During multi-robot simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) tasks, a team of robot agents must efficiently synthesize a global map from individual local maps. One method to accomplish this is reserving a subset of...
详细信息
ISBN:
(纸本)9781510636163
During multi-robot simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) tasks, a team of robot agents must efficiently synthesize a global map from individual local maps. One method to accomplish this is reserving a subset of robots to perform data fusion and assigning the others to collect and generate local maps. While this solves, the division of labor problem, it requires humans to explicitly designate which robots handle what tasks and it does not scale well to large teams. Moreover, when robots are operating in tactical environments, they may be placed on a heterogeneous team, with limited or unreliable communication infrastructure. To assist with the task of role assignment, we describe a novel decentralized message passing algorithm, for what we are calling Distributed Leader Consensus (DLC). DLC helps a set of agents self-organize into structured groups by giving them the ability to autonomously come to a consensus on the group leader. Our approach is entirely distributed, easily configurable, and is robust to agents being dynamically added to or removed from the system. DLC may be configured to limit group sizes, assign multiple leaders, and select leaders based on computational power and/or physical proximity. We test our approach in simulation by having a set of agents adapt to changing teammate availability.
The US Army's Future Combat systems (FCS) and Objective Force will rely heavily on the use of unattended sensor net-works to detect, locate and identify enemy targets in order to survive with less armor protection...
详细信息
ISBN:
(纸本)0819444936
The US Army's Future Combat systems (FCS) and Objective Force will rely heavily on the use of unattended sensor net-works to detect, locate and identify enemy targets in order to survive with less armor protection on the future battlefield. Successful implementation of these critical communication net-works will require the collection of the sensor data, processing and collating it with available intelligence, then transporting it in a format conducive to make quick and accurate command decisions based on the latest tactical situational awareness. The networked communications must support both static deployed and mobile ground and air roboticsensors with secure, stealthy, andjam resistant links for sensorfusion and command and control. It is envisioned for broadest application that sensor networks can be deployed in a two-tiered architecture. The architecture includes a lower sensor sub-layer consisting of mixes of acoustic, magnetic and seismic detectors and an upper sub-layer consisting of infrared or visual imagers. The upper sub-layer can be cued by the lower sub-layer and provides a gateway link to the higher echelon tactical maneuver layer networks such as the Tactical Internet. The sensor deployments, networking constraints and reach back distances to Command and control (C2) nodes will be mission scenario specific, however, the architecture will also apply to tactical unattended sensor, munition and robotic applications. Technologies from the Army Research Laboratory, Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and commercial will be leveraged for this effort.
This paper presents a sensorimotor architecture integrating computational models of a cerebellum and a basal ganglia and operating on a microrobot. The computational models enable a microrobot to learn to track a movi...
详细信息
ISBN:
(纸本)0819438618
This paper presents a sensorimotor architecture integrating computational models of a cerebellum and a basal ganglia and operating on a microrobot. The computational models enable a microrobot to learn to track a moving object and anticipate future positions using a CCD camera. The architecture features pre-processing modules for coordinate transformation and instantaneous orientation extraction. Learning of motor control is implemented using predictive Hebbian reinforcement-learning algorithm in the basal ganglia model. Learning of sensory predictions makes use of a combination of long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) adaptation rules within the cerebellum model. The basal ganglia model uses the visual inputs to develop sensorimotor mapping for motor control, while the cerebellum module uses robot orientation and world-coordinate transformed inputs to predict the location of the moving object in a robot centered coordinate system. We propose several hypotheses about the functional role of cell, populations in the cerebellum and argue that mossy fiber projections to the deep cerebellar nucleus (DCN) could play a coordinate ransformation role and act as gain fields. We propose that such transformation could be learnt early in the brain development stages and could be guided by the activity of the climbing fibers. Proprioceptor mossy fibers projecting to the DCN and providing robot orientation with respect to a reference system could be involved in this case. Other mossy fibers carrying visual sensory input provide visual patterns to the granule cells. The combined activities of the granule and the Purkinje cells store spatial representations of the target patterns. The combinations of mossy and Purkinje projections to the DCN provide a prediction of the location of the moving target taking into consideration the robot orientation. Results of lesion simulations based on our model show degradations similar to those reported in cerebellar lesion st
The Accident Response Mobile Manipulator System (ARMMS) is a teleoperated emergency response vehicle that deploys two hydraulic manipulators, five cameras, and an array of sensors to the scene of an incident. It is op...
详细信息
The Accident Response Mobile Manipulator System (ARMMS) is a teleoperated emergency response vehicle that deploys two hydraulic manipulators, five cameras, and an array of sensors to the scene of an incident. It is operated from a remote base station that can be situated up to four kilometers away from the site. Recently, a modular telerobot control architecture called SMART (Sandia's Modular Architecture for robotic and Teleoperation) was applied to ARMMS to improve the precision, safety, and operability of the manipulators on board. Using SMART, a prototype manipulator control system was developed in a couple of days, and an integrated working system was demonstrated within a couple of months. New capabilities such as camera-frame teleoperation, autonomous tool changeout and dual manipulator control have been incorporated. The final system incorporates twenty-two seperate modules and implements seven different behavior modes. This paper describes the integration of SMART into the ARMMS system.
The Modular Manipulator System (MMS) is a general purpose user configurable modular robotic system that provides rapid and inexpensive implementation of standard or customized manipulator geometries of arbitrary compl...
详细信息
The Modular Manipulator System (MMS) is a general purpose user configurable modular robotic system that provides rapid and inexpensive implementation of standard or customized manipulator geometries of arbitrary complexity, tailored to the needs of individual researchers or application engineers. Structures are configured from serf contained 1-DOF rotary or linear JOINT modules, which include an on-board control processor, power amplifier, DC servomotor, high precision position sensor and a fast, rigid connect/disconnect latch. The joints are connected together by passive rigid LINK tubes (straight or 90 degree elbow), that define the manipulator geometry. These components are all offered in 5, 7, 10, 14 and 20 cm diameters, with power density and positional accuracy competitive with other commercial manipulators. A Fuzz Associative Memory (FAM) system is used to capture the arm solution equations for the user defined arm geometry with minimal user input. Task motion commands define trajectories for the end effector in 6-D cartesian workspace coordinates, broadcast to all joints concurrently. The control processor in each joint solves for its component of the movement (a distributed real-time arm equation solution), which is input to a PID control loop that drives the joint servomotor. Central to the system is the Model Manager control program, a model based data-flow architecture, which integrates a dynamic workspace model, off-line application program development, real-time task execution or simulation. The program supports easy teaching of workspace locations, hierarchical programming of complex tasks, sophisticated tool trajectory control integrated workspace I/O, manual manipulator operation and an intuitive user control interface. Additional components under development support automated planning for subtasks, line-model based vision capability to guide workspace interaction and cooperative operation of multiple arms. Various technical and economic advantages
Obstacle detection is a fundamental task for Advanced Driver Assistance systems (ADAS) and Self-driving cars. Several commercial systems like Adaptive Cruise controls and Collision Warning systems depend on them to no...
详细信息
In this manuscript, we introduce I(CES)-Cubes, a class of three-dimensional modular robotic system that is capable of reconfiguring itself in order to adapt to its environment. This is a bipartite system, i.e., a coll...
详细信息
In this manuscript, we introduce I(CES)-Cubes, a class of three-dimensional modular robotic system that is capable of reconfiguring itself in order to adapt to its environment. This is a bipartite system, i.e., a collection of (i) active elements capable of actuation, and (ii) passive elements acting as connectors between actuated elements. Active elements, called links, are 3-DOF manipulators that are capable of attaching/detaching themselves to/from the passive elements (cubes). The cubes can then be positioned and oriented using links, which are independent mechatronic elements. Self-reconfiguration property enables the system to perform locomotion tasks over difficult terrain. For example, the system would be capable of moving over obstacles and climbing stairs. These tasks are performed by positioning and orienting cubes and links to form a three-dimensional network with required shape and position. This paper describes the design of the passive and active elements, the attachment mechanisms, and several reconfiguration scenarios. Specifics of the hardware implementation and results of experiments with current prototypes are also given.
This paper presents the usage of Hall-Effect sensors for the creation of a low cost, zero friction, minimally invasive precise positional (linear/angular) sensor. Hall Effect sensors are generally been used for reveal...
详细信息
This paper presents the usage of Hall-Effect sensors for the creation of a low cost, zero friction, minimally invasive precise positional (linear/angular) sensor. Hall Effect sensors are generally been used for revealing the speed of geared-wheels as well as the angular position of wheels having an array of magnets mounted on. In most cases the Hall-Effect sensors have only been used as threshold sensing devices for revealing the presence of magnetic field. In this article we will experiment the use of the Hall-Effect sensors as continuous non-linear analog input devices. Moreover the article will exploit the condition of achieving data from an array of sensors spatially displaced. The article will show how to introduce the mathematical model of the magnetic field in order to design a correct acquisition system. The article proceeds to introduce the case of a linear transducer made up of a set of sensors. In this transducer the sensors have been linearly arranged along the path swept by a magnetic trolley. The model of data acquisition is presented. The performances and the numerical reliability of the transducer have been evaluated both analytically and experimentally. The achieved results are shown. Finally the transducer generalization for combining an arbitrarily great number of Hall-Effect sensors is discussed.
Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), which are widely considered the key to the global competitiveness in manufacturing rely heavily on efficient and timely movement of materials. The automated guided vehicles which ...
详细信息
The European Community's strategic research initiative in information technology (ESPRIT) has been in place for nearly five years. An early example of the pan-European collaborative projects being conducted under ...
详细信息
ISBN:
(纸本)0819407488
The European Community's strategic research initiative in information technology (ESPRIT) has been in place for nearly five years. An early example of the pan-European collaborative projects being conducted under this initiative is 'SKIDS': Signal and Knowledge Integration with Decisional control for Multisensory systems. This four year project, which is approaching completion, aims to build a real-time multisensor perception machine. This machine will be capable of performing data fusion, interpretation, situation assessment, and resource allocation tasks, under the constraints of both time and resource availability, and in the presence of uncertain data. Of the many possible applications, the surveillance and monitoring of a semi-automated 'factory environment' has been chosen as a challenging and representative test scenario. This paper presents an overview of the goals and objectives of the project, the makeup of the consortium, and roles of the members within it, and the main technical achievements to data. In particular, the following are discussed: relevant application domains, and the generic requirements that can be inferred from them;sensor configuration, including choice, placement, etc.;control paradigms, including the possible trade-offs between centralized, hierarchical, and decentralized approaches;the corresponding hardware architectural choices, including the need for parallel processing;and the appropriate software architecture and infra-structure required to support the chosen task oriented approach. Specific attention is paid to the functional decomposition of the system and how the requirements for control impact the organization of the identified interpretation tasks. Future work and outstanding problems are considered in some concluding remarks. By virtue of limited space, this paper is descriptive rather than explanatory.
暂无评论