot must be fast to translate the code of the nodes of the location it passes. so that the location vertex has a minimum distance. However, if the robot must move with the vertex location on a very large field, so the robot can not detect because the distance is too far.[6] In this case, the robot can determine its position by utilizing location vertices based on adjacency. The problem is to find the minimum cardinality of the required location vertex, and where to put, so that the robot can determine its location. The solution to this problem is the dimension of adjacency metric and adjacency metric bases. Rodrguez-Velzquez and Fernau combine the adjacency metric dimensions with local metric dimensions, thus becoming the local adjacency metric dimension. In the local adjacency metric dimension each vertex in the graph may have the same adjacency representation as the terms of the vertices. To obtain the local metric dimension of values in the graph of the Sun and the stacked book graph is used the construction method by considering the representation of each adjacent vertex of the graph.

Localization of Mobile Robots Using an Extended Kalman Filter in a LEGO NXT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, M.; Moreira, A. P.; Matos, A.

2012-01-01

The inspiration for this paper comes from a successful experiment conducted with students in the "Mobile Robots" course in the fifth year of the integrated Master's program in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), Porto, Portugal. One of the topics in this Mobile Robots…

Energy efficiency of mobile soft robots.

PubMed

Shui, Langquan; Zhu, Liangliang; Yang, Zhe; Liu, Yilun; Chen, Xi

2017-11-15

The performance of mobile soft robots is usually characterized by their locomotion/velocity efficiency, whereas the energy efficiency is a more intrinsic and fundamental criterion for the performance evaluation of independent or integrated soft robots. In this work, a general framework is established to evaluate the energy efficiency of mobile soft robots by considering the efficiency of the energy source, actuator and locomotion, and some insights for improving the efficiency of soft robotic systems are presented. Proposed as the ratio of the desired locomotion kinetic energy to the input mechanical energy, the energy efficiency of locomotion is found to play a critical role in determining the overall energy efficiency of soft robots. Four key factors related to the locomotion energy efficiency are identified, that is, the locomotion modes, material properties, geometric sizes, and actuation states. It is found that the energy efficiency of most mobile soft robots reported in the literature is surprisingly low (mostly below 0.1%), due to the inefficient mechanical energy that essentially does not contribute to the desired locomotion. A comparison of the locomotion energy efficiency for several representative locomotion modes in the literature is presented, showing a descending ranking as: jumping ≫ fish-like swimming > snake-like slithering > rolling > rising/turning over > inchworm-like inching > quadruped gait > earthworm-like squirming. Besides, considering the same locomotion mode, soft robots with lower stiffness, higher density and larger size tend to have higher locomotion energy efficiency. Moreover, a periodic pulse actuation instead of a continuous actuation mode may significantly reduce the input mechanical energy, thus improving the locomotion energy efficiency, especially when the pulse actuation matches the resonant states of the soft robots. The results presented herein indicate a large and necessary space for improving the locomotion energy efficiency, which is of practical significance for the future development and application of soft robots.

An Analysis of Navigation Algorithms for Smartphones Using J2ME

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, André C.; Tarrataca, Luís; Cardoso, João M. P.

Embedded systems are considered one of the most potential areas for future innovations. Two embedded fields that will most certainly take a primary role in future innovations are mobile robotics and mobile computing. Mobile robots and smartphones are growing in number and functionalities, becoming a presence in our daily life. In this paper, we study the current feasibility of a smartphone to execute navigation algorithms. As a test case, we use a smartphone to control an autonomous mobile robot. We tested three navigation problems: Mapping, Localization and Path Planning. For each of these problems, an algorithm has been chosen, developed in J2ME, and tested on the field. Results show the current mobile Java capacity for executing computationally demanding algorithms and reveal the real possibility of using smartphones for autonomous navigation.

Robotics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waddell, Steve; Doty, Keith L.

1999-01-01

"Why Teach Robotics?" (Waddell) suggests that the United States lags behind Europe and Japan in use of robotics in industry and teaching. "Creating a Course in Mobile Robotics" (Doty) outlines course elements of the Intelligent Machines Design Lab. (SK)

Mobility of lightweight robots over snow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lever, James H.; Shoop, Sally A.

2006-05-01

Snowfields are challenging terrain for lightweight (<50 kg) unmanned ground vehicles. Deep sinkage, high snowcompaction resistance, traction loss while turning and ingestion of snow into the drive train can cause immobility within a few meters of travel. However, for suitably designed vehicles, deep snow offers a smooth, uniform surface that can obliterate obstacles. Key requirements for good over-snow mobility are low ground pressure, large clearance relative to vehicle size and a drive system that tolerates cohesive snow. A small robot will invariably encounter deep snow relative to its ground clearance. Because a single snowstorm can easily deposit 30 cm of fresh snow, robots with ground clearance less than about 10 cm must travel over the snow rather than gain support from the underlying ground. This can be accomplished using low-pressure tracks (< 1.5 kPa). Even still, snow-compaction resistance can exceed 20% of vehicle weight. Also, despite relatively high traction coefficients for low track pressures, differential or skid steering is difficult because the outboard track can easily break traction as the vehicle attempts to turn against the snow. Short track lengths (relative to track separation) or coupled articulated robots offer steering solutions for deep snow. This paper presents preliminary guidance to design lightweight robots for good mobility over snow based on mobility theory and tests of PackBot, Talon and SnoBot, a custom-designed research robot. Because many other considerations constrain robot designs, this guidance can help with development of winterization kits to improve the over-snow performance of existing robots.

Grid occupancy estimation for environment perception based on belief functions and PCR6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moras, Julien; Dezert, Jean; Pannetier, Benjamin

2015-05-01

In this contribution, we propose to improve the grid map occupancy estimation method developed so far based on belief function modeling and the classical Dempster's rule of combination. Grid map offers a useful representation of the perceived world for mobile robotics navigation. It will play a major role for the security (obstacle avoidance) of next generations of terrestrial vehicles, as well as for future autonomous navigation systems. In a grid map, the occupancy of each cell representing a small piece of the surrounding area of the robot must be estimated at first from sensors measurements (typically LIDAR, or camera), and then it must also be classified into different classes in order to get a complete and precise perception of the dynamic environment where the robot moves. So far, the estimation and the grid map updating have been done using fusion techniques based on the probabilistic framework, or on the classical belief function framework thanks to an inverse model of the sensors. Mainly because the latter offers an interesting management of uncertainties when the quality of available information is low, and when the sources of information appear as conflicting. To improve the performances of the grid map estimation, we propose in this paper to replace Dempster's rule of combination by the PCR6 rule (Proportional Conflict Redistribution rule #6) proposed in DSmT (Dezert-Smarandache) Theory. As an illustrating scenario, we consider a platform moving in dynamic area and we compare our new realistic simulation results (based on a LIDAR sensor) with those obtained by the probabilistic and the classical belief-based approaches.

Robotic Telesurgery Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

piece of tissue. Full Mobility Manipulator Robot The primary challenge with the design of a full mobility robot is meeting the competing design...streamed through an embedded plug-in for VLC player using asf/wmv encoding with 200ms buffering. A benchtop test of the remote user interface was...encountered in ensuring quality video is being made available to the surgeon. A significant challenge has been to consistently provide high quality video

Maintaining Limited-Range Connectivity Among Second-Order Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-07

we consider ad-hoc networks of robotic agents with double integrator dynamics. For such networks, the connectivity maintenance problems are: (i) do...hoc networks of mobile autonomous agents. This loose ter- minology refers to groups of robotic agents with limited mobility and communica- tion...connectivity can be preserved. 3.1. Networks of robotic agents with second-order dynamics and the connectivity maintenance problem. We begin by

ALLIANCE: An architecture for fault tolerant, cooperative control of heterogeneous mobile robots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parker, L.E.

1995-02-01

This research addresses the problem of achieving fault tolerant cooperation within small- to medium-sized teams of heterogeneous mobile robots. The author describes a novel behavior-based, fully distributed architecture, called ALLIANCE, that utilizes adaptive action selection to achieve fault tolerant cooperative control in robot missions involving loosely coupled, largely independent tasks. The robots in this architecture possess a variety of high-level functions that they can perform during a mission, and must at all times select an appropriate action based on the requirements of the mission, the activities of other robots, the current environmental conditions, and their own internal states. Since suchmore » cooperative teams often work in dynamic and unpredictable environments, the software architecture allows the team members to respond robustly and reliably to unexpected environmental changes and modifications in the robot team that may occur due to mechanical failure, the learning of new skills, or the addition or removal of robots from the team by human intervention. After presenting ALLIANCE, the author describes in detail experimental results of an implementation of this architecture on a team of physical mobile robots performing a cooperative box pushing demonstration. These experiments illustrate the ability of ALLIANCE to achieve adaptive, fault-tolerant cooperative control amidst dynamic changes in the capabilities of the robot team.« less

Behavior generation strategy of artificial behavioral system by self-learning paradigm for autonomous robot tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dağlarli, Evren; Temeltaş, Hakan

2008-04-01

In this study, behavior generation and self-learning paradigms are investigated for the real-time applications of multi-goal mobile robot tasks. The method is capable to generate new behaviors and it combines them in order to achieve multi goal tasks. The proposed method is composed from three layers: Behavior Generating Module, Coordination Level and Emotion -Motivation Level. Last two levels use Hidden Markov models to manage dynamical structure of behaviors. The kinematics and dynamic model of the mobile robot with non-holonomic constraints are considered in the behavior based control architecture. The proposed method is tested on a four-wheel driven and four-wheel steered mobile robot with constraints in simulation environment and results are obtained successfully.

Conceptual design and kinematic analysis of a novel parallel robot for high-speed pick-and-place operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Qizhi; Xie, Fugui; Liu, Xin-Jun

2018-06-01

This paper deals with the conceptual design, kinematic analysis and workspace identification of a novel four degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) high-speed spatial parallel robot for pick-and-place operations. The proposed spatial parallel robot consists of a base, four arms and a 1½ mobile platform. The mobile platform is a major innovation that avoids output singularity and offers the advantages of both single and double platforms. To investigate the characteristics of the robot's DOFs, a line graph method based on Grassmann line geometry is adopted in mobility analysis. In addition, the inverse kinematics is derived, and the constraint conditions to identify the correct solution are also provided. On the basis of the proposed concept, the workspace of the robot is identified using a set of presupposed parameters by taking input and output transmission index as the performance evaluation criteria.

Employing Omnidirectional Visual Control for Mobile Robotics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, J. R., Jr.; Jung, S.; Steplight, S.; Wright, J. R., Sr.; Das, A.

2000-01-01

Describes projects using conventional technologies--incorporation of relatively inexpensive visual control with mobile robots using a simple remote control vehicle platform, a camera, a mirror, and a computer. Explains how technology teachers can apply them in the classroom. (JOW)

Mobile Robot Self-Localization by Matching Range Maps Using a Hausdorff Measure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, C. F.

1997-01-01

This paper examines techniques for a mobile robot to perform self-localization in natural terrain by comparing a dense range map computed from stereo imagery to a range map in a known frame of reference.

Design and control of a 3-DOF rehabilitation robot for forearm and wrist.

PubMed

Lincong Luo; Liang Peng; Zengguang Hou; Weiqun Wang

2017-07-01

This paper presents a 3-DOF compact rehabilitation robot, involving mechanical structure design, control system design and gravity compensation analysis. The robot can simultaneously provide assistance for pronation/supination(P/S), flexion/extension(F/E) and adduction/abduction(A/A) joints rehabilitation training. The P/S and F/E joints are designed to be driven by cable transmission to gain a high backdrivability, and an adjustment plate is adopted to decrease the distance between the rotation axis of F/E joint of the human wrist and the robot. In addition, gravity compensation is considered to offset the impact of self-gravity on the performance of the controller. A "moving window" control strategy based on impedance control is proposed and implemented on the robot. A comparison between the "moving window" control and classical impedance control indicates that the former has more potential to stimulate the voluntary efforts of the participant, and has a less limitation moving in a fixed reference trajectory. Meanwhile, the results also validate the feasibility and safety of the wrist robot system.

Automating CapCom Using Mobile Agents and Robotic Assistants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhaus, Maarten; Alena, Richard L.; Berrios, Daniel; Dowding, John; Graham, Jeffrey S.; Tyree, Kim S.; Hirsh, Robert L.; Garry, W. Brent; Semple, Abigail

2005-01-01

We have developed and tested an advanced EVA communications and computing system to increase astronaut self-reliance and safety, reducing dependence on continuous monitoring and advising from mission control on Earth. This system, called Mobile Agents (MA), is voice controlled and provides information verbally to the astronauts through programs called personal agents. The system partly automates the role of CapCom in Apollo-including monitoring and managing EVA navigation, scheduling, equipment deployment, telemetry, health tracking, and scientific data collection. EVA data are stored automatically in a shared database in the habitat/vehicle and mirrored to a site accessible by a remote science team. The program has been developed iteratively in the context of use, including six years of ethnographic observation of field geology. Our approach is to develop automation that supports the human work practices, allowing people to do what they do well, and to work in ways they are most familiar. Field experiments in Utah have enabled empirically discovering requirements and testing alternative technologies and protocols. This paper reports on the 2004 system configuration, experiments, and results, in which an EVA robotic assistant (ERA) followed geologists approximately 150 m through a winding, narrow canyon. On voice command, the ERA took photographs and panoramas and was directed to move and wait in various locations to serve as a relay on the wireless network. The MA system is applicable to many space work situations that involve creating and navigating from maps (including configuring equipment for local topology), interacting with piloted and unpiloted rovers, adapting to environmental conditions, and remote team collaboration involving people and robots.

Mobile robot knowledge base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heath Pastore, Tracy; Barnes, Mitchell; Hallman, Rory

2005-05-01

Robot technology is developing at a rapid rate for both commercial and Department of Defense (DOD) applications. As a result, the task of managing both technology and experience information is growing. In the not-to-distant past, tracking development efforts of robot platforms, subsystems and components was not too difficult, expensive, or time consuming. To do the same today is a significant undertaking. The Mobile Robot Knowledge Base (MRKB) provides the robotics community with a web-accessible, centralized resource for sharing information, experience, and technology to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the robot system user. The resource includes searchable information on robot components, subsystems, mission payloads, platforms, and DOD robotics programs. In addition, the MRKB website provides a forum for technology and information transfer within the DOD robotics community and an interface for the Robotic Systems Pool (RSP). The RSP manages a collection of small teleoperated and semi-autonomous robotic platforms, available for loan to DOD and other qualified entities. The objective is to put robots in the hands of users and use the test data and fielding experience to improve robot systems.

Small UGV platforms for unattended sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smuda, Bill; Gerhart, Grant

2005-10-01

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown the importance of sensor and robotic technology as a force multiplier and a tool for moving soldiers out of harms way. Situations on the ground make soldiers easy targets for snipers and suicide bombers. Sensors and robotics technology reduces risk to soldiers and other personnel at checkpoints, in access areas and on convoy routes. Early user involvement in innovative and aggressive acquisition and development strategies are the key to moving sensor and robotic and associated technology into the hands of the user, the soldier on the ground. This paper discusses activity associated with rapid development of the robotics, sensors and our field experience with robotics in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Human-Robot Interaction Directed Research Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandor, Aniko; Cross, Ernest V., II; Chang, Mai Lee

2014-01-01

Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a discipline investigating the factors affecting the interactions between humans and robots. It is important to evaluate how the design of interfaces and command modalities affect the human's ability to perform tasks accurately, efficiently, and effectively when working with a robot. By understanding the effects of interface design on human performance, workload, and situation awareness, interfaces can be developed to appropriately support the human in performing tasks with minimal errors and with appropriate interaction time and effort. Thus, the results of research on human-robot interfaces have direct implications for the design of robotic systems. This DRP concentrates on three areas associated with interfaces and command modalities in HRI which are applicable to NASA robot systems: 1) Video Overlays, 2) Camera Views, and 3) Command Modalities. The first study focused on video overlays that investigated how Augmented Reality (AR) symbology can be added to the human-robot interface to improve teleoperation performance. Three types of AR symbology were explored in this study, command guidance (CG), situation guidance (SG), and both (SCG). CG symbology gives operators explicit instructions on what commands to input, whereas SG symbology gives operators implicit cues so that operators can infer the input commands. The combination of CG and SG provided operators with explicit and implicit cues allowing the operator to choose which symbology to utilize. The objective of the study was to understand how AR symbology affects the human operator's ability to align a robot arm to a target using a flight stick and the ability to allocate attention between the symbology and external views of the world. The study evaluated the effects type of symbology (CG and SG) has on operator tasks performance and attention allocation during teleoperation of a robot arm. The second study expanded on the first study by evaluating the effects of the type of navigational guidance (CG and SG) on operator task performance and attention allocation during teleoperation of a robot arm through uplinked commands. Although this study complements the first study on navigational guidance with hand controllers, it is a separate investigation due to the distinction in intended operators (i.e., crewmembers versus ground-operators). A third study looked at superimposed and integrated overlays for teleoperation of a mobile robot using a hand controller. When AR is superimposed on the external world, it appears to be fixed onto the display and internal to the operators' workstation. Unlike superimposed overlays, integrated overlays often appear as three-dimensional objects and move as if part of the external world. Studies conducted in the aviation domain show that integrated overlays can improve situation awareness and reduce the amount of deviation from the optimal path. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether these results apply to HRI tasks, such as navigation with a mobile robot.

RoboJockey: Designing an Entertainment Experience with Robots.

PubMed

Yoshida, Shigeo; Shirokura, Takumi; Sugiura, Yuta; Sakamoto, Daisuke; Ono, Tetsuo; Inami, Masahiko; Igarashi, Takeo

2016-01-01

The RoboJockey entertainment system consists of a multitouch tabletop interface for multiuser collaboration. RoboJockey enables a user to choreograph a mobile robot or a humanoid robot by using a simple visual language. With RoboJockey, a user can coordinate the mobile robot's actions with a combination of back, forward, and rotating movements and coordinate the humanoid robot's actions with a combination of arm and leg movements. Every action is automatically performed to background music. RoboJockey was demonstrated to the public during two pilot studies, and the authors observed users' behavior. Here, they report the results of their observations and discuss the RoboJockey entertainment experience.

Distance estimation and collision prediction for on-line robotic motion planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyriakopoulos, K. J.; Saridis, G. N.

1991-01-01

An efficient method for computing the minimum distance and predicting collisions between moving objects is presented. This problem has been incorporated in the framework of an in-line motion planning algorithm to satisfy collision avoidance between a robot and moving objects modeled as convex polyhedra. In the beginning the deterministic problem, where the information about the objects is assumed to be certain is examined. If instead of the Euclidean norm, L(sub 1) or L(sub infinity) norms are used to represent distance, the problem becomes a linear programming problem. The stochastic problem is formulated, where the uncertainty is induced by sensing and the unknown dynamics of the moving obstacles. Two problems are considered: (1) filtering of the minimum distance between the robot and the moving object, at the present time; and (2) prediction of the minimum distance in the future, in order to predict possible collisions with the moving obstacles and estimate the collision time.

A graphical, rule based robotic interface system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckee, James W.; Wolfsberger, John

1988-01-01

The ability of a human to take control of a robotic system is essential in any use of robots in space in order to handle unforeseen changes in the robot's work environment or scheduled tasks. But in cases in which the work environment is known, a human controlling a robot's every move by remote control is both time consuming and frustrating. A system is needed in which the user can give the robotic system commands to perform tasks but need not tell the system how. To be useful, this system should be able to plan and perform the tasks faster than a telerobotic system. The interface between the user and the robot system must be natural and meaningful to the user. A high level user interface program under development at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, is described. A graphical interface is proposed in which the user selects objects to be manipulated by selecting representations of the object on projections of a 3-D model of the work environment. The user may move in the work environment by changing the viewpoint of the projections. The interface uses a rule based program to transform user selection of items on a graphics display of the robot's work environment into commands for the robot. The program first determines if the desired task is possible given the abilities of the robot and any constraints on the object. If the task is possible, the program determines what movements the robot needs to make to perform the task. The movements are transformed into commands for the robot. The information defining the robot, the work environment, and how objects may be moved is stored in a set of data bases accessible to the program and displayable to the user.

MonoSLAM: real-time single camera SLAM.

PubMed

Davison, Andrew J; Reid, Ian D; Molton, Nicholas D; Stasse, Olivier

2007-06-01

We present a real-time algorithm which can recover the 3D trajectory of a monocular camera, moving rapidly through a previously unknown scene. Our system, which we dub MonoSLAM, is the first successful application of the SLAM methodology from mobile robotics to the "pure vision" domain of a single uncontrolled camera, achieving real time but drift-free performance inaccessible to Structure from Motion approaches. The core of the approach is the online creation of a sparse but persistent map of natural landmarks within a probabilistic framework. Our key novel contributions include an active approach to mapping and measurement, the use of a general motion model for smooth camera movement, and solutions for monocular feature initialization and feature orientation estimation. Together, these add up to an extremely efficient and robust algorithm which runs at 30 Hz with standard PC and camera hardware. This work extends the range of robotic systems in which SLAM can be usefully applied, but also opens up new areas. We present applications of MonoSLAM to real-time 3D localization and mapping for a high-performance full-size humanoid robot and live augmented reality with a hand-held camera.

Classification of Odours for Mobile Robots Using an Ensemble of Linear Classifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trincavelli, Marco; Coradeschi, Silvia; Loutfi, Amy

2009-05-01

This paper investigates the classification of odours using an electronic nose mounted on a mobile robot. The samples are collected as the robot explores the environment. Under such conditions, the sensor response differs from typical three phase sampling processes. In this paper, we focus particularly on the classification problem and how it is influenced by the movement of the robot. To cope with these influences, an algorithm consisting of an ensemble of classifiers is presented. Experimental results show that this algorithm increases classification performance compared to other traditional classification methods.

Automation for nondestructive inspection of aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siegel, M. W.

1994-01-01

We discuss the motivation and an architectural framework for using small mobile robots as automated aids to operators of nondestructive inspection (NDI) equipment. We review the need for aircraft skin inspection, and identify the constraints in commercial airlines operations that make small mobile robots the most attractive alternative for automated aids for NDI procedures. We describe the design and performance of the robot (ANDI) that we designed, built, and are testing for deployment of eddy current probes in prescribed commercial aircraft inspections. We discuss recent work aimed at also providing robotic aids for visual inspection.

Remote-controlled vision-guided mobile robot system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ande, Raymond; Samu, Tayib; Hall, Ernest L.

1997-09-01

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have many potential applications in manufacturing, medicine, space and defense. The purpose of this paper is to describe exploratory research on the design of the remote controlled emergency stop and vision systems for an autonomous mobile robot. The remote control provides human supervision and emergency stop capabilities for the autonomous vehicle. The vision guidance provides automatic operation. A mobile robot test-bed has been constructed using a golf cart base. The mobile robot (Bearcat) was built for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (AUVS) 1997 competition. The mobile robot has full speed control with guidance provided by a vision system and an obstacle avoidance system using ultrasonic sensors systems. Vision guidance is accomplished using two CCD cameras with zoom lenses. The vision data is processed by a high speed tracking device, communicating with the computer the X, Y coordinates of blobs along the lane markers. The system also has three emergency stop switches and a remote controlled emergency stop switch that can disable the traction motor and set the brake. Testing of these systems has been done in the lab as well as on an outside test track with positive results that show that at five mph the vehicle can follow a line and at the same time avoid obstacles.

Model Predictive Control considering Reachable Range of Wheels for Leg / Wheel Mobile Robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Naito; Nonaka, Kenichiro; Sekiguchi, Kazuma

2016-09-01

Obstacle avoidance is one of the important tasks for mobile robots. In this paper, we study obstacle avoidance control for mobile robots equipped with four legs comprised of three DoF SCARA leg/wheel mechanism, which enables the robot to change its shape adapting to environments. Our previous method achieves obstacle avoidance by model predictive control (MPC) considering obstacle size and lateral wheel positions. However, this method does not ensure existence of joint angles which achieves reference wheel positions calculated by MPC. In this study, we propose a model predictive control considering reachable mobile ranges of wheels positions by combining multiple linear constraints, where each reachable mobile range is approximated as a convex trapezoid. Thus, we achieve to formulate a MPC as a quadratic problem with linear constraints for nonlinear problem of longitudinal and lateral wheel position control. By optimization of MPC, the reference wheel positions are calculated, while each joint angle is determined by inverse kinematics. Considering reachable mobile ranges explicitly, the optimal joint angles are calculated, which enables wheels to reach the reference wheel positions. We verify its advantages by comparing the proposed method with the previous method through numerical simulations.

Dynamics and control for Constrained Multibody Systems modeled with Maggi's equation: Application to Differential Mobile Robots Partll

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amengonu, Yawo H.; Kakad, Yogendra P.

2014-07-01

Quasivelocity techniques were applied to derive the dynamics of a Differential Wheeled Mobile Robot (DWMR) in the companion paper. The present paper formulates a control system design for trajectory tracking of this class of robots. The method develops a feedback linearization technique for the nonlinear system using dynamic extension algorithm. The effectiveness of the nonlinear controller is illustrated with simulation example.

Human-Robot Interface: Issues in Operator Performance, Interface Design, and Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

and the use of lightweight portable robotic sensor platforms. 5 robotics has reached a point where some generalities of HRI transcend specific...displays with control devices such as joysticks, wheels, and pedals (Kamsickas, 2003). Typical control stations include panels displaying (a) sensor ...tasks that do not involve mobility and usually involve camera control or data fusion from sensors Active search: Search tasks that involve mobility

Wheeled hopping robot

DOEpatents

Fischer, Gary J [Albuquerque, NM

2010-08-17

The present invention provides robotic vehicles having wheeled and hopping mobilities that are capable of traversing (e.g. by hopping over) obstacles that are large in size relative to the robot and, are capable of operation in unpredictable terrain over long range. The present invention further provides combustion powered linear actuators, which can include latching mechanisms to facilitate pressurized fueling of the actuators, as can be used to provide wheeled vehicles with a hopping mobility.

Object Detection Techniques Applied on Mobile Robot Semantic Navigation

PubMed Central

Astua, Carlos; Barber, Ramon; Crespo, Jonathan; Jardon, Alberto

2014-01-01

The future of robotics predicts that robots will integrate themselves more every day with human beings and their environments. To achieve this integration, robots need to acquire information about the environment and its objects. There is a big need for algorithms to provide robots with these sort of skills, from the location where objects are needed to accomplish a task up to where these objects are considered as information about the environment. This paper presents a way to provide mobile robots with the ability-skill to detect objets for semantic navigation. This paper aims to use current trends in robotics and at the same time, that can be exported to other platforms. Two methods to detect objects are proposed, contour detection and a descriptor based technique, and both of them are combined to overcome their respective limitations. Finally, the code is tested on a real robot, to prove its accuracy and efficiency. PMID:24732101

A Tree Based Self-routing Scheme for Mobility Support in Wireless Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Duk; Yang, Yeon-Mo; Kang, Won-Seok; Kim, Jin-Wook; An, Jinung

Recently, WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks) with mobile robot is a growing technology that offer efficient communication services for anytime and anywhere applications. However, the tiny sensor node has very limited network resources due to its low battery power, low data rate, node mobility, and channel interference constraint between neighbors. Thus, in this paper, we proposed a tree based self-routing protocol for autonomous mobile robots based on beacon mode and implemented in real test-bed environments. The proposed scheme offers beacon based real-time scheduling for reliable association process between parent and child nodes. In addition, it supports smooth handover procedure by reducing flooding overhead of control packets. Throughout the performance evaluation by using a real test-bed system and simulation, we illustrate that our proposed scheme demonstrates promising performance for wireless sensor networks with mobile robots.

Urban search mobile platform modeling in hindered access conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barankova, I. I.; Mikhailova, U. V.; Kalugina, O. B.; Barankov, V. V.

2018-05-01

The article explores the control system simulation and the design of the experimental model of the rescue robot mobile platform. The functional interface, a structural functional diagram of the mobile platform control unit, and a functional control scheme for the mobile platform of secure robot were modeled. The task of design a mobile platform for urban searching in hindered access conditions is realized through the use of a mechanical basis with a chassis and crawler drive, a warning device, human heat sensors and a microcontroller based on Arduino platforms.

Robust and efficient vision system for group of cooperating mobile robots with application to soccer robots.

PubMed

Klancar, Gregor; Kristan, Matej; Kovacic, Stanislav; Orqueda, Omar

2004-07-01

In this paper a global vision scheme for estimation of positions and orientations of mobile robots is presented. It is applied to robot soccer application which is a fast dynamic game and therefore needs an efficient and robust vision system implemented. General applicability of the vision system can be found in other robot applications such as mobile transport robots in production, warehouses, attendant robots, fast vision tracking of targets of interest and entertainment robotics. Basic operation of the vision system is divided into two steps. In the first, the incoming image is scanned and pixels are classified into a finite number of classes. At the same time, a segmentation algorithm is used to find corresponding regions belonging to one of the classes. In the second step, all the regions are examined. Selection of the ones that are a part of the observed object is made by means of simple logic procedures. The novelty is focused on optimization of the processing time needed to finish the estimation of possible object positions. Better results of the vision system are achieved by implementing camera calibration and shading correction algorithm. The former corrects camera lens distortion, while the latter increases robustness to irregular illumination conditions.

Mobile robotics application in the nuclear industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, S.L.; White, J.R.

1995-03-01

Mobile robots have been developed to perform hazardous operations in place of human workers. Applications include nuclear plant inspection/maintenance, decontamination and decommissioning police/military explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), hostage/terrorist negotiations and fire fighting. Nuclear facilities have proven that robotic applications can be cost-effective solutions to reducing personnel exposure and plant downtime. The first applications of mobile robots in the nuclear industry began in the early 1980`s, with the first vehicles being one of a kind machines or adaptations of commercial EOD robots. These activities included efforts by numerous commercial companies, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, EPRI, and several national laboratories. Somemore » of these efforts were driven by the recovery and cleanup activities at TMI which demonstrated the potential and need for a remote means of performing surveillance and maintenance tasks in nuclear plants. The use of these machines is now becoming commonplace in nuclear facilities throughout the world. The hardware maturity and the confidence of the users has progressed to the point where the applications of mobile robots is not longer considered a novelty. These machines are being used in applications where the result is to help achieve more aggressive goals for personnel radiation exposure and plant availability, perform tasks more efficiently, and allow plant operators to retrieve information from areas previously considered inaccessible. Typical examples include surveillance in high radiation areas (during operation and outage activities), radiation surveys, waste handling, and decontamination evolutions. This paper will discuss this evolution including specific applications experiences, examples of currently available technology, and the benefits derived from the use of mobile robotic vehicles in commercial nuclear power facilities.« less

Design of an HF-Band RFID System with Multiple Readers and Passive Tags for Indoor Mobile Robot Self-Localization

PubMed Central

Mi, Jian; Takahashi, Yasutake

2016-01-01

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has already been explored for efficient self-localization of indoor mobile robots. A mobile robot equipped with RFID readers detects passive RFID tags installed on the floor in order to locate itself. The Monte-Carlo localization (MCL) method enables the localization of a mobile robot equipped with an RFID system with reasonable accuracy, sufficient robustness and low computational cost. The arrangements of RFID readers and tags and the size of antennas are important design parameters for realizing accurate and robust self-localization using a low-cost RFID system. The design of a likelihood model of RFID tag detection is also crucial for the accurate self-localization. This paper presents a novel design and arrangement of RFID readers and tags for indoor mobile robot self-localization. First, by considering small-sized and large-sized antennas of an RFID reader, we show how the design of the likelihood model affects the accuracy of self-localization. We also design a novel likelihood model by taking into consideration the characteristics of the communication range of an RFID system with a large antenna. Second, we propose a novel arrangement of RFID tags with eight RFID readers, which results in the RFID system configuration requiring much fewer readers and tags while retaining reasonable accuracy of self-localization. We verify the performances of MCL-based self-localization realized using the high-frequency (HF)-band RFID system with eight RFID readers and a lower density of RFID tags installed on the floor based on MCL in simulated and real environments. The results of simulations and real environment experiments demonstrate that our proposed low-cost HF-band RFID system realizes accurate and robust self-localization of an indoor mobile robot. PMID:27483279

Development of robotic mobility for infants: rationale and outcomes.

PubMed

Larin, Hélène M; Dennis, Carole W; Stansfield, Sharon

2012-09-01

To assess the feasibility of a robotic mobility device for infants using alternative control interfaces aimed at promoting early self-initiated mobility, and to assess the effects of a training protocol and robot experience. Observational and pre-post quantitative case studies. Standardised, research laboratory and day-care centres with toys and individuals familiar to infants. Children with and without disabilities, aged 5 months to 3 years. In each study, infants were seated over a Pioneer™ 3-DX mobile robot. Some infants controlled the directional movement of the robot by weight shifting their body on a Nintendo® Wii™ Balance Board (the WeeBot), while others used a modified joystick. Infants participated in five sessions over 2 to 5 weeks. Sessions consisted of administering a 10-minute training protocol preceded and followed by 2 to 3 minutes of free play. One child with motor impairment used a button switch array and a different experimental design. From the videotaped free-play periods, goal-directed behaviours were coded and time in motion was measured. In the training period, a scoring system was developed to measure the infants' driving performance. Preliminary outcomes indicate that infants without disabilities, aged 5 to 10 months, demonstrated significant improvement in driving performance and goal-directed movement using the WeeBot. Infants who used the joystick were less successful on all measures. Results for infants with disabilities using the WeeBot were mixed. Mobile robots offer promise to enhance the development of early self-mobility. Novel types of interfaces, such as the WeeBot, warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of an HF-Band RFID System with Multiple Readers and Passive Tags for Indoor Mobile Robot Self-Localization.

PubMed

Mi, Jian; Takahashi, Yasutake

2016-07-29

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has already been explored for efficient self-localization of indoor mobile robots. A mobile robot equipped with RFID readers detects passive RFID tags installed on the floor in order to locate itself. The Monte-Carlo localization (MCL) method enables the localization of a mobile robot equipped with an RFID system with reasonable accuracy, sufficient robustness and low computational cost. The arrangements of RFID readers and tags and the size of antennas are important design parameters for realizing accurate and robust self-localization using a low-cost RFID system. The design of a likelihood model of RFID tag detection is also crucial for the accurate self-localization. This paper presents a novel design and arrangement of RFID readers and tags for indoor mobile robot self-localization. First, by considering small-sized and large-sized antennas of an RFID reader, we show how the design of the likelihood model affects the accuracy of self-localization. We also design a novel likelihood model by taking into consideration the characteristics of the communication range of an RFID system with a large antenna. Second, we propose a novel arrangement of RFID tags with eight RFID readers, which results in the RFID system configuration requiring much fewer readers and tags while retaining reasonable accuracy of self-localization. We verify the performances of MCL-based self-localization realized using the high-frequency (HF)-band RFID system with eight RFID readers and a lower density of RFID tags installed on the floor based on MCL in simulated and real environments. The results of simulations and real environment experiments demonstrate that our proposed low-cost HF-band RFID system realizes accurate and robust self-localization of an indoor mobile robot.

Introducing Robotics at the Undergraduate Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thangiah, Sam R.; Joshi, Sharad W.

1997-01-01

Outlines how a course in robotics can be taught at the undergraduate level with specific experiments that can be used for incremental learning in programming a mobile robot or by simulating the actions of a robot. Contains 14 references. (Author/ASK)

Robonaut 2 - Preparing for Intra-Vehicular Mobility on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badger, Julia; Diftler, Myron; Hulse, Aaron; Taylor, Ross

2013-01-01

Robonaut 2 (R2) has been undergoing experimental trials on board the International Space Station (ISS) for more than a year. This upper-body anthropomorphic robotic system shown in Figure 1 has been making steady progress after completing its initial checkout. R2 demonstrated free space motion, physically interacted with its human crew mates, manipulated interfaces on its task board and has even used its first tool. This steady growth in capability will lead R2 to its next watershed milestone. Developers are currently testing prototype robotic climbing appendages and a battery backpack in preparation of sending flight versions of both subsystems to the ISS in late 2013. Upon integration of its new components, R2 will be able to go mobile inside the space station with a twofold agenda. First, R2 will learn to maneuver in microgravity in the best possible laboratory for such a task. Second, it will start providing early payback to the ISS program by helping with intra-vehicular (IVA) maintenance tasks. The experience gained inside the ISS will be invaluable in reducing risk when R2 moves to its next stage and is deployed as an extra-vehicular (EVA) tool. Even on its current fixed base stanchion, R2 has already shown its capability of performing several maintenance tasks on the ISS. It has measured the air flow through one of the stations vents and provided previously unavailable real time flow data to ground operators. R2 has cleaned its first handrail, exciting some crew members that perhaps Saturday morning housekeeping on the station may someday become a task they can hand off to their robotic colleague. Other tasks, including using radio frequency identification (RFID) tools for inventory tasks or vacuuming air filters, have also been suggested and will be explored. Once mobile, R2 will take on these tasks and more to free up crew time for more important science and exploration pursuits. In addition to task exploration, research and testing is happening on orbit to prepare for R2 mobility operations. The current vision system in R2 s head is being used to identify and localize IVA handrails throughout the US Lab and ground control software is being updated and integrated in advance of supporting mobility operations.

Intrinsic dynamics and total energy-shaping control of the ballbot system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satici, A. C.; Donaire, A.; Siciliano, B.

2017-12-01

Research on bipedal locomotion has shown that a dynamic walking gait is energetically more efficient than a statically stable one. Analogously, even though statically stable multi-wheeled robots are easier to control, they are energetically less efficient and have low accelerations to avoid tipping over. In contrast, the ballbot is an underactuated, nonholonomically constrained mobile robot, whose upward equilibrium point has to be stabilised by active control. In this work, we derive coordinate-invariant, reduced, Euler-Poincaré equations of motion for the ballbot. By means of partial feedback linearisation, we obtain two independent passive outputs with corresponding storage functions and utilise these to come up with energy-shaping control laws which move the system along the trajectories of a new Lagrangian system whose desired equilibrium point is asymptotically stable by construction. The basin of attraction of this controller is shown to be almost global under certain conditions on the design of the mechanism which are reflected directly in the mass matrix of the unforced equations of motion.

Measurement of Vibrations in Two Tower-Typed Assistant Personal Robot Implementations with and without a Passive Suspension System

PubMed Central

Moreno, Javier; Clotet, Eduard; Tresanchez, Marcel; Martínez, Dani; Casanovas, Jordi; Palacín, Jordi

2017-01-01

This paper presents the vibration pattern measurement of two tower-typed holonomic mobile robot prototypes: one based on a rigid mechanical structure, and the other including a passive suspension system. Specific to the tower-typed mobile robots is that the vibrations that originate in the lower part of the structure are transmitted and amplified to the higher areas of the tower, causing an unpleasant visual effect and mechanical stress. This paper assesses the use of a suspension system aimed at minimizing the generation and propagation of vibrations in the upper part of the tower-typed holonomic robots. The two robots analyzed were equipped with onboard accelerometers to register the acceleration over the X, Y, and Z axes in different locations and at different velocities. In all the experiments, the amplitude of the vibrations showed a typical Gaussian pattern which has been modeled with the value of the standard deviation. The results have shown that the measured vibrations in the head of the mobile robots, including a passive suspension system, were reduced by a factor of 16. PMID:28505108

Trajectory planning and optimal tracking for an industrial mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Huosheng; Brady, J. Michael; Probert, Penelope J.

1994-02-01

This paper introduces a unified approach to trajectory planning and tracking for an industrial mobile robot subject to non-holonomic constraints. We show (1) how a smooth trajectory is generated that takes into account the constraints from the dynamic environment and the robot kinematics; and (2) how a general predictive controller works to provide optimal tracking capability for nonlinear systems. The tracking performance of the proposed guidance system is analyzed by simulation.

Laser-based pedestrian tracking in outdoor environments by multiple mobile robots.

PubMed

Ozaki, Masataka; Kakimuma, Kei; Hashimoto, Masafumi; Takahashi, Kazuhiko

2012-10-29

This paper presents an outdoors laser-based pedestrian tracking system using a group of mobile robots located near each other. Each robot detects pedestrians from its own laser scan image using an occupancy-grid-based method, and the robot tracks the detected pedestrians via Kalman filtering and global-nearest-neighbor (GNN)-based data association. The tracking data is broadcast to multiple robots through intercommunication and is combined using the covariance intersection (CI) method. For pedestrian tracking, each robot identifies its own posture using real-time-kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) and laser scan matching. Using our cooperative tracking method, all the robots share the tracking data with each other; hence, individual robots can always recognize pedestrians that are invisible to any other robot. The simulation and experimental results show that cooperating tracking provides the tracking performance better than conventional individual tracking does. Our tracking system functions in a decentralized manner without any central server, and therefore, this provides a degree of scalability and robustness that cannot be achieved by conventional centralized architectures.

An overview on real-time control schemes for wheeled mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radzak, M. S. A.; Ali, M. A. H.; Sha’amri, S.; Azwan, A. R.

2018-04-01

The purpose of this paper is to review real-time control motion algorithms for wheeled mobile robot (WMR) when navigating in environment such as road. Its need a good controller to avoid collision with any disturbance and maintain a track error at zero level. The controllers are used with other aiding sensors to measure the WMR’s velocities, posture, and interference to estimate the required torque to be applied on the wheels of mobile robot. Four main categories for wheeled mobile robot control systems have been found in literature which are namely: Kinematic based controller, Dynamic based controllers, artificial intelligence based control system, and Active Force control. A MATLAB/Simulink software is the main software to simulate and implement the control system. The real-time toolbox in MATLAB/SIMULINK are used to receive/send data from sensors/to actuator with presence of disturbances, however others software such C, C++ and visual basic are rare to be used.

Lunar surface exploration using mobile robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishida, Shin-Ichiro; Wakabayashi, Sachiko

2012-06-01

A lunar exploration architecture study is being carried out by space agencies. JAXA is carrying out research and development of a mobile robot (rover) to be deployed on the lunar surface for exploration and outpost construction. The main target areas for outpost construction and lunar exploration are mountainous zones. The moon's surface is covered by regolith. Achieving a steady traversal of such irregular terrain constitutes the major technical problem for rovers. A newly developed lightweight crawler mechanism can effectively traverse such irregular terrain because of its low contact force with the ground. This fact was determined on the basis of the mass and expected payload of the rover. This paper describes a plan for Japanese lunar surface exploration using mobile robots, and presents the results of testing and analysis needed in their development. This paper also gives an overview of the lunar exploration robot to be deployed in the SELENE follow-on mission, and the composition of its mobility, navigation, and control systems.

Application of neural models as controllers in mobile robot velocity control loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerkala, Jakub; Jadlovska, Anna

2017-01-01

This paper presents the application of an inverse neural models used as controllers in comparison to classical PI controllers for velocity tracking control task used in two-wheel, differentially driven mobile robot. The PI controller synthesis is based on linear approximation of actuators with equivalent load. In order to obtain relevant datasets for training of feed-forward multi-layer perceptron based neural network used as neural model, the mathematical model of mobile robot, that combines its kinematic and dynamic properties such as chassis dimensions, center of gravity offset, friction and actuator parameters is used. Neural models are trained off-line to act as an inverse dynamics of DC motors with particular load using data collected in simulation experiment for motor input voltage step changes within bounded operating area. The performances of PI controllers versus inverse neural models in mobile robot internal velocity control loops are demonstrated and compared in simulation experiment of navigation control task for line segment motion in plane.

Trajectory planning of mobile robots using indirect solution of optimal control method in generalized point-to-point task

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazemizadeh, M.; Rahimi, H. N.; Amini Khoiy, K.

2012-03-01

This paper presents an optimal control strategy for optimal trajectory planning of mobile robots by considering nonlinear dynamic model and nonholonomic constraints of the system. The nonholonomic constraints of the system are introduced by a nonintegrable set of differential equations which represent kinematic restriction on the motion. The Lagrange's principle is employed to derive the nonlinear equations of the system. Then, the optimal path planning of the mobile robot is formulated as an optimal control problem. To set up the problem, the nonlinear equations of the system are assumed as constraints, and a minimum energy objective function is defined. To solve the problem, an indirect solution of the optimal control method is employed, and conditions of the optimality derived as a set of coupled nonlinear differential equations. The optimality equations are solved numerically, and various simulations are performed for a nonholonomic mobile robot to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed method.

PD-like controller for delayed bilateral teleoperation of wheeled robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slawiñski, E.; Mut, V.; Santiago, D.

2016-08-01

This paper proposes a proportional derivative (PD)-like controller applied to the delayed bilateral teleoperation of wheeled robots with force feedback in face of asymmetric and varying-time delays. In contrast to bilateral teleoperation of manipulator robots, in these systems, there is a mismatch between the models of the master and slave (mobile robot), problem that is approached in this work, where the system stability is analysed. From this study, it is possible to infer the control parameters, depending on the time delay, necessary to assure stability. Finally, the performance of the delayed teleoperation system is evaluated through tests where a human operator drives a 3D simulator as well as a mobile robot for pushing objects.

Neural network-based landmark detection for mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekiguchi, Minoru; Okada, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Nobuo

1996-03-01

The mobile robot can essentially have only the relative position data for the real world. However, there are many cases that the robot has to know where it is located. In those cases, the useful method is to detect landmarks in the real world and adjust its position using detected landmarks. In this point of view, it is essential to develop a mobile robot that can accomplish the path plan successfully using natural or artificial landmarks. However, artificial landmarks are often difficult to construct and natural landmarks are very complicated to detect. In this paper, the method of acquiring landmarks by using the sensor data from the mobile robot necessary for planning the path is described. The landmark we discuss here is the natural one and is composed of the compression of sensor data from the robot. The sensor data is compressed and memorized by using five layered neural network that is called a sand glass model. The input and output data that neural network should learn is the sensor data of the robot that are exactly the same. Using the intermediate output data of the network, a compressed data is obtained, which expresses a landmark data. If the sensor data is ambiguous or enormous, it is easy to detect the landmark because the data is compressed and classified by the neural network. Using the backward three layers, the compressed landmark data is expanded to original data at some level. The studied neural network categorizes the detected sensor data to the known landmark.

Calculating distance by wireless ethernet signal strength for global positioning method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seung-Yong; Kim, Jeehong; Lee, Chang-goo

2005-12-01

This paper investigated mobile robot localization by using wireless Ethernet for global localization and INS for relative localization. For relative localization, the low-cost INS features self-contained was adopted. Low-cost MEMS-based INS has a short-period response and acceptable performance. Generally, variety sensor was used for mobile robot localization. In spite of precise modeling of the sensor, it leads inevitably to the accumulation of errors. The IEEE802.11b wireless Ethernet standard has been deployed in office building, museums, hospitals, shopping centers and other indoor environments. Many mobile robots already make use of wireless networking for communication. So location sensing with wireless Ethernet might be very useful for a low-cost robot. This research used wireless Ethernet card for compensation the accumulation of errors. So the mobile robot can use that for global localization through the installed many IEEE802.11b wireless Ethernets in indoor environments. The chief difficulty in localization with wireless Ethernet is predicting signal strength. As a sensor, RF signal strength measured indoors is non-linear with distance. So, there made the profiles of signal strength for points and used that. We wrote using function between signal strength profile and distance from the wireless Ethernet point.

Intelligent navigation and accurate positioning of an assist robot in indoor environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Bin; Rama, Endri; Capi, Genci; Jindai, Mitsuru; Tsuri, Yosuke

2017-12-01

Intact robot's navigation and accurate positioning in indoor environments are still challenging tasks. Especially in robot applications, assisting disabled and/or elderly people in museums/art gallery environments. In this paper, we present a human-like navigation method, where the neural networks control the wheelchair robot to reach the goal location safely, by imitating the supervisor's motions, and positioning in the intended location. In a museum similar environment, the mobile robot starts navigation from various positions, and uses a low-cost camera to track the target picture, and a laser range finder to make a safe navigation. Results show that the neural controller with the Conjugate Gradient Backpropagation training algorithm gives a robust response to guide the mobile robot accurately to the goal position.

Event-Based Control Strategy for Mobile Robots in Wireless Environments.

PubMed

Socas, Rafael; Dormido, Sebastián; Dormido, Raquel; Fabregas, Ernesto

2015-12-02

In this paper, a new event-based control strategy for mobile robots is presented. It has been designed to work in wireless environments where a centralized controller has to interchange information with the robots over an RF (radio frequency) interface. The event-based architectures have been developed for differential wheeled robots, although they can be applied to other kinds of robots in a simple way. The solution has been checked over classical navigation algorithms, like wall following and obstacle avoidance, using scenarios with a unique or multiple robots. A comparison between the proposed architectures and the classical discrete-time strategy is also carried out. The experimental results shows that the proposed solution has a higher efficiency in communication resource usage than the classical discrete-time strategy with the same accuracy.

Efficient Control Law Simulation for Multiple Mobile Robots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Driessen, B.J.; Feddema, J.T.; Kotulski, J.D.

1998-10-06

In this paper we consider the problem of simulating simple control laws involving large numbers of mobile robots. Such simulation can be computationally prohibitive if the number of robots is large enough, say 1 million, due to the 0(N2 ) cost of each time step. This work therefore uses hierarchical tree-based methods for calculating the control law. These tree-based approaches have O(NlogN) cost per time step, thus allowing for efficient simulation involving a large number of robots. For concreteness, a decentralized control law which involves only the distance and bearing to the closest neighbor robot will be considered. The timemore » to calculate the control law for each robot at each time step is demonstrated to be O(logN).« less

Event-Based Control Strategy for Mobile Robots in Wireless Environments

PubMed Central

Socas, Rafael; Dormido, Sebastián; Dormido, Raquel; Fabregas, Ernesto

2015-01-01

In this paper, a new event-based control strategy for mobile robots is presented. It has been designed to work in wireless environments where a centralized controller has to interchange information with the robots over an RF (radio frequency) interface. The event-based architectures have been developed for differential wheeled robots, although they can be applied to other kinds of robots in a simple way. The solution has been checked over classical navigation algorithms, like wall following and obstacle avoidance, using scenarios with a unique or multiple robots. A comparison between the proposed architectures and the classical discrete-time strategy is also carried out. The experimental results shows that the proposed solution has a higher efficiency in communication resource usage than the classical discrete-time strategy with the same accuracy. PMID:26633412

Distance estimation and collision prediction for on-line robotic motion planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyriakopoulos, K. J.; Saridis, G. N.

1992-01-01

An efficient method for computing the minimum distance and predicting collisions between moving objects is presented. This problem is incorporated into the framework of an in-line motion-planning algorithm to satisfy collision avoidance between a robot and moving objects modeled as convex polyhedra. In the beginning, the deterministic problem where the information about the objects is assumed to be certain is examined. L(1) or L(infinity) norms are used to represent distance and the problem becomes a linear programming problem. The stochastic problem is formulated where the uncertainty is induced by sensing and the unknown dynamics of the moving obstacles. Two problems are considered: First, filtering of the distance between the robot and the moving object at the present time. Second, prediction of the minimum distance in the future in order to predict the collision time.

Health Care Robotics: A Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiorini, Paolo; Ali, Khaled; Seraji, Homayoun

1997-01-01

This paper describes the approach followed in the design of a service robot for health care applications. Under the auspices of the NASA Technology Transfer program, a partnership was established between JPL and RWI, a manufacturer of mobile robots, to design and evaluate a mobile robot for health care assistance to the elderly and the handicapped. The main emphasis of the first phase of the project is on the development on a multi-modal operator interface and its evaluation by health care professionals and users. This paper describes the architecture of the system, the evaluation method used, and some preliminary results of the user evaluation.

Dynamics and control of cable-suspended parallel robots for giant telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Peng; Yao, Zhengqiu

2006-06-01

A cable-suspended parallel robot utilizes the basic idea of Stewart platform but replaces parallel links with cables and linear actuators with winches. It has many advantages over a conventional crane. The concept of applying a cable-suspended parallel robot into the construction and maintenance of giant telescope is presented in this paper. Compared with the mass and travel of the moving platform of the robot, the mass and deformation of the cables can be disregarded. Based on the premises, the kinematic and dynamic models of the robot are built. Through simulation, the inertia and gravity of moving platform are found to have dominant effect on the dynamic characteristic of the robot, while the dynamics of actuators can be disregarded, so a simplified dynamic model applicable to real-time control is obtained. Moreover, according to control-law partitioning approach and optimization theory, a workspace model-based controller is proposed considering the characteristic that the cables can only pull but not push. The simulation results indicate that the controller possesses good accuracy in pose and speed tracking, and keeps the cables in reliable tension by maintaining the minimum strain above a certain given value, thus ensures smooth motion and accurate localization for moving platform.

A cognitive approach to vision for a mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjamin, D. Paul; Funk, Christopher; Lyons, Damian

2013-05-01

We describe a cognitive vision system for a mobile robot. This system works in a manner similar to the human vision system, using saccadic, vergence and pursuit movements to extract information from visual input. At each fixation, the system builds a 3D model of a small region, combining information about distance, shape, texture and motion. These 3D models are embedded within an overall 3D model of the robot's environment. This approach turns the computer vision problem into a search problem, with the goal of constructing a physically realistic model of the entire environment. At each step, the vision system selects a point in the visual input to focus on. The distance, shape, texture and motion information are computed in a small region and used to build a mesh in a 3D virtual world. Background knowledge is used to extend this structure as appropriate, e.g. if a patch of wall is seen, it is hypothesized to be part of a large wall and the entire wall is created in the virtual world, or if part of an object is recognized, the whole object's mesh is retrieved from the library of objects and placed into the virtual world. The difference between the input from the real camera and from the virtual camera is compared using local Gaussians, creating an error mask that indicates the main differences between them. This is then used to select the next points to focus on. This approach permits us to use very expensive algorithms on small localities, thus generating very accurate models. It also is task-oriented, permitting the robot to use its knowledge about its task and goals to decide which parts of the environment need to be examined. The software components of this architecture include PhysX for the 3D virtual world, OpenCV and the Point Cloud Library for visual processing, and the Soar cognitive architecture, which controls the perceptual processing and robot planning. The hardware is a custom-built pan-tilt stereo color camera. We describe experiments using both static and moving objects.

A locust-inspired miniature jumping robot.

PubMed

Zaitsev, Valentin; Gvirsman, Omer; Ben Hanan, Uri; Weiss, Avi; Ayali, Amir; Kosa, Gabor

2015-11-25

Unmanned ground vehicles are mostly wheeled, tracked, or legged. These locomotion mechanisms have a limited ability to traverse rough terrain and obstacles that are higher than the robot's center of mass. In order to improve the mobility of small robots it is necessary to expand the variety of their motion gaits. Jumping is one of nature's solutions to the challenge of mobility in difficult terrain. The desert locust is the model for the presented bio-inspired design of a jumping mechanism for a small mobile robot. The basic mechanism is similar to that of the semilunar process in the hind legs of the locust, and is based on the cocking of a torsional spring by wrapping a tendon-like wire around the shaft of a miniature motor. In this study we present the jumping mechanism design, and the manufacturing and performance analysis of two demonstrator prototypes. The most advanced jumping robot demonstrator is power autonomous, weighs 23 gr, and is capable of jumping to a height of 3.35 m, covering a distance of 1.37 m.

Controllability of Complex Dynamic Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalach, G. G.; Kazachek, N. A.; Morozov, A. A.

2017-01-01

Quality requirements for mobile robots intended for both specialized and everyday use are increasing in step with the complexity of the technological tasks assigned to the robots. Whether a mobile robot is for ground, aerial, or underwater use, the relevant quality characteristics can be summarized under the common concept of agility. This term denotes the object’s (the robot)’s ability to react quickly to control actions (change speed and direction), turn in a limited area, etc. When using this approach in integrated assessment of the quality characteristics of an object with the control system, it seems more constructive to use the term “degree of control”. This paper assesses the degree of control by an example of a mobile robot with the variable-geometry drive wheel axle. We show changes in the degree of control depending on the robot’s configuration, and results illustrated by calculation data, computer and practical experiments. We describe the prospects of using intelligent technology for efficient control of objects with a high degree of controllability.

Human-Robot Interaction Directed Research Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandor, Aniko; Cross, Ernest V., II; Chang, M. L.

2014-01-01

Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a discipline investigating the factors affecting the interactions between humans and robots. It is important to evaluate how the design of interfaces and command modalities affect the human's ability to perform tasks accurately, efficiently, and effectively when working with a robot. By understanding the effects of interface design on human performance, workload, and situation awareness, interfaces can be developed to appropriately support the human in performing tasks with minimal errors and with appropriate interaction time and effort. Thus, the results of research on human-robot interfaces have direct implications for the design of robotic systems. This DRP concentrates on three areas associated with interfaces and command modalities in HRI which are applicable to NASA robot systems: 1) Video Overlays, 2) Camera Views, and 3) Command Modalities. The first study focused on video overlays that investigated how Augmented Reality (AR) symbology can be added to the human-robot interface to improve teleoperation performance. Three types of AR symbology were explored in this study, command guidance (CG), situation guidance (SG), and both (SCG). CG symbology gives operators explicit instructions on what commands to input, whereas SG symbology gives operators implicit cues so that operators can infer the input commands. The combination of CG and SG provided operators with explicit and implicit cues allowing the operator to choose which symbology to utilize. The objective of the study was to understand how AR symbology affects the human operator's ability to align a robot arm to a target using a flight stick and the ability to allocate attention between the symbology and external views of the world. The study evaluated the effects type of symbology (CG and SG) has on operator tasks performance and attention allocation during teleoperation of a robot arm. The second study expanded on the first study by evaluating the effects of the type of navigational guidance (CG and SG) on operator task performance and attention allocation during teleoperation of a robot arm through uplinked commands. Although this study complements the first study on navigational guidance with hand controllers, it is a separate investigation due to the distinction in intended operators (i.e., crewmembers versus ground-operators). A third study looked at superimposed and integrated overlays for teleoperation of a mobile robot using a hand controller. When AR is superimposed on the external world, it appears to be fixed onto the display and internal to the operators' workstation. Unlike superimposed overlays, integrated overlays often appear as three-dimensional objects and move as if part of the external world. Studies conducted in the aviation domain show that integrated overlays can improve situation awareness and reduce the amount of deviation from the optimal path. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether these results apply to HRI tasks, such as navigation with a mobile robot. HRP GAPS This HRI research contributes to closure of HRP gaps by providing information on how display and control characteristics - those related to guidance, feedback, and command modalities - affect operator performance. The overarching goals are to improve interface usability, reduce operator error, and develop candidate guidelines to design effective human-robot interfaces.

How do walkers avoid a mobile robot crossing their way?

PubMed

Vassallo, Christian; Olivier, Anne-Hélène; Souères, Philippe; Crétual, Armel; Stasse, Olivier; Pettré, Julien

2017-01-01

Robots and Humans have to share the same environment more and more often. In the aim of steering robots in a safe and convenient manner among humans it is required to understand how humans interact with them. This work focuses on collision avoidance between a human and a robot during locomotion. Having in mind previous results on human obstacle avoidance, as well as the description of the main principles which guide collision avoidance strategies, we observe how humans adapt a goal-directed locomotion task when they have to interfere with a mobile robot. Our results show differences in the strategy set by humans to avoid a robot in comparison with avoiding another human. Humans prefer to give the way to the robot even when they are likely to pass first at the beginning of the interaction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure Assembly by a Heterogeneous Team of Robots Using State Estimation, Generalized Joints, and Mobile Parallel Manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komendera, Erik E.; Adhikari, Shaurav; Glassner, Samantha; Kishen, Ashwin; Quartaro, Amy

2017-01-01

Autonomous robotic assembly by mobile field robots has seen significant advances in recent decades, yet practicality remains elusive. Identified challenges include better use of state estimation to and reasoning with uncertainty, spreading out tasks to specialized robots, and implementing representative joining methods. This paper proposes replacing 1) self-correcting mechanical linkages with generalized joints for improved applicability, 2) assembly serial manipulators with parallel manipulators for higher precision and stability, and 3) all-in-one robots with a heterogeneous team of specialized robots for agent simplicity. This paper then describes a general assembly algorithm utilizing state estimation. Finally, these concepts are tested in the context of solar array assembly, requiring a team of robots to assemble, bond, and deploy a set of solar panel mockups to a backbone truss to an accuracy not built into the parts. This paper presents the results of these tests.

Vision-based stabilization of nonholonomic mobile robots by integrating sliding-mode control and adaptive approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zhengcai; Yin, Longjie; Fu, Yili

2013-01-01

Vision-based pose stabilization of nonholonomic mobile robots has received extensive attention. At present, most of the solutions of the problem do not take the robot dynamics into account in the controller design, so that these controllers are difficult to realize satisfactory control in practical application. Besides, many of the approaches suffer from the initial speed and torque jump which are not practical in the real world. Considering the kinematics and dynamics, a two-stage visual controller for solving the stabilization problem of a mobile robot is presented, applying the integration of adaptive control, sliding-mode control, and neural dynamics. In the first stage, an adaptive kinematic stabilization controller utilized to generate the command of velocity is developed based on Lyapunov theory. In the second stage, adopting the sliding-mode control approach, a dynamic controller with a variable speed function used to reduce the chattering is designed, which is utilized to generate the command of torque to make the actual velocity of the mobile robot asymptotically reach the desired velocity. Furthermore, to handle the speed and torque jump problems, the neural dynamics model is integrated into the above mentioned controllers. The stability of the proposed control system is analyzed by using Lyapunov theory. Finally, the simulation of the control law is implemented in perturbed case, and the results show that the control scheme can solve the stabilization problem effectively. The proposed control law can solve the speed and torque jump problems, overcome external disturbances, and provide a new solution for the vision-based stabilization of the mobile robot.

Robotics On-Board Trainer (ROBoT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Genevieve; Alexander, Greg

2013-01-01

ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that astronauts use for training on a frequent basis. This software consists of two primary software groups. The first series of components is responsible for displaying the graphical scenes. The remaining components are responsible for simulating the Mobile Servicing System (MSS), the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), and the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Free Flyer Robotics Operations. The MSS simulation software includes: Robotic Workstation (RWS) simulation, a simulation of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), a simulation of the ISS Command and Control System (CCS), and a portion of the Portable Computer System (PCS) software necessary for MSS operations. These components all run under the CentOS4.5 Linux operating system. The JEMRMS simulation software includes real-time, HIL, dynamics, manipulator multi-body dynamics, and a moving object contact model with Tricks discrete time scheduling. The JEMRMS DST will be used as a functional proficiency and skills trainer for flight crews. The HTV Free Flyer Robotics Operations simulation software adds a functional simulation of HTV vehicle controllers, sensors, and data to the MSS simulation software. These components are intended to support HTV ISS visiting vehicle analysis and training. The scene generation software will use DOUG (Dynamic On-orbit Ubiquitous Graphics) to render the graphical scenes. DOUG runs on a laptop running the CentOS4.5 Linux operating system. DOUG is an Open GL-based 3D computer graphics rendering package. It uses pre-built three-dimensional models of on-orbit ISS and space shuttle systems elements, and provides realtime views of various station and shuttle configurations.

Herbert: A Second Generation Mobile Robot.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

PROJECT. TASK S Artificial Inteligence Laboratory AREA A WORK UNIT NUMBERS ’ ~ 545 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139 11. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME...AD-AI93 632 WMRT: A SECOND GENERTION MOBILE ROWT(U) / MASSACHUSETTS IMST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LAB R BROOKS ET AL .JAN l8 Al-M...MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY A. I. Memo 1016 January, 1988 HERBERT: A SECOND GENERATION MOBILE ROBOT Rodney A

Permeation of limonene through disposable nitrile gloves using a dextrous robot hand

PubMed Central

Banaee, Sean; S Que Hee, Shane

2017-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the permeation of the low-volatile solvent limonene through different disposable, unlined, unsupported, nitrile exam whole gloves (blue, purple, sterling, and lavender, from Kimberly-Clark). Methods: This study utilized a moving and static dextrous robot hand as part of a novel dynamic permeation system that allowed sampling at specific times. Quantitation of limonene in samples was based on capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the internal standard method (4-bromophenol). Results: The average post-permeation thicknesses (before reconditioning) for all gloves for both the moving and static hand were more than 10% of the pre-permeation ones (P≤0.05), although this was not so on reconditioning. The standardized breakthrough times and steady-state permeation periods were similar for the blue, purple, and sterling gloves. Both methods had similar sensitivity. The lavender glove showed a higher permeation rate (0.490±0.031 μg/cm2/min) for the moving robotic hand compared to the non-moving hand (P≤0.05), this being ascribed to a thickness threshold. Conclusions: Permeation parameters for the static and dynamic robot hand models indicate that both methods have similar sensitivity in detecting the analyte during permeation and the blue, purple, and sterling gloves behave similarly during the permeation process whether moving or non-moving. PMID:28111415

Robotic Follow Algorithm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2005-03-30

The Robotic Follow Algorithm enables allows any robotic vehicle to follow a moving target while reactively choosing a route around nearby obstacles. The robotic follow behavior can be used with different camera systems and can be used with thermal or visual tracking as well as other tracking methods such as radio frequency tags.

Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) Traverse Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horz, Friedrich

2012-01-01

Slide 1] The Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) include large scale field tests of manned lunar surface exploration systems; these tests are sponsored by the Director s Office of Integration (DOI) [sic, Directorate Integration Office (DIO)] within the Constellation Program and they include geological exploration objectives along well designed traverses. These traverses are designed by the Traverse Team, an ad hoc group of some 10 geologists form NASA and academia, as well as experts in mission operation who define the operational constraints applicable to specific simulation scenarios. [Slide 2] These DRATS/DOI tests focus on 1) the performance of major surface systems, such as rovers, mobile habitats, communication architecture, navigation tools, earth-moving equipment, unmanned reconnaissance robots etc. under realistic field conditions and 2) the development of operational concepts that integrate all of these systems into a single, optimized operation. The participation of science is currently concentrating on geological sciences, with the objective of developing suitable tools and documentation protocols to sample representative rocks for Earth return, and to generate some conceptual understanding of the ground support structure that will be needed for the real time science-support of a lunar surface crew. [Slide 3] Major surface systems exercised in the June 2008 analog tests at the Moses Lake site, WA. [Upper left] The Chariot Rover (developed at Johnson Space Center) is an unpressurized vehicle driven by fully suited crews. [Upper right] Mobile Habitat provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Chariot is the more nimble and mobile vehicle and the idea is to drive the habitat remotely to some rendezvous place where Chariot would catch up - after a lengthy traverse - at the end of the day. [Lower left] The K-10 remotely operated robot (provided by NASA Ames Research Center) conducting scientific/geologic reconnaissance of the prospective traverse region, locating specific sites for more detailed exploration by Chariot and its crew. [Lower right] This earth-moving equipment (provided by NASA KSC) can be attached to Chariot and is envisioned to, for example, level an outpost site or to mine lunar soi

ATHLETE as a Mobile ISRU and Regolith Construction Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, A. Scott; Wilcox, Brian; Barmatz, Martin; Voecks, Gerald

2016-01-01

The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) robotic mobility platform can provide precision positioning and mobility for site preparation and regolith construction needs. ATHLETE is a multi-use platform designed to use swap-out tools and implements that can be applied to any number of tasks that need precision limb manipulation or mobility. Major capabilities include off-loading habitats, transporting surface assets, robotically assembling outposts from multiple mission manifests, and supporting science and technology objectives. This paper describes conceptual approaches for supporting NASA regolith construction research, such as additive construction, modular brick and panel factory, and mobile ISRU platform.

JacksonBot - Design, Simulation and Optimal Control of an Action Painting Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raschke, Michael; Mombaur, Katja; Schubert, Alexander

We present the robotics platform JacksonBot which is capable to produce paintings inspired by the Action Painting style of Jackson Pollock. A dynamically moving robot arm splashes color from a container at the end effector on the canvas. The paintings produced by this platform rely on a combination of the algorithmic generation of robot arm motions with random effects of the splashing color. The robot can be considered as a complex and powerful tool to generate art works programmed by a user. Desired end effector motions can be prescribed either by mathematical functions, by point sequences or by data glove motions. We have evaluated the effect of different shapes of input motions on the resulting painting. In order to compute the robot joint trajectories necessary to move along a desired end effector path, we use an optimal control based approach to solve the inverse kinematics problem.

Development of autonomous grasping and navigating robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudoh, Hiroyuki; Fujimoto, Keisuke; Nakayama, Yasuichi

2015-01-01

The ability to find and grasp target items in an unknown environment is important for working robots. We developed an autonomous navigating and grasping robot. The operations are locating a requested item, moving to where the item is placed, finding the item on a shelf or table, and picking the item up from the shelf or the table. To achieve these operations, we designed the robot with three functions: an autonomous navigating function that generates a map and a route in an unknown environment, an item position recognizing function, and a grasping function. We tested this robot in an unknown environment. It achieved a series of operations: moving to a destination, recognizing the positions of items on a shelf, picking up an item, placing it on a cart with its hand, and returning to the starting location. The results of this experiment show the applicability of reducing the workforce with robots.

Robot Deception and Squirrel Behavior: A Case Study in Bio-inspired Robotics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

employed by doctors/ nurses among others. It is important to focus on this aspect when we consider a robot’s deceptive capabilities in human- robot ... Robot Deception and Squirrel Behavior: A Case Study in Bio-inspired Robotics Jaeeun Shim and Ronald C. Arkin Mobile Robot ...Abstract A common behavior in animals and human beings is deception. Deceptive behavior in robotics is potentially beneficial in several domains

Applications of artificial intelligence to space station and automated software techniques: High level robot command language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckee, James W.

1989-01-01

The objective is to develop a system that will allow a person not necessarily skilled in the art of programming robots to quickly and naturally create the necessary data and commands to enable a robot to perform a desired task. The system will use a menu driven graphical user interface. This interface will allow the user to input data to select objects to be moved. There will be an imbedded expert system to process the knowledge about objects and the robot to determine how they are to be moved. There will be automatic path planning to avoid obstacles in the work space and to create a near optimum path. The system will contain the software to generate the required robot instructions.

Autonomous stair-climbing with miniature jumping robots.

PubMed

Stoeter, Sascha A; Papanikolopoulos, Nikolaos

2005-04-01

The problem of vision-guided control of miniature mobile robots is investigated. Untethered mobile robots with small physical dimensions of around 10 cm or less do not permit powerful onboard computers because of size and power constraints. These challenges have, in the past, reduced the functionality of such devices to that of a complex remote control vehicle with fancy sensors. With the help of a computationally more powerful entity such as a larger companion robot, the control loop can be closed. Using the miniature robot's video transmission or that of an observer to localize it in the world, control commands can be computed and relayed to the inept robot. The result is a system that exhibits autonomous capabilities. The framework presented here solves the problem of climbing stairs with the miniature Scout robot. The robot's unique locomotion mode, the jump, is employed to hop one step at a time. Methods for externally tracking the Scout are developed. A large number of real-world experiments are conducted and the results discussed.

Development of biomimetic quadruped walking robot with 2-DOF waist joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Park, Se-Hoon; Lee, Yun-Jung

2005-12-01

This paper presented a novel bio-mimetic quadruped walking robot with 2-DOF (Degree Of Freedom) waist joint, which connects the front and the rear parts of the body. The waist-jointed walking robot can guarantee more stable and more animal-like gait than that of a conventional single-rigid-body walking robot. The developed robot, called ELIRO-II (Eating LIzard RObot version 2), can bend its body from side to side by using 1-DOF passive waist joint while the legs is transferred, thereby increasing the stride and speed of the robot. In addition, ELIRO-II has one more active DOF to bend its body up and down, which increases the mobility in irregular terrain such as slope and stairs. We design the mechanical structure of the robot, which is small and light to have high mobility. This research described characteristics of the 2-DOF waists joint and leg mechanism as well as a hardware and software of the controller of ELIRO-II.

A review of physical security robotics at Sandia National Laboratories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roerig, S.C.

1990-01-01

As an outgrowth of research into physical security technologies, Sandia is investigating the role of robotics in security systems. Robotics may allow more effective utilization of guard forces, especially in scenarios where personnel would be exposed to harmful environments. Robots can provide intrusion detection and assessment functions for failed sensors or transient assets, can test existing fixed site sensors, and can gather additional intelligence and dispense delaying elements. The Robotic Security Vehicle (RSV) program for DOE/OSS is developing a fieldable prototype for an exterior physical security robot based upon a commercial four wheel drive vehicle. The RSV will be capablemore » of driving itself, being driven remotely, or being driven by an onboard operator around a site and will utilize its sensors to alert an operator to unusual conditions. The Remote Security Station (RSS) program for the Defense Nuclear Agency is developing a proof-of-principle robotic system which will be used to evaluate the role, and associated cost, of robotic technologies in exterior security systems. The RSS consists of an independent sensor pod, a mobile sensor platform and a control and display console. Sensor data fusion is used to optimize the system's intrusion detection performance. These programs are complementary, the RSV concentrates on developing autonomous mobility, while the RSS thrust is on mobile sensor employment. 3 figs.« less

Virtual- and real-world operation of mobile robotic manipulators: integrated simulation, visualization, and control environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, ChuXin; Trivedi, Mohan M.

1992-03-01

This research is focused on enhancing the overall productivity of an integrated human-robot system. A simulation, animation, visualization, and interactive control (SAVIC) environment has been developed for the design and operation of an integrated robotic manipulator system. This unique system possesses the abilities for multisensor simulation, kinematics and locomotion animation, dynamic motion and manipulation animation, transformation between real and virtual modes within the same graphics system, ease in exchanging software modules and hardware devices between real and virtual world operations, and interfacing with a real robotic system. This paper describes a working system and illustrates the concepts by presenting the simulation, animation, and control methodologies for a unique mobile robot with articulated tracks, a manipulator, and sensory modules.

Reach and grasp by people with tetraplegia using a neurally controlled robotic arm

PubMed Central

Hochberg, Leigh R.; Bacher, Daniel; Jarosiewicz, Beata; Masse, Nicolas Y.; Simeral, John D.; Vogel, Joern; Haddadin, Sami; Liu, Jie; Cash, Sydney S.; van der Smagt, Patrick; Donoghue, John P.

2012-01-01

Paralysis following spinal cord injury (SCI), brainstem stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other disorders can disconnect the brain from the body, eliminating the ability to carry out volitional movements. A neural interface system (NIS)1–5 could restore mobility and independence for people with paralysis by translating neuronal activity directly into control signals for assistive devices. We have previously shown that people with longstanding tetraplegia can use an NIS to move and click a computer cursor and to control physical devices6–8. Able-bodied monkeys have used an NIS to control a robotic arm9, but it is unknown whether people with profound upper extremity paralysis or limb loss could use cortical neuronal ensemble signals to direct useful arm actions. Here, we demonstrate the ability of two people with long-standing tetraplegia to use NIS-based control of a robotic arm to perform three-dimensional reach and grasp movements. Participants controlled the arm over a broad space without explicit training, using signals decoded from a small, local population of motor cortex (MI) neurons recorded from a 96-channel microelectrode array. One of the study participants, implanted with the sensor five years earlier, also used a robotic arm to drink coffee from a bottle. While robotic reach and grasp actions were not as fast or accurate as those of an able-bodied person, our results demonstrate the feasibility for people with tetraplegia, years after CNS injury, to recreate useful multidimensional control of complex devices directly from a small sample of neural signals. PMID:22596161

Using qualitative maps to direct reactive robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertin, Randolph; Pendleton, Tom

1992-01-01

The principal advantage of mobile robots is that they are able to go to specific locations to perform useful tasks rather than have the tasks brought to them. It is important therefore that the robot be used to reach desired locations efficiently and reliably. A mobile robot whose environment extends significantly beyond its sensory horizon must maintain a representation of the environment, a map, in order to attain these efficiency and reliability requirements. We believe that qualitative mapping methods provide useful and robust representation schemes and that such maps may be used to direct the actions of a reactively controlled robot. In this paper we describe our experience in employing qualitative maps to direct, through the selection of desired control strategies, a reactive-behavior based robot. This mapping capability represents the development of one aspect of a successful deliberative/reactive hybrid control architecture.

Connectivity-Preserving Approach for Distributed Adaptive Synchronized Tracking of Networked Uncertain Nonholonomic Mobile Robots.

PubMed

Yoo, Sung Jin; Park, Bong Seok

2017-09-06

This paper addresses a distributed connectivity-preserving synchronized tracking problem of multiple uncertain nonholonomic mobile robots with limited communication ranges. The information of the time-varying leader robot is assumed to be accessible to only a small fraction of follower robots. The main contribution of this paper is to introduce a new distributed nonlinear error surface for dealing with both the synchronized tracking and the preservation of the initial connectivity patterns among nonholonomic robots. Based on this nonlinear error surface, the recursive design methodology is presented to construct the approximation-based local adaptive tracking scheme at the robot dynamic level. Furthermore, a technical lemma is established to analyze the stability and the connectivity preservation of the total closed-loop control system in the Lyapunov sense. An example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

An autonomous robot inspired by insect neurophysiology pursues moving features in natural environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagheri, Zahra M.; Cazzolato, Benjamin S.; Grainger, Steven; O'Carroll, David C.; Wiederman, Steven D.

2017-08-01

Objective. Many computer vision and robotic applications require the implementation of robust and efficient target-tracking algorithms on a moving platform. However, deployment of a real-time system is challenging, even with the computational power of modern hardware. Lightweight and low-powered flying insects, such as dragonflies, track prey or conspecifics within cluttered natural environments, illustrating an efficient biological solution to the target-tracking problem. Approach. We used our recent recordings from ‘small target motion detector’ neurons in the dragonfly brain to inspire the development of a closed-loop target detection and tracking algorithm. This model exploits facilitation, a slow build-up of response to targets which move along long, continuous trajectories, as seen in our electrophysiological data. To test performance in real-world conditions, we implemented this model on a robotic platform that uses active pursuit strategies based on insect behaviour. Main results. Our robot performs robustly in closed-loop pursuit of targets, despite a range of challenging conditions used in our experiments; low contrast targets, heavily cluttered environments and the presence of distracters. We show that the facilitation stage boosts responses to targets moving along continuous trajectories, improving contrast sensitivity and detection of small moving targets against textured backgrounds. Moreover, the temporal properties of facilitation play a useful role in handling vibration of the robotic platform. We also show that the adoption of feed-forward models which predict the sensory consequences of self-movement can significantly improve target detection during saccadic movements. Significance. Our results provide insight into the neuronal mechanisms that underlie biological target detection and selection (from a moving platform), as well as highlight the effectiveness of our bio-inspired algorithm in an artificial visual system.

Improving the position control of a two degrees of freedom robotic sensing antenna using fractional-order controllers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feliu-Talegon, D.; Feliu-Batlle, V.

2017-06-01

Flexible links combined with force and torque sensors can be used to detect obstacles in mobile robotics, as well as for surface and object recognition. These devices, called sensing antennae, perform an active sensing strategy in which a servomotor system moves the link back and forth until it hits an object. At this instant, information of the motor angles combined with force and torque measurements allow calculating the positions of the hitting points, which are valuable information about the object surface. In order to move the antenna fast and accurately, this article proposes a new closed-loop control for driving this flexible link-based sensor. The control strategy is based on combining a feedforward term and a feedback phase-lag compensator of fractional order. We demonstrate that some drawbacks of the control of these sensing devices like the apparition of spillover effects when a very fast positioning of the antenna tip is desired, and actuator saturation caused by high-frequency sensor noise, can be significantly reduced by using our newly proposed fractional-order controllers. We have applied these controllers to the position control of a prototype of sensing antenna and experiments have shown the improvements attained with this technique in the accurate and vibration free motion of its tip (the fractional-order controller reduced ten times the residual vibration obtained with the integer-order controller).

Error modeling and sensitivity analysis of a parallel robot with SCARA(selective compliance assembly robot arm) motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yuzhen; Xie, Fugui; Liu, Xinjun; Zhou, Yanhua

2014-07-01

Parallel robots with SCARA(selective compliance assembly robot arm) motions are utilized widely in the field of high speed pick-and-place manipulation. Error modeling for these robots generally simplifies the parallelogram structures included by the robots as a link. As the established error model fails to reflect the error feature of the parallelogram structures, the effect of accuracy design and kinematic calibration based on the error model come to be undermined. An error modeling methodology is proposed to establish an error model of parallel robots with parallelogram structures. The error model can embody the geometric errors of all joints, including the joints of parallelogram structures. Thus it can contain more exhaustively the factors that reduce the accuracy of the robot. Based on the error model and some sensitivity indices defined in the sense of statistics, sensitivity analysis is carried out. Accordingly, some atlases are depicted to express each geometric error's influence on the moving platform's pose errors. From these atlases, the geometric errors that have greater impact on the accuracy of the moving platform are identified, and some sensitive areas where the pose errors of the moving platform are extremely sensitive to the geometric errors are also figured out. By taking into account the error factors which are generally neglected in all existing modeling methods, the proposed modeling method can thoroughly disclose the process of error transmission and enhance the efficacy of accuracy design and calibration.

Experimental demonstration of a retro-reflective laser communication link on a mobile platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikulin, Vladimir V.; Malowicki, John E.; Khandekar, Rahul M.; Skormin, Victor A.; Legare, David J.

2010-02-01

Successful pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) are crucial for the implementation of laser communication links between ground and aerial vehicles. This technology has advantages over the traditional radio frequency communication, thus justifying the research efforts presented in this paper. The authors have been successful in the development of a high precision, agile, digitally controlled two-degree-of-freedom electromechanical system for positioning of optical instruments, cameras, telescopes, and communication lasers. The centerpiece of this system is a robotic manipulator capable of singularity-free operation throughout the full hemisphere range of yaw/pitch motion. The availability of efficient two-degree-of-freedom positioning facilitated the development of an optical platform stabilization system capable of rejecting resident vibrations with the angular and frequency range consistent with those caused by a ground vehicle moving on a rough terrain. This technology is being utilized for the development of a duplex mobile PAT system demonstrator that would provide valuable feedback for the development of practical laser communication systems intended for fleets of moving ground, and possibly aerial, vehicles. In this paper, a tracking system providing optical connectivity between stationary and mobile ground platforms is described. It utilizes mechanical manipulator to perform optical platform stabilization and initial beam positioning, and optical tracking for maintaining the line-of-sight communication. Particular system components and the challenges of their integration are described. The results of field testing of the resultant system under practical conditions are presented.

Autonomous mobile robotic system for supporting counterterrorist and surveillance operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, Marek; Bulandra, Kazimierz; Moczulski, Wojciech

2017-10-01

Contemporary research on mobile robots concerns applications to counterterrorist and surveillance operations. The goal is to develop systems that are capable of supporting the police and special forces by carrying out such operations. The paper deals with a dedicated robotic system for surveillance of large objects such as airports, factories, military bases, and many others. The goal is to trace unauthorised persons who try to enter to the guarded area, document the intrusion and report it to the surveillance centre, and then warn the intruder by sound messages and eventually subdue him/her by stunning through acoustic effect of great power. The system consists of several parts. An armoured four-wheeled robot assures required mobility of the system. The robot is equipped with a set of sensors including 3D mapping system, IR and video cameras, and microphones. It communicates with the central control station (CCS) by means of a wideband wireless encrypted system. A control system of the robot can operate autonomously, and under remote control. In the autonomous mode the robot follows the path planned by the CCS. Once an intruder has been detected, the robot can adopt its plan to allow tracking him/her. Furthermore, special procedures of treatment of the intruder are applied including warning about the breach of the border of the protected area, and incapacitation of an appropriately selected very loud sound until a patrol of guards arrives. Once getting stuck the robot can contact the operator who can remotely solve the problem the robot is faced with.

PIR-1 and PIRPL. A Project in Robotics Education. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Charles P.

This paper presents the results of a project in robotics education that included: (1) designing a mobile robot--the Personal Instructional Robot-1 (PIR-1); (2) providing a guide to the purchase and assembly of necessary parts; (3) providing a way to interface the robot with common classroom microcomputers; and (4) providing a language by which the…

External force/velocity control for an autonomous rehabilitation robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saekow, Peerayuth; Neranon, Paramin; Smithmaitrie, Pruittikorn

2018-01-01

Stroke is a primary cause of death and the leading cause of permanent disability in adults. There are many stroke survivors, who live with a variety of levels of disability and always need rehabilitation activities on daily basis. Several studies have reported that usage of rehabilitation robotic devices shows the better improvement outcomes in upper-limb stroke patients than the conventional therapy-nurses or therapists actively help patients with exercise-based rehabilitation. This research focuses on the development of an autonomous robotic trainer designed to guide a stroke patient through an upper-limb rehabilitation task. The robotic device was designed and developed to automate the reaching exercise as mentioned. The designed robotic system is made up of a four-wheel omni-directional mobile robot, an ATI Gamma multi-axis force/torque sensor used to measure contact force and a microcontroller real-time operating system. Proportional plus Integral control was adapted to control the overall performance and stability of the autonomous assistive robot. External force control was successfully implemented to establish the behavioral control strategy for the robot force and velocity control scheme. In summary, the experimental results indicated satisfactorily stable performance of the robot force and velocity control can be considered acceptable. The gain tuning for proportional integral (PI) velocity control algorithms was suitably estimated using the Ziegler-Nichols method in which the optimized proportional and integral gains are 0.45 and 0.11, respectively. Additionally, the PI external force control gains were experimentally tuned using the trial and error method based on a set of experiments which allow a human participant moves the robot along the constrained circular path whilst attempting to minimize the radial force. The performance was analyzed based on the root mean square error (E_RMS) of the radial forces, in which the lower the variation in radial forces, the better the performance of the system. The outstanding performance of the tests as specified by the E_RMS of the radial force was observed with proportional and integral gains of Kp = 0.7 and Ki = 0.75, respectively.

Planning and Control for Microassembly of Structures Composed of Stress-Engineered MEMS Microrobots

PubMed Central

Donald, Bruce R.; Levey, Christopher G.; Paprotny, Igor; Rus, Daniela

2013-01-01

We present control strategies that implement planar microassembly using groups of stress-engineered MEMS microrobots (MicroStressBots) controlled through a single global control signal. The global control signal couples the motion of the devices, causing the system to be highly underactuated. In order for the robots to assemble into arbitrary planar shapes despite the high degree of underactuation, it is desirable that each robot be independently maneuverable (independently controllable). To achieve independent control, we fabricated robots that behave (move) differently from one another in response to the same global control signal. We harnessed this differentiation to develop assembly control strategies, where the assembly goal is a desired geometric shape that can be obtained by connecting the chassis of individual robots. We derived and experimentally tested assembly plans that command some of the robots to make progress toward the goal, while other robots are constrained to remain in small circular trajectories (closed-loop orbits) until it is their turn to move into the goal shape. Our control strategies were tested on systems of fabricated MicroStressBots. The robots are 240–280 μm × 60 μm × 7–20 μm in size and move simultaneously within a single operating environment. We demonstrated the feasibility of our control scheme by accurately assembling five different types of planar microstructures. PMID:23580796

Training industrial robots with gesture recognition techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piane, Jennifer; Raicu, Daniela; Furst, Jacob

2013-01-01

In this paper we propose to use gesture recognition approaches to track a human hand in 3D space and, without the use of special clothing or markers, be able to accurately generate code for training an industrial robot to perform the same motion. The proposed hand tracking component includes three methods: a color-thresholding model, naïve Bayes analysis and Support Vector Machine (SVM) to detect the human hand. Next, it performs stereo matching on the region where the hand was detected to find relative 3D coordinates. The list of coordinates returned is expectedly noisy due to the way the human hand can alter its apparent shape while moving, the inconsistencies in human motion and detection failures in the cluttered environment. Therefore, the system analyzes the list of coordinates to determine a path for the robot to move, by smoothing the data to reduce noise and looking for significant points used to determine the path the robot will ultimately take. The proposed system was applied to pairs of videos recording the motion of a human hand in a „real‟ environment to move the end-affector of a SCARA robot along the same path as the hand of the person in the video. The correctness of the robot motion was determined by observers indicating that motion of the robot appeared to match the motion of the video.

Development of Autonomous Boat-Type Robot for Automated Velocity Measurement in Straight Natural River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanjou, Michio; Nagasaka, Tsuyoshi

2017-11-01

The present study describes an automated system to measure the river flow velocity. A combination of the camera-tracking system and the Proportional/Integral/Derivative (PID) control could enable the boat-type robot to remain in position against the mainstream; this results in reasonable evaluation of the mean velocity by a duty ratio which corresponds to rotation speed of the screw propeller. A laser range finder module was installed to measure the local water depth. Reliable laboratory experiments with the prototype boat robot and electromagnetic velocimetry were conducted to obtain a calibration curve that connects the duty ratio and mean current velocity. The remaining accuracy in the target point was also examined quantitatively. The fluctuation in the spanwise direction is within half of the robot length. It was therefore found that the robot remains well within the target region. We used two-dimensional navigation tests to guarantee that the prototype moved smoothly to the target points and successfully measured the streamwise velocity profiles across the mainstream. Moreover, the present robot was found to move successfully not only in the laboratory flume but also in a small natural river. The robot could move smoothly from the starting point near the operator's site toward the target point where the velocity is measured, and it could evaluate the cross-sectional discharge.

Ultra wide-band localization and SLAM: a comparative study for mobile robot navigation.

PubMed

Segura, Marcelo J; Auat Cheein, Fernando A; Toibero, Juan M; Mut, Vicente; Carelli, Ricardo

2011-01-01

In this work, a comparative study between an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) localization system and a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is presented. Due to its high bandwidth and short pulses length, UWB potentially allows great accuracy in range measurements based on Time of Arrival (TOA) estimation. SLAM algorithms recursively estimates the map of an environment and the pose (position and orientation) of a mobile robot within that environment. The comparative study presented here involves the performance analysis of implementing in parallel an UWB localization based system and a SLAM algorithm on a mobile robot navigating within an environment. Real time results as well as error analysis are also shown in this work.

Case study of a floor-cleaning robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, Allan C.

1998-01-01

Developing the technologies suitable of ra high level robotic application such as cleaning a floor has proved extremely difficult. Developing the robot mobility technology has been a stumbling block and developing and integrating the applications technology to the machine and the mobility technology has also been a difficult stage in this quest, but doing so in a cost effective and realistic manner suitable for the market place and to compete with humans and manually operated machines has been the most difficult of all. This paper describes one of these quests spanning a 14 year period and resulting in what is hoped will be the world's first commercially manufactured household robot vacuum cleaner.

Lattice Independent Component Analysis for Mobile Robot Localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villaverde, Ivan; Fernandez-Gauna, Borja; Zulueta, Ekaitz

This paper introduces an approach to appearance based mobile robot localization using Lattice Independent Component Analysis (LICA). The Endmember Induction Heuristic Algorithm (EIHA) is used to select a set of Strong Lattice Independent (SLI) vectors, which can be assumed to be Affine Independent, and therefore candidates to be the endmembers of the data. Selected endmembers are used to compute the linear unmixing of the robot's acquired images. The resulting mixing coefficients are used as feature vectors for view recognition through classification. We show on a sample path experiment that our approach can recognise the localization of the robot and we compare the results with the Independent Component Analysis (ICA).

Assistance System for Disabled People: A Robot Controlled by Blinking and Wireless Link

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Val, Lara; Jiménez, María I.; Alonso, Alonso; de La Rosa, Ramón; Izquierdo, Alberto; Carrera, Albano

Disabled people already profit from a lot of technical assistance that improves their quality of life. This article presents a system which will allow interaction between a physically disabled person and his environment. This system is controlled by voluntary muscular movements, particularly those of face muscles. These movements will be translated into machine-understandable instructions, and they will be sent by means of a wireless link to a mobile robot that will execute them. Robot includes a video camera, in order to show the user the environment of the route that the robot follows. This system gives a greater personal autonomy to people with reduced mobility.

A natural-language interface to a mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalowski, S.; Crangle, C.; Liang, L.

1987-01-01

The present work on robot instructability is based on an ongoing effort to apply modern manipulation technology to serve the needs of the handicapped. The Stanford/VA Robotic Aid is a mobile manipulation system that is being developed to assist severely disabled persons (quadriplegics) in performing simple activities of everyday living in a homelike, unstructured environment. It consists of two major components: a nine degree-of-freedom manipulator and a stationary control console. In the work presented here, only the motions of the Robotic Aid's omnidirectional motion base have been considered, i.e., the six degrees of freedom of the arm and gripper have been ignored. The goal has been to develop some basic software tools for commanding the robot's motions in an enclosed room containing a few objects such as tables, chairs, and rugs. In the present work, the environmental model takes the form of a two-dimensional map with objects represented by polygons. Admittedly, such a highly simplified scheme bears little resemblance to the elaborate cognitive models of reality that are used in normal human discourse. In particular, the polygonal model is given a priori and does not contain any perceptual elements: there is no polygon sensor on board the mobile robot.

Non-destructive inspection in industrial equipment using robotic mobile manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurtua, Iñaki; Susperregi, Loreto; Ansuategui, Ander; Fernández, Ane; Ibarguren, Aitor; Molina, Jorge; Tubio, Carlos; Villasante, Cristobal; Felsch, Torsten; Pérez, Carmen; Rodriguez, Jorge R.; Ghrissi, Meftah

2016-05-01

MAINBOT project has developed service robots based applications to autonomously execute inspection tasks in extensive industrial plants in equipment that is arranged horizontally (using ground robots) or vertically (climbing robots). The industrial objective has been to provide a means to help measuring several physical parameters in multiple points by autonomous robots, able to navigate and climb structures, handling non-destructive testing sensors. MAINBOT has validated the solutions in two solar thermal plants (cylindrical-parabolic collectors and central tower), that are very demanding from mobile manipulation point of view mainly due to the extension (e.g. a thermal solar plant of 50Mw, with 400 hectares, 400.000 mirrors, 180 km of absorber tubes, 140m height tower), the variability of conditions (outdoor, day-night), safety requirements, etc. Once the technology was validated in simulation, the system was deployed in real setups and different validation tests carried out. In this paper two of the achievements related with the ground mobile inspection system are presented: (1) Autonomous navigation localization and planning algorithms to manage navigation in huge extensions and (2) Non-Destructive Inspection operations: thermography based detection algorithms to provide automatic inspection abilities to the robots.

Training a Network of Electronic Neurons for Control of a Mobile Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vromen, T. G. M.; Steur, E.; Nijmeijer, H.

An adaptive training procedure is developed for a network of electronic neurons, which controls a mobile robot driving around in an unknown environment while avoiding obstacles. The neuronal network controls the angular velocity of the wheels of the robot based on the sensor readings. The nodes in the neuronal network controller are clusters of neurons rather than single neurons. The adaptive training procedure ensures that the input-output behavior of the clusters is identical, even though the constituting neurons are nonidentical and have, in isolation, nonidentical responses to the same input. In particular, we let the neurons interact via a diffusive coupling, and the proposed training procedure modifies the diffusion interaction weights such that the neurons behave synchronously with a predefined response. The working principle of the training procedure is experimentally validated and results of an experiment with a mobile robot that is completely autonomously driving in an unknown environment with obstacles are presented.

Laser-Based Pedestrian Tracking in Outdoor Environments by Multiple Mobile Robots

PubMed Central

Ozaki, Masataka; Kakimuma, Kei; Hashimoto, Masafumi; Takahashi, Kazuhiko

2012-01-01

This paper presents an outdoors laser-based pedestrian tracking system using a group of mobile robots located near each other. Each robot detects pedestrians from its own laser scan image using an occupancy-grid-based method, and the robot tracks the detected pedestrians via Kalman filtering and global-nearest-neighbor (GNN)-based data association. The tracking data is broadcast to multiple robots through intercommunication and is combined using the covariance intersection (CI) method. For pedestrian tracking, each robot identifies its own posture using real-time-kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) and laser scan matching. Using our cooperative tracking method, all the robots share the tracking data with each other; hence, individual robots can always recognize pedestrians that are invisible to any other robot. The simulation and experimental results show that cooperating tracking provides the tracking performance better than conventional individual tracking does. Our tracking system functions in a decentralized manner without any central server, and therefore, this provides a degree of scalability and robustness that cannot be achieved by conventional centralized architectures. PMID:23202171

BeBot: A Modular Mobile Miniature Robot Platform Supporting Hardware Reconfiguration and Multi-standard Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbrechtsmeier, Stefan; Witkowski, Ulf; Rückert, Ulrich

Mobile robots become more and more important in current research and education. Especially small ’on the table’ experiments attract interest, because they need no additional or special laboratory equipments. In this context platforms are desirable which are small, simple to access and relatively easy to program. An additional powerful information processing unit is advantageous to simplify the implementation of algorithm and the porting of software from desktop computers to the robot platform. In this paper we present a new versatile miniature robot that can be ideally used for research and education. The small size of the robot of about 9 cm edge length, its robust drive and its modular structure make the robot a general device for single and multi-robot experiments executed ’on the table’. For programming and evaluation the robot can be wirelessly connected via Bluetooth or WiFi. The operating system of the robot is based on the standard Linux kernel and the GNU C standard library. A player/stage model eases software development and testing.

INL Generic Robot Architecture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2005-03-30

The INL Generic Robot Architecture is a generic, extensible software framework that can be applied across a variety of different robot geometries, sensor suites and low-level proprietary control application programming interfaces (e.g. mobility, aria, aware, player, etc.).

Deictic primitives for general purpose navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crismann, Jill D.

1994-01-01

A visually-based deictic primative used as an elementary command set for general purpose navigation was investigated. It was shown that a simple 'follow your eyes' scenario is sufficient for tracking a moving target. Limitations of velocity, acceleration, and modeling of the response of the mechanical systems were enforced. Realistic paths of the robots were produced during the simulation. Scientists could remotely command a planetary rover to go to a particular rock formation that may be interesting. Similarly an expert at plant maintenance could obtain diagnostic information remotely by using deictic primitives on a mobile are used in the deictic primitives, we could imagine that the exact same control software could be used for all of these applications.

Wearable computer for mobile augmented-reality-based controlling of an intelligent robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turunen, Tuukka; Roening, Juha; Ahola, Sami; Pyssysalo, Tino

2000-10-01

An intelligent robot can be utilized to perform tasks that are either hazardous or unpleasant for humans. Such tasks include working in disaster areas or conditions that are, for example, too hot. An intelligent robot can work on its own to some extent, but in some cases the aid of humans will be needed. This requires means for controlling the robot from somewhere else, i.e. teleoperation. Mobile augmented reality can be utilized as a user interface to the environment, as it enhances the user's perception of the situation compared to other interfacing methods and allows the user to perform other tasks while controlling the intelligent robot. Augmented reality is a method that combines virtual objects into the user's perception of the real world. As computer technology evolves, it is possible to build very small devices that have sufficient capabilities for augmented reality applications. We have evaluated the existing wearable computers and mobile augmented reality systems to build a prototype of a future mobile terminal- the CyPhone. A wearable computer with sufficient system resources for applications, wireless communication media with sufficient throughput and enough interfaces for peripherals has been built at the University of Oulu. It is self-sustained in energy, with enough operating time for the applications to be useful, and uses accurate positioning systems.

Global Output-Feedback Control for Simultaneous Tracking and Stabilization of Wheeled Mobile Robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, J.; Zhang, L. J.; Xue, D.

A time-varying global output-feedback controller is presented that solves both tracking and stabilization for wheeled mobile robots simultaneously at the torque level. The controller synthesis is based on a coordinate transformation, Lyapunov direct method and backstepping technique. The performance of the proposed controller is demonstrated by simulation.

Configuration Control of a Mobile Dextrous Robot: Real-Time Implementation and Experimentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, David; Seraji, Homayoun

1996-01-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of a real-time control system with multiple modes of operation for a mobile dexterous manipulator. The manipulator under study is a kinematically redundant seven degree-of-freedom arm from Robotics Research Corporation, mounted on a one degree-of-freedom motorized platform.

Teaching Robotics Software with the Open Hardware Mobile Manipulator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vona, M.; Shekar, N. H.

2013-01-01

The "open hardware mobile manipulator" (OHMM) is a new open platform with a unique combination of features for teaching robotics software and algorithms. On-board low- and high-level processors support real-time embedded programming and motor control, as well as higher-level coding with contemporary libraries. Full hardware designs and…

Tactical mobile robots for urban search and rescue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blitch, John; Sidki, Nahid; Durkin, Tim

2000-07-01

Few disasters can inspire more compassion for victims and families than those involving structural collapse. Video clips of children's bodies pulled from earthquake stricken cities and bombing sties tend to invoke tremendous grief and sorrow because of the totally unpredictable nature of the crisis and lack of even the slightest degree of negligence (such as with those who choose to ignore storm warnings). Heartbreaking stories of people buried alive for days provide a visceral and horrific perspective of some of greatest fears ever to be imagined by human beings. Current trends toward urban sprawl and increasing human discord dictates that structural collapse disasters will continue to present themselves at an alarming rate. The proliferation of domestic terrorism, HAZMAT and biological contaminants further complicates the matter further and presents a daunting problem set for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) organizations around the world. This paper amplifies the case for robot assisted search and rescue that was first presented during the KNOBSAR project initiated at the Colorado School of Mines in 1995. It anticipates increasing technical development in mobile robot technologies and promotes their use for a wide variety of humanitarian assistance missions. Focus is placed on development of advanced robotic systems that are employed in a complementary tool-like fashion as opposed to traditional robotic approaches that portend to replace humans in hazardous tasks. Operational challenges for USAR are presented first, followed by a brief history of mobiles robot development. The paper then presents conformal robotics as a new design paradigm with emphasis on variable geometry and volumes. A section on robot perception follows with an initial attempt to characterize sensing in a volumetric manner. Collaborative rescue is then briefly discussed with an emphasis on marsupial operations and linked mobility. The paper concludes with an emphasis on Human Robot Interface (HRI) and a call for additional research in this exciting and all too important field.

FLEXnav: a fuzzy logic expert dead-reckoning system for the Segway RMP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojeda, Lauro; Raju, Mukunda; Borenstein, Johann

2004-09-01

Most mobile robots use a combination of absolute and relative sensing techniques for position estimation. Relative positioning techniques are generally known as dead-reckoning. Many systems use odometry as their only dead-reckoning means. However, in recent years fiber optic gyroscopes have become more affordable and are being used on many platforms to supplement odometry, especially in indoor applications. Still, if the terrain is not level (i.e., rugged or rolling terrain), the tilt of the vehicle introduces errors into the conversion of gyro readings to vehicle heading. In order to overcome this problem vehicle tilt must be measured and factored into the heading computation. A unique new mobile robot is the Segway Robotics Mobility Platform (RMP). This functionally close relative of the innovative Segway Human Transporter (HT) stabilizes a statically unstable single-axle robot dynamically, based on the principle of the inverted pendulum. While this approach works very well for human transportation, it introduces as unique set of challenges to navigation equipment using an onboard gyro. This is due to the fact that in operation the Segway RMP constantly changes its forward tilt, to prevent dynamically falling over. This paper introduces our new Fuzzy Logic Expert rule-based navigation (FLEXnav) method for fusing data from multiple gyroscopes and accelerometers in order to estimate accurately the attitude (i.e., heading and tilt) of a mobile robot. The attitude information is then further fused with wheel encoder data to estimate the three-dimensional position of the mobile robot. We have further extended this approach to include the special conditions of operation on the Segway RMP. The paper presents experimental results of a Segway RMP equipped with our system and running over moderately rugged terrain.

Wireless Cortical Brain-Machine Interface for Whole-Body Navigation in Primates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajangam, Sankaranarayani; Tseng, Po-He; Yin, Allen; Lehew, Gary; Schwarz, David; Lebedev, Mikhail A.; Nicolelis, Miguel A. L.

2016-03-01

Several groups have developed brain-machine-interfaces (BMIs) that allow primates to use cortical activity to control artificial limbs. Yet, it remains unknown whether cortical ensembles could represent the kinematics of whole-body navigation and be used to operate a BMI that moves a wheelchair continuously in space. Here we show that rhesus monkeys can learn to navigate a robotic wheelchair, using their cortical activity as the main control signal. Two monkeys were chronically implanted with multichannel microelectrode arrays that allowed wireless recordings from ensembles of premotor and sensorimotor cortical neurons. Initially, while monkeys remained seated in the robotic wheelchair, passive navigation was employed to train a linear decoder to extract 2D wheelchair kinematics from cortical activity. Next, monkeys employed the wireless BMI to translate their cortical activity into the robotic wheelchair’s translational and rotational velocities. Over time, monkeys improved their ability to navigate the wheelchair toward the location of a grape reward. The navigation was enacted by populations of cortical neurons tuned to whole-body displacement. During practice with the apparatus, we also noticed the presence of a cortical representation of the distance to reward location. These results demonstrate that intracranial BMIs could restore whole-body mobility to severely paralyzed patients in the future.

Deploying the ODIS robot in Iraq and Afghanistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smuda, Bill; Schoenherr, Edward; Andrusz, Henry; Gerhart, Grant

2005-05-01

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown the importance of robotic technology as a force multiplier and a tool for moving soldiers out of harms way. Situations on the ground make soldiers performing checkpoint operations easy targets for snipers and suicide bombers. Robotics technology reduces risk to soldiers and other personnel at checkpoints. Early user involvement in innovative and aggressive development and acquisition strategies are the key to moving robotic and associated technology into the hands of the user. This paper updates activity associated with rapid development of the Omni-Directional Inspection System (ODIS) robot for under vehicle inspection and reports on our field experience with robotics in Iraq and Afghanistan. In February of 2004, two TARDEC Engineers departed for a mission to Iraq and Afghanistan with ten ODIS Robots. Six robots were deployed in the Green Zone in Baghdad. Two Robots were deployed at Kandahar Army Airfield and two were deployed at Bagram Army Airfield in Afghanistan. The TARDEC Engineers who performed this mission trained the soldiers and provided initial on site support. They also trained Exponent employees assigned to the Rapid Equipping Force in ODIS repair. We will discuss our initial deployment, lessons learned and future plans.

Development of dog-like retrieving capability in a ground robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacKenzie, Douglas C.; Ashok, Rahul; Rehg, James M.; Witus, Gary

2013-01-01

This paper presents the Mobile Intelligence Team's approach to addressing the CANINE outdoor ground robot competition. The competition required developing a robot that provided retrieving capabilities similar to a dog, while operating fully autonomously in unstructured environments. The vision team consisted of Mobile Intelligence, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Wayne State University. Important computer vision aspects of the project were the ability to quickly learn the distinguishing characteristics of novel objects, searching images for the object as the robot drove a search pattern, identifying people near the robot for safe operations, correctly identify the object among distractors, and localizing the object for retrieval. The classifier used to identify the objects will be discussed, including an analysis of its performance, and an overview of the entire system architecture presented. A discussion of the robot's performance in the competition will demonstrate the system's successes in real-world testing.

Using sensor habituation in mobile robots to reduce oscillatory movements in narrow corridors.

PubMed

Chang, Carolina

2005-11-01

Habituation is a form of nonassociative learning observed in a variety of species of animals. Arguably, it is the simplest form of learning. Nonetheless, the ability to habituate to certain stimuli implies plastic neural systems and adaptive behaviors. This paper describes how computational models of habituation can be applied to real robots. In particular, we discuss the problem of the oscillatory movements observed when a Khepera robot navigates through narrow hallways using a biologically inspired neurocontroller. Results show that habituation to the proximity of the walls can lead to smoother navigation. Habituation to sensory stimulation to the sides of the robot does not interfere with the robot's ability to turn at dead ends and to avoid obstacles outside the hallway. This paper shows that simple biological mechanisms of learning can be adapted to achieve better performance in real mobile robots.

Optimal path planning for a mobile robot using cuckoo search algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanty, Prases K.; Parhi, Dayal R.

2016-03-01

The shortest/optimal path planning is essential for efficient operation of autonomous vehicles. In this article, a new nature-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm has been applied for mobile robot path planning in an unknown or partially known environment populated by a variety of static obstacles. This meta-heuristic algorithm is based on the levy flight behaviour and brood parasitic behaviour of cuckoos. A new objective function has been formulated between the robots and the target and obstacles, which satisfied the conditions of obstacle avoidance and target-seeking behaviour of robots present in the terrain. Depending upon the objective function value of each nest (cuckoo) in the swarm, the robot avoids obstacles and proceeds towards the target. The smooth optimal trajectory is framed with this algorithm when the robot reaches its goal. Some simulation and experimental results are presented at the end of the paper to show the effectiveness of the proposed navigational controller.