Mobile Robotics @ LabRob A short introduction

Mobile Robotics @ LabRobA short introduction

Basilio BonaMichele Bongiovanni

Laboratorio di RoboticaDipartimento di Automatica e Informatica

Politecnico di Torino

01CFIDV - Robotica - 11 Marzo 2005

2

Overview

• Why mobility?• Applications• Approaches• Solutions• LabRob activity


3

Why mobility?

•Increased number of degrees of freedom

• challenging tasks that require displacement abilities.

•Autonomy•Human- (animal-) like behaviors

• Helpers or substitutes for stressing/dangerous tasks


4

Applications fields - 1•Hospitals/Airports/

Home• (Semi)Autonomous wheel-chairs

• Assistants• Vacuum cleaners• Toys

•Requirements• Robustness• User friendly human-machine interface

• Environment sensing


5

Applications fields - 2•Military

• Mine finder• Flying sentinels• Soldiers (????)

•Requirements• SLAM• Team paradigm• Communication• Reliable sensory systems and fusion

• Reliable hardware• Real-time software


6

Applications fields - 3•Scientific/industrial

explorations• Pyramid project• Pipelines• Underwater• Space

•Requirements• Scalability• Adaptativity• Reliable sensing• SLAM• Remote controller systems


7

Application fields - 4• Bio-inspired

• Insects (the great part)• Flies• Ants• Spiders• Bugs

• Fish

• Requirements• Microtechnologies• Low-level coding• Swarm paradigm

• Redundancy strategies• Cooperation/

communication• “Natural” behaviors

• NN controllers• Artificial intelligence

• Coherence with reality


8

Application fields - 5 -

•ROBOT SOCCER• World wide robotic research promotion

•Requirements• Synchrony• Communication• High sensing skills


9

Approach

BehaviorsInteractionsEnvironmentRobotstructure

Modelling

Simulations

Real worl

d

Real robotprogramming

Resultvalidation


10

Model based VS behavioral basedcontroller design

•Model based• Dynamic continuous/discreet equations• Accurate mathematical model• Predictions and equilibria

•Behavior based• Events and interaction rules• High dimension and noisy system• Blocks description• Mathematics hidden in high-level structures


11

Approach

BehaviorsInteractionsEnvironmentRobotstructure

Modelling

Simulations

Real worl

d

Real robotprogramming

Resultvalidation


12

Solutions from simulated to real world

•“by hand” coding• No share of resources between simulation software and hardware

•Automatic coding • Fast prototyping techniques• Hardware in the loop

•Hybrid• Custom code embedding


13

LabRob activity -1- RESEARCH•Fast prototyping using Simulink and the

Real Time Workshop• Design of real-time embedded controllers• Code porting on unsupported/custom architectures

• Model based VS behavioral based controllers analysis and comparison (e.g. Simulink VS Stateflow)

•Sensor fusion env. Mapping (SLAM)• InfraRed sensors (short distances < 4 m )• Sonar sensors (long distances < 3 m)• Video cameras


14

LabRob activity -2- RESEARCH•Algorithms of features extraction from acquired

images (colors, shapes, distances)

•Evolution/dynamics of communication emergence among simulated agents

• Signal “grounding”• Communication means

• Audio waves• Radio waves (which one?)• Light

•Web learning and remote robot controller• Java (or equivalent) web interface• Radio communication host-robot link• Drive-by-cameras


15

• 2 x Khepera robot base (MC68331) with sonars and radio turrets

• 1 x PAL Color camera

• 1 x SoccerBot (MC68331) with sonars, color camera, radio system, kicker and LCD display.

• 4 x Devantech sonars

LabRob Activity -3-AVAILABLE HARDWARE


16

•MATLAB• Simulink• Stateflow• Real Time WorkShop

•RTOS• VxWorks• Qnx• RTAI• Robots’ embedded operating systems.

•Webots (Khepera and family robot simulator)

LabRob Activity -3- AVAILABLE SOFTWARE


17

Useful links

http://www.ladispe.polito.it/robotica/Labrob/indexen.htm

http://www.polito.it/

http://www.k-team.com

http://www.joker-robotics.com/eyebot/

http://www.mathworks.com/products/rtw/

http://www.robot-electronics.co.uk/shop/Ultrasonic_Rangers1999.htm

http://www.cyberbotics.com/products/webots/

http://www.mathworks.com/


18

?? QUESTIONS ??


19

Coming next… LADISPE di AUTOMATICA

10:30-12:30 12:30-14:30

LUN 14/03 BONFITTO, CARDELLINO, CAVALERA, CERUTTI, CHIONO, COCONDI, CORATELLA, CORSIATTO, DANNA, DE GIUSEPPE

DEDOLA, DEIRO,FAVOT, FELE, FICILI, FILIPE, FRASSY, GRASSINO, IMPINNA, KAOUK

MER 16/03 LAFFRANCHI, MATTIO, PAOLELLA, PEIRANO, PONSETTI, PRIMAVERA, SAGLIA, SARRACINO, SEVERINO, ZANCANER, PEREZ, HUI KIT

Documents

Mobile Robotics @ LabRob A short introduction