In this work, we present the design, implementation, and testing of a guidance system for the UX-1 robot, a novel spherical underwater vehicle designed to explore and map flooded underground mines. For this purpose, i...
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In this work, we present the design, implementation, and testing of a guidance system for the UX-1 robot, a novel spherical underwater vehicle designed to explore and map flooded underground mines. For this purpose, it needs to navigate completely autonomously, as no communications are possible, in the 3D networks of tunnels of semistructured but unknown environments and gather various geoscientific data. First, the overall design concepts of the robot are presented. Then, the guidance system and its subsystems are explained. Finally, the system's validation and integration with the rest of the UX-1 robot systems are presented. A series of experimental tests following the software-in-the-loop and the hardware-in-the-loop paradigms have been carried out, designed to simulate as closely as possible navigation in mine tunnel environments. The results obtained in these tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the guidance system and its proper integration with the rest of the systems of the robot, and validate the abilities of the UX-1 platform to perform complex missions in flooded mine environments.
This paper presents a novel multi-sensor framework to efficiently identify, track, localise and map every piece of fruit in a commercial mango orchard. A multiple viewpoint approach is used to solve the problem of occ...
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This paper presents a novel multi-sensor framework to efficiently identify, track, localise and map every piece of fruit in a commercial mango orchard. A multiple viewpoint approach is used to solve the problem of occlusion, thus avoiding the need for labour-intensive field calibration to estimate actual yield. Fruit are detected in images using a state-of-the-art faster R-CNN detector, and pair-wise correspondences are established between images using trajectory data provided by a navigation system. A novel LiDAR component automatically generates image masks for each canopy, allowing each fruit to be associated with the corresponding tree. The tracked fruit are triangulated to locate them in 3D, enabling a number of spatial statistics per tree, row or orchard block. A total of 522 trees and 71,609 mangoes were scanned on a Calypso mango orchard near Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, with 16 trees counted by hand for validation, both on the tree and after harvest. The results show that single, dual and multi-view methods can all provide precise yield estimates, but only the proposed multi-view approach can do so without calibration, with an error rate of only 1.36% for individual trees.
This paper presents the characterization of the Hokuyo UTM-30LX laser range finder applied to obstacle detection on power line conductors. First, an overview section defines requirements and explains why the UTM-30LX ...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781467317375
This paper presents the characterization of the Hokuyo UTM-30LX laser range finder applied to obstacle detection on power line conductors. First, an overview section defines requirements and explains why the UTM-30LX was selected for this application. Next, since there is no published characterization of this particular sensor's performance, a comprehensive set of experiments is described, both general tests and ones specific to the novel problem of scanning a power line conductor to detect where obstructions are present. It is then explained how the LIDAR can be mounted on the LineScout power line robot and what algorithm is used to detect obstacles ahead. Basic results obtained on a full-scale power line mock-up clearly demonstrate the potential of the approach.
Ships that operate in polar regions continue to face the threat of floating ice sheets and icebergs generated from an ice ablation process. Systems have been implemented to track these threats, with varying degrees of...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781479906505
Ships that operate in polar regions continue to face the threat of floating ice sheets and icebergs generated from an ice ablation process. Systems have been implemented to track these threats, with varying degrees of success. In this paper, a definition is proposed for this tracking problem that re-casts it within a class of robotic, multiagent target observation problems. The focus in this new definition is on minimizing the time an initial contact for newly generated targets is obtained, as opposed to obtaining a contact long after a target has been generated. Focusing on the initial contact time provides for the ability to enact early countermeasures. A model is provided for the target sources, as well as metrics for computing costs associated with the model for reallocating robotic agents during an observation task. The effectiveness of the solution compared with an existing observation technique is demonstrated using simulation.
In recent years, the number of maritime exploration and exploitation activities has rapidly increased, and with it the necessity to perform more complex tasks underwater, e.g., floating manipulation and mapping with R...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781450363099
In recent years, the number of maritime exploration and exploitation activities has rapidly increased, and with it the necessity to perform more complex tasks underwater, e.g., floating manipulation and mapping with Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs). The first step to perform these activities in a reliable manner, is to obtain an accurate robot localization estimate. Localization approaches based on multi-robot systems or complex acoustic infrastructures have been favored in the literature, but alternatively visual modalities are pursued when these options are not feasible. In this work, we present a two-stage navigation scheme that initially generates a coarse probabilistic map of the workspace that is used to refine localization accuracy and filter noise in the second stage. Additionally, an adaptive decision-making approach is introduced that determines which perception cues to incorporate into the localization filter, i.e., tracked 2D features or plane representations, to ensure high accuracy and reduce computation times. Our approach is thoroughly investigated in simulation and validated with deep-sea field trial data originated from oil & gas commercial operations.
Water and land mine detection performed on beaches and in turbulent surf-zone areas pose specific challenges to robot operation. A robot which is useful in the effort to disarm mined waterways must be capable of navig...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781457711992
Water and land mine detection performed on beaches and in turbulent surf-zone areas pose specific challenges to robot operation. A robot which is useful in the effort to disarm mined waterways must be capable of navigating rocky terrain, hard-packed wet sand and loose dry sand, and constantly changing underwater currents common to these environments. It is also preferable for them to be man-packable and have a large payload capacity for sensors. Studies of insect locomotion mechanisms, and their abstraction to specific movement principles, provides a framework for designing robots that can quickly adapt to varied terrain types. Based on recent success with beach environment autonomy and a new rugged waterproof robotic platform, we propose a new design that will fuse a range of insect-inspired passive mechanisms with active control strategies to seamlessly adapt to and traverse through a range of challenging environments both in and out of the water.
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