Showing papers in "IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine in 2009"

Learning OpenCV---Computer Vision with the OpenCV Library (Bradski, G.R. et al.; 2008)[On the Shelf]

Abstract: This is an introductory textbook for teachers, students, professionals, and hobbyists who want to learn the basics of computer vision. The book is completely based around the OpenCV library, an open source project that started in 1999 by the computer-vision community. The authors of the text are among the principal contributors to this real-time library that has developed in C/C++ to run Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Although it is unashamedly a promotion for the open-source library, it is still a worthy educational text.

Compliant actuator designs

Abstract: In the growing fields of wearable robotics, rehabilitation robotics, prosthetics, and walking k robots, variable stiffness actuators (VSAs) or adjustable compliant actuators are being designed and implemented because of their ability to minimize large forces due to shocks, to safely interact with the user, and their ability to store and release energy in passive elastic elements. This review article describes the state of the art in the design of actuators with adaptable passive compliance. This new type of actuator is not preferred for classical position-controlled applications such as pick and place operations but is preferred in novel robots where safe human- robot interaction is required or in applications where energy efficiency must be increased by adapting the actuator's resonance frequency. The working principles of the different existing designs are explained and compared. The designs are divided into four groups: equilibrium-controlled stiffness, antagonistic-controlled stiffness, structure-controlled stiffness (SCS), and mechanically controlled stiffness.

Autonomous UAV path planning and estimation

Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have shown promise in recent years for autonomous sensing. UAVs systems have been proposed for a wide range of applications such as mapping, surveillance, search, and tracking operations. The recent availability of low-cost UAVs suggests the use of teams of vehicles to perform sensing tasks. To leverage the capabilities of a team of vehicles, efficient methods of decentralized sensing and cooperative path planning are necessary. The goal of this work is to examine practical control strategies for a team of fixed-wing vehicles performing cooperative sensing. We seek to develop decentralized, autonomous control strategies that can account for a wide variety of sensing missions. Sensing goals are posed from an information theoretic standpoint to design strategies that explicitly minimize uncertainty. This work proposes a tightly coupled approach, in which sensor models and estimation objectives are used online for path planning.

Mobile robots in mine rescue and recovery

Abstract: Mining accidents have occurred since the early days of mining. Therewere a total of 525 mining disasters (incidents with five or more fatalities) in both coal and metal/nonmetal mines from 1900 through 2007 in the United States, resulting in 12,823 fatalities. Most of these disasters involve mine rescue teams, which are specially trained to perform search and rescue operations in extremely hostile environments. Robots have a great potential to assist in these underground operations, searching ahead of rescue teams and reporting conditions that may be hazardous to the teams. When explosive conditions exist or when heavy smoke or unstable ground conditions prevent team members from entering a mine, robots can become an invaluable tool.

Snake-like robots [Tutorial]

Abstract: We have introduced the biomechanical research on snakes and developmental research on snake-like robots that we have been working on. We could not introduce everything we developed. There were also a smaller snake-like active endoscope; a large-sized snake-like inspection robot for nuclear reactor related facility, Koryu, 1 m in height, 3.5 m in length, and 350 kg in weight; and several other snake-like robots. Development of snake-like robots is still one of our latest research topics. We feel that the technical difficulties in putting snake-like robots into practice have almost been overcome by past research, so we believe that such practical use of snake-like robots can be realized soon.

Component-based robotic engineering (Part I) [Tutorial]

Abstract: This article is the first of a two-part series intended as an introduction to component-based software engineering (CBSE) in robotics. In this tutorial, we regard a component as a piece of software that implements robotic functionality (e.g., path planning). The focus of this article is on design principles and implementation guidelines that enable the development of reusable and maintainable software-building blocks, which can be assembled to build robotic applications.

Achievements in space robotics

Abstract: Outer space is an ultimate field for the application of robotics technology. As outer space is a harsh environment with extreme temperatures, vacuum, radiation, gravity, and great distances, human access is very difficult and hazardous and is therefore limited. To assist human activities in space for constructing and maintaining space modules and structures, robotic manipulators have been playing essential roles in orbital operations. Moreover, expanding the horizons of exploration beyond the areas of human access, robots that land and travel on planetary surfaces have been greatly contributing to our knowledge of the solar system. New challenges are expected in the future. This article consists of three parts. In the first part, the achievements of orbital robotics technology in the last decade are reviewed, highlighting the Engineering Test Satellite (ETS-VII) and Orbital Express flight demonstrations. In the second part, some of the selected topics of planetary robotics from the field robotics research point of view are described. Recent achievements in the author's laboratory are added as an illustrative example. Finally, technological challenges to asteroid robotics are discussed. When designing a robot to explore the surface of an asteroid, microgravity raises an interesting problem of how to stick and move on the surface. Some ideas to address these questions are introduced.

Robot Manipulators Constructing a High-Performance Robot from Commercially Available Parts

Abstract: In this paper we present a design study and technical specifications of a high performance robotic manipulator to be used for ball catching experiments using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Early evaluation shows that very good performance can be achieved using standardized PowerCube actuator modules from Amtec and a standard workstation using CAN bus communication. Implementation issues of low-level control and software platform are also described, as well as early experimental evaluation of the system.

Whisking with robots

Abstract: This article summarizes some of the key features of the rat vibrissal system, including the actively controlled sweeping movements of the vibrissae known as whisking, and reviews the past and ongoing research aimed at replicating some of this functionality in biomimetic robots.

Increasing autonomy of UAVs

Abstract: This article has presented a tightly integrated systems architecture for a decentralized CSAT mission management algorithm and demonstrated successful implementation in actual hardware flight tests. This CSAT architecture allows each UAV to accomplish a combined search and track mission by conceptualizing the searching aspect as a spare time strategy to be executed optimally over a short time horizon when the agents are not actively tracking a vehicle. This presented a balance between the two conflicting search and track modes and allowed the mission to achieve more than simply searching or tracking alone.

Spatial cognition for robots

Abstract: The paper discusses robot navigation from biological inspiration The authors sought to build a model of the rodent brain that is suitable for practical robot navigation The core model, dubbed RatSLAM, has been demonstrated to have exactly the same advantages described earlier: it can build, maintain, and use maps simultaneously over extended periods of time and can construct maps of large and complex areas from very weak geometric information The work contrasts with other efforts to embody models of rat brains in robots The article describes the key elements of the known biology of the rat brain in relation to navigation and how the RatSLAM model captures the ideas from biology in a fashion suitable for implementation on a robotic platform The paper then outline RatSLAM's performance in two difficult robot navigation challenges, demonstrating how a cognitive robotics approach to navigation can produce results that rival other state of the art approaches in robotics

Head injury criterion

Abstract: In the design of robotic systems that safely interact with people, it is useful to have validated criteria for measuring injury risks. To this end, some researchers have advocated the use of metrics developed for assessing automotive safety, with the head injury criterion (HIC) receiving particular attention. The aims of this commentary are to clarify the proper use of the HIC, to briefly discuss its relationship to the risk of injury, and to give a closed-form formula for the HIC value produced by a simple mass-spring model of impact. We emphasize that there are many other factors besides HIC to consider before a robot system can be considered safe to interact with humans.

On-orbit servicing

Abstract: Space robots were the topic of this paper. While on earth, nobody would follow such advice; in space, there are few other options than to replace a malfunctioning spacecraft. There are no repair shops and gas stations in the Earth orbit. Because of the lack of so-called on-orbit servicing (OOS) opportunities, some malfunctioning spacecraft continue operational work with reduced or hardly any performance. The only general modification, which can currently be undertaken to an arbitrary spacecraft in orbit, is a software update. In this paper, exploration and manipulation capabilities of space robots were discussed. Teleprescence through a data relay satellite and teleoperation capabilities were mentioned and discussed.

Designing autonomous robots

Abstract: Autonomous robots are complex systems that require the interaction or cooperation of numerous heterogeneous software components. Nowadays, robots are getting closer to humans and as such are becoming critical systems that must meet safety properties including logical, temporal, and real-time constraints.

Quadruped walking robots at Tokyo Institute of Technology

Abstract: In this article, the design principle of the leg driving mechanism to minimize energy loss and maximize output power is discussed. We will also introduce the gait control methods implemented in our previous quadruped walking robots. Finally, we will survey most of the prototype models of our quadruped walking robots.

Design of service robots

Abstract: This article relates our experiences over the last 15 years in the development of robotic applications within the field of service robotics, using the techniques proposed by software engineering. The process began with domain engineering and reference architectures, moved on to component-oriented development, and currently centered on model-driven design. One of the key problems in software development for robotic systems is that the possibilities of reusing software in new applications are frequently limited. This means that we are forced over and over to solve the same problems starting practically from zero every time. The possible causes of this include the following: 1) robotics specialists normally concentrate more on developing algorithms and the way to solve concrete problems than on organizing the software; 2) lack of good standards for the development of robotic software and implementations of these standards; 3) the case studies conducted to demonstrate the viability of software engineering techniques traditionally deal with information management systems; and 4) the robotics community see software engineering not as a solution but as another problem that adds complexity to already complex problems. This research has helped to demonstrate the viability of using software engineering techniques in real industrial applications, albeit using academic tools that cannot readily be accepted by industry.

Multirobot inspection of industrial machinery

Abstract: Inspection of aircraft and power generation machinery using a swarm of miniature robots is a promising application both from an intellectual and a commercial perspective. Our research is motivated by a case study concerned with the inspection of a jet turbine engine by a swarm of miniature robots. This article summarizes our efforts that include multirobot path planning, modeling of self-organized robotic systems, and the implementation of proof-of-concept experiments with real miniature robots. Although other research tackles challenges that arise from moving within three-dimensional (3-D) structured environments at the level of the individual robotic node, the emphasis of our work is on explicitly incorporating the potential limitations of the individual robotic platform in terms of sensor and actuator noise into the modeling and design process of collaborative inspection systems. We highlight difficulties and further challenges on the (lengthy) path toward truly autonomous parallel robotic inspection of complex engineered structures.

Neuromodulation as a robot controller

Abstract: This article presents a strategy for controlling autonomous robots, which is based on the principles of neuromodulation in the mammalian brain. Neuromodulatory systems signal important environmental events to the rest of the brain causing the organism to focus its attention on the appropriate object, ignore irrelevant distractions, and respond quickly and appropriately to the event . There are separate neuromodulators that alter responses to risks, rewards, novelty, effort, and social cooperation. Moreover, the neuromodulatory systems provide a foundation for cognitive function in higher organisms; attention, emotion, goal directed behavior, and decision making derive from the interaction between the neuromodulatory systems and brain areas, such as the amygdala, frontal cortex, and hippocampus. Therefore, understanding neuromodulatory function may provide control and action selection algorithms for autonomous robots that effectively interact with the environment.

Robotics: Modeling, Planning, and Control (Siciliano, B. et al; 2009) [On the Shelf]

Abstract: This book is a greatly extended and revised version of an earlier book in the series Modeling and Control of Robot Manipulators (2000, ISBN: 978-1-85233-221-1). However, the classic text on robot manipulators now covers visual control, motion planning, and mobile robots. This text is suitable for graduate and senior undergraduate students studying robotics, automation and computer, electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering courses with strong robotics content; academics researching and teaching robotics; and industry-based engineers dealing with all forms of robot.

Service robot for the elderly

Abstract: Our aim is to develop the service robot based on a systematic software engineering method, particularly for real-time, embedded and distributed systems with UML. To do so, we applied the COMET method, which is a UML-based method for the development of concurrent applications, specifically distributed and real-time applications. We describe our experience of applying the COMET/UML method to developing the service robot for the elderly, T-Rot, which is under development at CIR. Here, our emphasis was on an autonomous navigation system for the service robot, which is one of the most challenging issues and is essential in developing service robots, especially mobile service robots to help elderly people. It includes hardware integration for various sensors and actuators as well as software development and integration of modules like a path planner and a localizer.

Executive decision support

Abstract: One challenge facing coordination and deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) today is the amount of human involvement needed to carry out a successful mission. Currently, control and coordination of UAVs typically involves multiple operators to control a single agent. The aim of this article is to invert this relationship, enabling a single pilot to control and coordinate a group of UAVs. Furthermore, decision support is provided to the pilot to facilitate effective control of the UAV team. In the scenario envisioned in this article, the human operator (the pilot) is operating along-side a team of UAVs. The pilot communicates with the UAV team remotely and controls the UAV team to execute a surveillance mission.

Sharing the load

Abstract: In this article, we discussed the use of various spatial tessellations to determine, in the framework of partitioning policies, optimal workload share in a mobile robotic network. We also proposed efficient and spatially distributed algorithms for achieving some of these tessellations with minimum or no communication between the agents. Because of space limitations, we have not reported results of numerical experiments in this article but provided bibliographic references to publications containing such results and further details. It is interesting to note that these tessellations appear while considering different variations of the same basic problem (DTRP). It is then natural to investigate the existence of a single objective function, whose optima correspond to the various tessellations under these different variations. The game theory approach seems to be a promising one.

Software engineering for robotics [From the Guest Editors]

Abstract: This special issue on software engineering (SE) for robotics captures a snapshot of current research issues and state-of-the-practice in robotic software development, a topic that has recently received increasing attention from the robotics community, thanks to some popular initiatives such as the Microsoft move into robotics.

Mapping and Tracking

Abstract: This article presents the implementation of decentralized data fusion (DDF) and cooperative control algorithms on an unmanned aerial system (UAS). We conduct a number of demonstrations with a pair of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) performing an information-gathering mission, and we show that significant benefits can be achieved by enabling cooperation through the sharing of information between members of the team. The objective is to utilize the UAV team to estimate the position and velocity of a number of ground-based features. The UAVs are given some prior knowledge of the feature states and are required to gather further information above a predefined threshold. This situation models a scenario where initial information is made available from an external source (e.g., a high-flying UAV or satellite imagery), which then prompts the start of the feature-localization mission.

Competent vision and navigation systems

Abstract: In this article, we describe how flying insects use vision for guidance, especially in the contexts of regulating flight speed, negotiating narrow gaps, avoiding obstacles, and performing smooth landings. We show that many of these maneuvers, which were traditionally believed to involve relatively complex and high-level perception, can be achieved through the use of low-level cues and relatively simple computation. We also describe tests of the effectiveness of some of these strategies for autonomous guidance of small-scale terrestrial and aerial vehicles in the contexts of corridor navigation, altitude control, and terrain following and landing. We also describe a novel, mirror- based imaging system that is tailored for these tasks and facilitates the requisite visual computations.

Predictable Mobility: A Statistical Approach for Planetary Surface Exploration Rovers in Uncertain Terrain

Abstract: Predictable Mobility : A Statistical Approach for Planetary Surface Exploration Rovers in Uncertain Terrain

Timing sensory integration

Abstract: The experiments in this paper show that the impact of temporal aspects of sensory integration on the precision of movement is concordant with behavioral studies of sensory integrative dysfunction and autism. Specifically, the simulation predicts that distant grasping will be performed properly by autistic people in general, except if it requires a combination of proximal and distant sensory information, as in the case of proximal obstacles. This aims to extend the integration model to robot simulation of autistic and nonautistic grasping behavior and to use it in games for behavioral training of autistic children.

3-D perception and modeling

Abstract: In the context of the 2008 Lunar Robotics Challenge (LRC) of the European Space Agency (ESA), the Jacobs Robotics team investigated three-dimensional (3-D) perception and modeling as an important basis of autonomy in unstructured domains. Concretely, the efficient modeling of the terrain via a 3D laser range finder (LRF) is addressed. The underlying fast extraction of planar surface patches can be used to improve situational awareness of an operator or for path planning. 3D perception and modeling is an important basis for mobile robot operations in planetary exploration scenarios as it supports good situation awareness for motion level teleoperation as well as higher level intelligent autonomous functions. It is hence desirable to get long-range 3D data with high resolution, large field of view, and very fast update rates. 3D LRF have a high potential in this respect. In addition, 3D LRF can operate under conditions where standard vision based methods fail, e.g., under extreme light conditions. However, it is nontrivial to transmit the huge amount of data delivered by a 3D LRF to an operator station or to use this point cloud data as basis for higher level intelligent functions. Based on our participation in the LRC of the ESA, it is shown how the huge amount of 3D point cloud data from 3D LRF can be tremendously reduced. Concretely, large sets of points are replaced by planar surface patches that are fitted into the data in an optimal way. The underlying computations are very efficient and hence suited for online computations onboard of the robot.

STREAM: A workshop on the use of Robotics in K--12 STEM education [Education]

Abstract: The STREAM workshop held at iRobot in June 2009 introduced K-12 teachers to a number of robotics modules designed to capture the imagination of school students, small and big. The enthusiastic teaching and learning at this workshop demonstrates that it is never too early to introduce students in schools everywhere to robotics.

Cognitive map architecture

Abstract: We have developed the Cognitive Map robot architecture that minimizes the amount of rewriting of existing legacy software for integration. The Cognitive Map can be thought of as a centralized information space for connected components to contribute both internal and environmental state information. We leverage several successfully proven concepts such as blackboard architectures and publish- subscribe based messaging to develop a flexible robot architecture that exhibits fault-tolerance, easily substituted components, and provides support for different structural paradigms such as subsumption, sense-plan-act and three-tier architectures. Our multicomponent distributed system has system components that are loosely coupled via message-passing and/or continuous data streams. This architecture was implemented on the humanoid robot ASIMO manufactured by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. We review various forms of communication middleware and component models. The "Architecture" section provides an overview of our architecture and considerations in its design. The "Scenario Design" section details the process from conceptualizing an interactive application to its instantiation in the robot architecture. The "Components" section singles out several important high-level components that play a significant role in many of our interactive scenarios. Finally, discussions and conclusions are presented.