Showing papers in "International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems in 2014"
TL;DR: The modelling, design and control of the Kaxan ROV is presented, including the complete six degrees of freedom, non linear hydrodynamic model with its parameters and experimental results of a one degree of freedom underwater system.
Abstract: Underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) play an important role in a number of shallow and deep-water missions for marine science, oil and gas extraction, exploration and salvage. In these applications, the motions of the ROV are guided either by a human pilot on a surface support vessel through an umbilical cord providing power and telemetry, or by an automatic pilot. In the case of automatic control, ROV state feedback is provided by acoustic and inertial sensors and this state information, along with a controller strategy, is used to perform several tasks such as station-keeping and auto-immersion/heading, among others. In this paper, the modelling, design and control of the Kaxan ROV is presented: i) The complete six degrees of freedom, non linear hydrodynamic model with its parameters, ii) the Kaxan hardware/software architecture, iii) numerical simulations in Matlab/Simulink platform of a model-free second order sliding mode control along with ocean currents as disturbances and thruster dynamics...
348 citations
TL;DR: A next best view (NBV) algorithm that determines each view to reconstruct an arbitrary object and a method to deal with the uncertainty in sensor positioning is proposed.
Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) object reconstruction is the process of building a 3D model of a real object. This task is performed by taking several scans of an object from different locations (views). Due to the limited field of view of the sensor and the object's self-occlusions, it is a difficult problem to solve. In addition, sensor positioning by robots is not perfect, making the actual view different from the expected one. We propose a next best view (NBV) algorithm that determines each view to reconstruct an arbitrary object. Furthermore, we propose a method to deal with the uncertainty in sensor positioning. The algorithm fulfills all the constraints of a reconstruction process, such as new information, positioning constraints, sensing constraints and registration constraints. Moreover, it improves the scan's quality and reduces the navigation distance. The algorithm is based on a search-based paradigm where a set of candidate views is generated and then each candidate view is evaluated to determine whic...
109 citations
TL;DR: The design of a low-cost, open-platform, autonomous micro-robot (Colias), which has been tested in both individual and swarm scenarios, and the observed results demonstrate its feasibility for use as a micro-sized mobile robot and as aLow-cost platform for robot swarm applications.
Abstract: Robotic swarms that take inspiration from nature are becoming a fascinating topic for multi-robot researchers. The aim is to control a large number of simple robots enables them in order to solve common complex tasks. Due to the hardware complexities and cost of robot platforms, current research in swarm robotics is mostly performed by simulation software. Simulation of large numbers of these robots which are used in swarm robotic applications is extremely complex and often inaccurate due to poor modelling of external conditions. In this paper we present the design of a low-cost, open-platform, autonomous micro robot (Colias) for swarm robotic applications. Colias employs a circular platform with a diameter of 4 cm. It has a maximum speed of 35 cm/s that gives the ability to be used in swarm scenarios very quickly in large arenas. Long-range infrared modules with adjustable output power allow the robot to communicate with its direct neighbours from a range of 0.5 cm to 3 m. Colias has been designed as a complete platform with supporting software development tools for robotics education and research. It has been tested in individual and swarm scenarios and the observed results demonstrate its feasibility to be used as a micro sized mobile robot as well as a low-cost platform for robot swarm applications.
84 citations
TL;DR: The goal in this article is to reflect on the role LEGO robotics has played in college engineering education over the last 15 years, starting with the introduction of the RCX in 1998 and ending with the introducing of the EV3 in 2013.
Abstract: Our goal in this article is to reflect on the role LEGO robotics has played in college engineering education over the last 15 years, starting with the introduction of the RCX in 1998 and ending with the introduction of the EV3 in 2013. By combining a modular computer programming language with a modular building platform, LEGO Education has allowed students (of all ages) to become active leaders in their own education as they build everything from animals for a robotic zoo to robots that play children's games. Most importantly, it allows all students to develop different solutions to the same problem to provide a learning community. We look first at how the recent developments in the learning sciences can help in promoting student learning in robotics. We then share four case studies of successful college-level implementations that build on these developments.
83 citations
TL;DR: A framework for BIM-enabled life-cycle information management is built and will provide a unified platform for information management and ensure data integrity.
Abstract: BIM has been widely used in project management, but on the whole the applications have been scattered and the BIM models have not been deployed throughout the whole project life-cycle. Each partici...
71 citations
TL;DR: To a certain extent, the A3 head outperforms the common Sprint Z3 head, providing a new and satisfactory option for a machine tool head in industry.
Abstract: This paper presents a comparison study of two important three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) parallel manipulators, the Sprint Z3 head and the A3 head, both commonly used in industry. As an initial step, ...
71 citations
TL;DR: Qualitative results from a scaled-up printed circuit board version of the specialized substrate operating on permanent magnets are presented and offer proof-of-concept results for the approach, and insights for practical implementations of such a system are reported.
Abstract: In this paper, a novel approach to achieving the independent control of multiple magnetic microrobots is presented. The approach utilizes a specialized substrate consisting of a fine grid of planar, MEMS-fabricated micro coils of the same size as the microrobots (≤ 500 μm). The coils can be used to generate real magnetic potentials and, therefore, attractive and repulsive forces in the workspace to control the trajectories of the microrobots. Initial work on modelling the coil and microrobot behavior is reported along with simulation results for navigating one and two microrobots along independent desired trajectories. Qualitative results from a scaled-up printed circuit board version of the specialized substrate operating on permanent magnets are presented and offer proof-of-concept results for the approach. These tests also provide insights for practical implementations of such a system, which are similarly reported. The ultimate goal of this work is to use swarms of independently controlled microrobots...
67 citations
TL;DR: The GLCM is modified for extracting probability matrices directly from the colour image and the proposed method is called CLCM (colour-level co-occurrence matrices) and experimental results show that it is a powerful method for colour texture classification.
Abstract: This paper discusses research in the area of texture image classification. More specifically, the combination of texture and colour features is researched. The principle objective is to create a robust descriptor for the extraction of colour texture features. The principles of two well-known methods for grey-level texture feature extraction, namely GLCM (grey-level co-occurrence matrix) and Gabor filters, are used in experiments. For the texture classification, the support vector machine is used. In the first approach, the methods are applied in separate channels in the colour image. The experimental results show the huge growth of precision for colour texture retrieval by GLCM. Therefore, the GLCM is modified for extracting probability matrices directly from the colour image. The method for 13 directions neighbourhood system is proposed and formulas for probability matrices computation are presented. The proposed method is called CLCM (colour-level co-occurrence matrices) and experimental results show th...
55 citations
TL;DR: Through the use of BIM technology for the dynamic querying and statistical analysis of construction schedules, engineering, resources and costs, the three implementations considered demonstrate how BIM can facilitate the comprehensive grasp of a project's implementation and progress, identify and solve the contradictions and conflicts between construction resources and cost controls, reduce project over-spends and protect the supply of resources.
Abstract: In the construction industry, research is being carried out to look for feasible methods and technologies to cut down project costs and waste. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is certainly curr...
55 citations
TL;DR: This paper focuses on a Central Pattern Generator (CPG)-based locomotion controller design for a boxfish-like robot and a closed-loop CPG controller is advanced for yaw and roll control of the robotic fish for the first time.
Abstract: This paper focuses on a Central Pattern Generator (CPG)-based locomotion controller design for a boxfish-like robot. The bio-inspired controller is aimed at flexible switching in multiple 3D swimming patterns and exact attitude control of yaw and roll such that the robot will swim more like a real boxfish. The CPG network comprises two layers, the lower layer is the network of coupled linear oscillators and the upper is the transition layer where the lower-dimensional locomotion stimuli are transformed into the higher-dimensional control parameters serving for all the oscillators. Based on such a two-layer framework, flexible switching between multiple three-dimensional swimming patterns, such as swimming forwards/backwards, turning left/right, swimming upwards/downwards and rolling clockwise/counter-clockwise, can be simply realized by inputting different stimuli. Moreover, the stability of the CPG network is strictly proved to guarantee the intrinsic stability of the swimming patterns. As to exact attit...
53 citations
TL;DR: A model for the automatic assessment of a building's sustainability life cycle with the building information modelling (BIM) approach and its enabling technologies is proposed and a 6D CAD model is developed which could be used as a design aid instead of as a post-construction evaluation tool.
Abstract: Current building assessment methods limit themselves in their environmental impact by failing to consider the other two aspects of sustainability: the economic and the social. They tend to be compl...
TL;DR: A framework for tracking a mobile ground target (MGT) using a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a modified guidance law is developed to guide the UAV to circle and track the MGT.
Abstract: This paper presents a framework for tracking a mobile ground target (MGT) using a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Challenges from pure theories to practical applications, including varying illumination, computational limits and a lack of clarity are considered. The procedure consists of four steps, namely: target detection, target localization, states estimation and UAV guidance. Firstly, the MGT in the wild is separated from the background using a Laplacian operator-based method. Next, the MGT is located by performing coordinate transformations with the assumption that the altitude of the ground is invariant and known. Afterwards, a Kalman filter is used to estimate the location and velocity of the MGT. Finally, a modified guidance law is developed to guide the UAV to circle and track the MGT. The performance of our framework is validated by simulations and a number of actual flight tests. The results indicate that the framework is effective and of low computational complexity, and in particula...
TL;DR: A global picture of the state of the art in the area is offered and some promising research lines are discovered, namely in order to respond to the main questions posed when designing robotic vision systems.
Abstract: This paper introduces a taxonomy of vision systems for ground mobile robots. In the last five years, a significant number of relevant papers have contributed to this subject. Firstly, a thorough review of the papers is proposed to discuss and classify both past and the most current approaches in the field. As a result, a global picture of the state of the art of the last five years is obtained. Moreover, the study of the articles is used to put forward a comprehensive taxonomy based on the most up-to-date research in ground mobile robotics. In this sense, the paper aims at being especially helpful to both budding and experienced researchers in the areas of vision systems and mobile ground robots. The taxonomy described is devised from a novel perspective, namely in order to respond to the main questions posed when designing robotic vision systems: why?, what for?, what with?, how?, and where? The answers are derived from the most relevant techniques described in the recent literature, leading in a natural...
TL;DR: Experiments with real data show that the proposed method is able to maintain an accurate and drift-free attitude and heading estimation and there is no ostensible reason for preferring that the filter have an indirect configuration over a direct configuration for implementing an AHRS system.
Abstract: This paper describes a practical and reliable algorithm for implementing an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS). This kind of system is essential for real time vehicle navigation, guidance...
TL;DR: This paper presents smartPATH, a new hybrid ACO-GA algorithm that relies on the combination of an improved ACO algorithm (IACO) for efficient and fast path selection, and a modified crossover operator to reduce the risk of falling into a local minimum.
Abstract: Path planning is a fundamental optimization problem that is crucial for the navigation of a mobile robot. Among the vast array of optimization approaches, we focus in this paper on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) for solving the global path planning problem in a static environment, considering their effectiveness in solving such a problem. Our objective is to design an efficient hybrid algorithm that takes profit of the advantages of both ACO and GA approaches for the sake of maximizing the chance to find the optimal path even under real-time constraints. In this paper, we present smartPATH, a new hybrid ACO-GA algorithm that relies on the combination of an improved ACO algorithm (IACO) for efficient and fast path selection, and a modified crossover operator to reduce the risk of falling into a local minimum. We demonstrate through extensive simulations that smartPATH outperforms classical ACO (CACO), GA algorithms. It also outperforms the Dijkstra exact method in solving the pat...
TL;DR: It is shown that BIM has the potential to improve the design and construction of bridge projects and it is expected that this research could contribute to the extensive application of BIM in mega-complex bridge projects to aid in design andConstruction in the future.
Abstract: More and more mega-complex bridge projects are being or will be built worldwide. At the same time, the design and construction of such projects involve more and more challenges, e.g., complex structural designs, complicated construction environments, etc. This research study aims to apply BIM (Building Information Modelling) to bridge projects to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of design and construction. Through the analysis of the characteristics of bridge projects and relevant, associated problems, a BIM-based solution to improving design and construction is developed, including conceptual design optimization, detailed design optimization, the optimization of construction sequences, construction scheduling, construction management, and construction process monitoring. Furthermore, a real-life bridge project is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the BIM-aided approach to design and construction. It is shown that BIM has the potential to improve the design and construction of bridge projects. It is expected that this research could contribute to the extensive application of BIM in mega-complex bridge projects to aid in design and construction in the future.
TL;DR: An optimal calibration method for a micro-electro-mechanical inertial measurement unit (MIMU) and the simulations and real tests verify the effectiveness of the proposed calibration method and show that it is better than the traditional method.
Abstract: An optimal calibration method for a micro-electro-mechanical inertial measurement unit (MIMU) is presented in this paper. The accuracy of the MIMU is highly dependent on calibration to remove the d...
TL;DR: The results not only demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed SR-based gripper design but also reveal a promising performance of the gripper when driven by piezoelectric stack actuators.
Abstract: This paper presents the structural design and analysis of a novel compliant gripper based on the Scott-Russell (SR) mechanism. The SR mechanism in combination with a parallelogram mechanism enables the achievement of a pure translation of the gripper tips, which is attractive for practical micromanipulation and microassembly applications. Unlike traditional pure-translation grippers, the reported SR-based gripper exhibits a simple structure as well as compact dimension because the in-plane space is fully used. The kinematics, statics and dynamics models of the gripper mechanism are established, and finite element analysis (FEA) simulations are carried out to verify the structure design. A prototype has been developed for experimental testing. The results not only demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed SR-based gripper design but also reveal a promising performance of the gripper when driven by piezoelectric stack actuators. Moreover, several variations of the gripper structure are presented as well.
TL;DR: The working principle and modelling of piezoelectric actuators, the major control method and recent progress are presented in detail and some open issues and future work on the control of pieZoelectrics actuators are extensively discussed.
Abstract: The micro/nano positioning field has made great progress towards enabling the advance of micro/nano technology. Micro/nano positioning stages actuated by piezoelectric actuators are the key devices in micro/nano manipulation. The control of piezoelectric actuators has emerged as a hot topic in recent years. Piezoelectric materials have inherent hysteresis and creep nonlinearity, which can reduce the accuracy of the manipulation, even causing the instability of the whole system. Remarkable efforts have been made to compensate for the nonlinearity of piezoelectric actuation through the mathematical modelling and control approaches. This paper provides a review of recent advances on the control of piezoelectric actuators. After a brief introduction of basic components of typical piezoelectric micro/nano positioning platforms, the working principle and modelling of piezoelectric actuators are outlined in this paper. This is followed with the major control method and recent progress is presented in detail. Finally, some open issues and future work on the control of piezoelectric actuators are extensively discussed.
TL;DR: The driving force, payload capacity and torque balance of the robot with the integration was discussed, as well as the possible interference between electrostatic actuation and adhesion inside the integration.
Abstract: Previous electroadhesive climbing robots generally employed typical electromagnetic motors, which spoiled some of the advantages of electroadhesion such as it being light, thin and flexible. To imp...
TL;DR: The quadratic polynomial interpolation method is used to construct continuous paths about three points and the proposed path is rotated using the parametric method in order to make the path optimal and smooth.
Abstract: Path searching algorithm is one of the main topics in studies on path planning. These algorithms are used to avoiding obstacles and find paths from starting point to target point. There are dynamic problems that must be addressed when these paths are applied in real environments. In order to be applicable in actual situations, the path must be a smooth path. A smooth path is a path that maintains continuity. Continuity is decided by the differential values of the path. In order to be G2 continuous, the secondary differential values of the path must be connected throughout the path. In this paper, the interpolation method is used to construct continuous paths. The quadratic polynomial interpolation is a simple method for obtaining continuous paths about three points. The proposed algorithm makes a connection of three points with curves and the proposed path is rotated using the parametric method in order to make the path optimal and smooth. The polynomials expand to the next three points and they merge int...
TL;DR: This work presents a computationally efficient hybrid face recognition method that employs dual-stage holistic and local feature-based recognition algorithms, and obtains better recognition results under illumination variations not only in terms of computation time but also interms of the recognition rate.
Abstract: With the rapid development of computers and the increasing, mass use of high-tech mobile devices, vision-based face recognition has advanced significantly. However, it is hard to conclude that the performance of computers surpasses that of humans, as humans have generally exhibited better performance in challenging situations involving occlusion or variations. Motivated by the recognition method of humans who utilize both holistic and local features, we present a computationally efficient hybrid face recognition method that employs dual-stage holistic and local feature-based recognition algorithms. In the first coarse recognition stage, the proposed algorithm utilizes Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify a test image. The recognition ends at this stage if the confidence level of the result turns out to be reliable. Otherwise, the algorithm uses this result for filtering out top candidate images with a high degree of similarity, and passes them to the next fine recognition stage where Gabor filte...
TL;DR: The proposed vision-based method for fire detection from fixed surveillance smart cameras integrates several well-known techniques properly adapted to cope with the challenges related to the actual deployment of the vision system to attain higher accuracy and robustness.
Abstract: This paper presents a vision-based method for fire detection from fixed surveillance smart cameras. The method integrates several well-known techniques properly adapted to cope with the challenges ...
TL;DR: An innovative motion system that is used to control the motions and animations of a social robot used to study Human-Robot Interactions (HRI), with a special focus on Robot Assisted Therapy (RAT).
Abstract: This paper presents an innovative motion system that is used to control the motions and animations of a social robot. The social robot Probo is used to study Human-Robot Interactions (HRI), with a special focus on Robot Assisted Therapy (RAT). When used for therapy it is important that a social robot is able to create an “illusion of life” so as to become a believable character that can communicate with humans. The design of the motion system in this paper is based on insights from the animation industry. It combines operator-controlled animations with low-level autonomous reactions such as attention and emotional state. The motion system has a Combination Engine, which combines motion commands that are triggered by a human operator with motions that originate from different units of the cognitive control architecture of the robot. This results in an interactive robot that seems alive and has a certain degree of “likeability”. The Godspeed Questionnaire Series is used to evaluate the animacy and likeabili...
TL;DR: This study proposes a new water strider insect-inspired robot, called STRIDE II, which uses new circular footpads for high lift, stability and payload capability, and a new elliptical leg rotation mechanism for more efficient water surface propulsion.
Abstract: Water strider insects have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their power-efficient and agile water surface locomotion. This study proposes a new water strider insect-inspired robot, called STRIDE II, which uses new circular footpads for high lift, stability and payload capability, and a new elliptical leg rotation mechanism for more efficient water surface propulsion. Using the advantage of scaling effects on surface tension versus buoyancy, similar to water strider insects, this robot uses the repulsive surface tension force on its footpads as the dominant lift principle instead of creating buoyancy by using very skinny (1 mm diameter) circular footpads coated with a superhydrophobic material. The robot and the insect propel quickly and power efficiently on the water surface by the sculling motion of their two side-legs, which never break the water surface completely. This paper proposes models for the lift, drag and propulsion forces and the energy efficiency of the proposed legged robo...
TL;DR: A wireless wearable multi-sensor system for locomotion mode recognition that can accurately classify the current states of human gaits and shows the potential of the designed system for the control of intelligent prostheses.
Abstract: Locomotion mode recognition is one of the key aspects of control of intelligent prostheses. This paper presents a wireless wearable multi-sensor system for locomotion mode recognition. The sensor suit of the system includes three inertial measurement units (IMUs) and eight force sensors. The system was built to measure both kinematic (tilt angles) and dynamic (ground contact forces) signals of human gaits. To evaluate the recognition performance of the system, seven motion modes and sit-to-stand transition were monitored. With a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier, the proposed system can accurately classify the current states. The overall motion mode recognition accuracy was 99.9% during the stance phase and 98.5% during the swing phase. For sit-to-stand transition recognition, the average accuracy was 99.9%. These promising results show the potential of the designed system for the control of intelligent prostheses.
TL;DR: The core algorithms of the perception system to be included within an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) based on the acoustic data acquired from side scan sonar (SSS), using a technique that is used for radars, due to its efficiency and its amenability to on-line processing.
Abstract: Fil: Villar, Sebastian Aldo. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Bs.as.. Facultad de Ingenieria Olavarria. Departamento de Electromecanica. Grupo Intelymec; Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas; Argentina;
TL;DR: Five large-scale public and financial projects that adopt BIM in the design, construction and operational phases are presented and it is concluded that productivity is improved where BIM is used to enable easy sharing and integration of information and convenient collaboration.
Abstract: Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process involving the creation and management of objective data with property, unique identity and relationship. In the Architecture, Engineering and Const...
TL;DR: The obtained results have shown the effectiveness of the extracted indicators to reduce the non-linear optimization problem complexity and lead to the synthesis of a grasping posture able to replicate the human behaviour while ensuring grasp stability.
Abstract: Biologically inspired robotic systems can find important applications in biomedical robotics, since studying and replicating human behaviour can provide new insights into motor recovery, functional...
TL;DR: A biologically inspired neural dynamics and map planning based approach are simultaneously proposed for AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) path planning and obstacle avoidance in an unknown dynamic environment.
Abstract: In this paper a biologically inspired neural dynamics and map planning based approach are simultaneously proposed for AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) path planning and obstacle avoidance in an unknown dynamic environment. Firstly the readings of an ultrasonic sensor are fused into the map using the D-S (Dempster-Shafer) inference rule and a two-dimensional occupancy grid map is built. Secondly the dynamics of each neuron in the topologically organized neural network is characterized by a shunting equation. The AUV path is autonomously generated from the dynamic activity landscape of the neural network and previous AUV location. Finally, simulation results show high quality path optimization and obstacle avoidance behaviour for the AUV.