非完整移动机器人的复合编队控制

主要研究了非完整自主机器人之间的队形保持和避障问题,提出了一种新的复合编队控制方法,该方法根据机器人的期望位置在其运动约束区域内外的不同,分别以一种灵活的反馈线性化算法和最优近似目标算法来建立控制规则,并提出了编队环境中存在静态障碍物时的队形控制策略,从而实现多机器人的稳定编队控制．该方法降低了传统线性反馈控制对编队初始误差范围的要求,并且解决了非完整机器人编队的避障问题．实验结果表明了该编队控制方法的可行性和有效性．     

Reactive navigation in dynamic environment using a multisensorpredictor

A reactive navigation system for an autonomous mobile robot in unstructured dynamic environments is presented. The motion of moving obstacles is estimated for robot motion planning and obstacle avoidance. A multisensor-based obstacle predictor is utilized to obtain obstacle-motion information. Sensory data from a CCD camera and multiple ultrasonic range finders are combined to predict obstacle positions at the next sampling instant. A neural network, which is trained off-line, provides the desired prediction on-line in real time. The predicted obstacle configuration is employed by the proposed virtual force based navigation method to prevent collision with moving obstacles. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed navigation system in an environment with multiple mobile robots or moving objects. This system was implemented and tested on an experimental mobile robot at our laboratory. Navigation results in real environment are presented and analyzed.     

A Neural Network Approach to Dynamic Task Assignment of Multirobots

In this paper, a neural network approach to task assignment, based on a self-organizing map (SOM), is proposed for a multirobot system in dynamic environments subject to uncertainties. It is capable of dynamically controlling a group of mobile robots to achieve multiple tasks at different locations, so that the desired number of robots will arrive at every target location from arbitrary initial locations. In the proposed approach, the robot motion planning is integrated with the task assignment, thus the robots start to move once the overall task is given. The robot navigation can be dynamically adjusted to guarantee that each target location has the desired number of robots, even under uncertainties such as when some robots break down. The proposed approach is capable of dealing with changing environments. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach are demonstrated by simulation studies.     

动态环境下分布式异构多机器人避障方法研究

多机器人系统在联合搜救、智慧车间、智能交通等领域得到了日益广泛的应用。目前,多个机器人之间、机器人与动态环境之间的路径规划和导航避障仍需依赖精确的环境地图,给多机器人系统在非结构环境下的协调与协作带来了挑战。针对上述问题,本文提出了不依赖精确地图的分布式异构多机器人导航避障方法,建立了基于深度强化学习的多特征策略梯度优化算法,并考虑了人机协同环境下的社会范式,使分布式机器人能够通过与环境的试错交互,学习最优的导航避障策略;并在Gazebo仿真环境下进行了最优策略的训练学习,同时将模型移植到多个异构实体机器人上,将机器人控制信号解码,进行真实环境测试。实验结果表明:本文提出的多特征策略梯度优化算法能够通过自学习获得最优的导航避障策略,为分布式异构多机器人在动态环境下的应用提供了一种技术参考。     

Tangential Gap Flow (TGF) navigation: A new reactive obstacle avoidance approach for highly cluttered environments

This paper presents a novel reactive collision avoidance method for mobile robots moving in dense and cluttered environments. The proposed method, entitled Tangential Gap flow (TGF), simplifies the navigation problem using a divide and conquer strategy inspired by the well-known Nearness-Diagram Navigation (ND) techniques. At each control cycle, the TGF extracts free openings surrounding the robot and identifies the suitable heading which makes the best progress towards the goal. This heading is then adjusted to avoid the risk of collision with nearby obstacles based on two concepts namely, tangential and gap flow navigation. The tangential navigation steers the robot parallel to the boundary of the closest obstacle while still emphasizing the progress towards the goal. The gap flow navigation safely and smoothly drives the robot towards the free area in between obstacles that lead to the target. The resultant trajectory is faster, shorter and less-oscillatory when compared to the ND methods. Furthermore, identifying the avoidance maneuver is extended to consider all nearby obstacle points and generate an avoidance rule applicable for all obstacle configurations. Consequently, a smoother yet much more stable behavior is achieved. The stability of the motion controller, that guides the robot towards the desired goal, is proved in the Lyapunov sense. Experimental results including a performance evaluation in very dense and complex environments demonstrate the power of the proposed approach. Additionally, a discussion and comparison with existing Nearness-Diagram Navigation variants is presented.     

移动机器人的队形控制及其主动避障

在这篇论文中, 我们利用一个统一的算法框架来解决移动机器人的队形控制和主动避障问题, 使得编队中的从机器人在避开障碍物的同时, 能够与被跟踪的主机器人保持期望的相对距离或相对方位. 在现有的关于主—从跟踪编队控制的文献中, 为了实现对主机器人快速准确的跟踪, 从机器人在跟踪控制时需要主机器人在惯性坐标系下的绝对运动速度作为队形跟踪控制器的输入. 然而, 在一些环境中, 主机器人的绝对运动状态很难获得. 这里, 我们将利用主—从机器人之间的相对速度来建立机器人编队系统的运动学模型. 基于这个模型的编队控制方法将不再需要测量主机器人的绝对运动速度. 进一步地, 上述的建模和控制方法被扩展为一个移动机器人的动态避障方法, 该方法利用机器人与障碍物之间相对运动状态作为避障控制器的信息输入. 利用由三个非完整移动机器人组成的多机器人系统, 验证了所提出编队控制方法的有效性.     

Obstacle avoidance for redundant robots using configuration control

The article presents a new and simple solution to the obstacle avoidance problem for redundant robots. In the proposed approach, called configuration control, the redundancy is utilized to configure the robot so as to satisfy a set of kinematic inequality constraints representing obstacle avoidance, while the end-effector is tracking a desired trajectory. The robot control scheme is very simple, and uses on-line adaptation to eliminate the need for the complex dynamic model and parameter values of the robot. Several simulation results for a four-link planar robot are presented to illustrate the versatility of the approach. These include reaching around a stationary obstacle, simultaneous avoidance of two obstacles, robot reconfiguration to avoid a moving obstacle, and avoidance of rectangular obstacles. The simplicity and computational efficiency of the proposed scheme allows on-line implementation with a high sampling rate for real-time obstacle avoidance in a dynamically varying environment.     

Lyapunov-based control design for multiple robots handling a common object

In this article, we address the problem of controlling multiple robots manipulating a rigid object cooperatively. First we propose and prove a few fundamental properties of the multirobot dynamical system. These properties are then exploited to design aset point regulation controller. The proposed controller takes into account the dynamics of both the object and the manipulators. This controller enables us to control the position of the object and the internal forces acting on the object. An adaptive version of the proposed controller is then introduced. The adaptive controller is able to account for the uncertainty in the mass of the load while ensuring the asymptotic convergence of the load position and the internal forces to their desired values.     

连通性保持下的多机器人系统分布式群集控制

多机器人系统群集控制中的连通性保持对于系统的稳定性和状态收敛的快速性具有重要影响.本文在初始通信网络拓扑为强连通非平衡图的条件下,研究具有非完整约束运动学模型的多轮式移动机器人系统群集运动中的连通性保持控制问题.首先,构造了一类新颖的光滑有界的人工势场函数,该类函数可以同时满足连通性保持、碰撞规避和相对距离镇定等任务需求.进一步,将基于势函数梯度的控制策略与一致性控制机制有机结合,在系统中存在和不存在领航者的条件下,分别设计出一类具有连通性保持功能的光滑有界的分布式群集控制协议,不仅可有效避免不连续/非光滑控制器所固有的抖振现象以及执行器饱和问题,而且实现了将传统群集控制中的连通性保持算法从个体运动模型和系统通信拓扑类型两个方面同时加以拓展.最后,仿真结果和实验结果验证了本文所提出的光滑有界群集控制算法的有效性.     

A Passive Velocity Field Control for Navigation of Quadrotors with Model-free Integral Sliding Modes

Velocity field (VF) control has proved effective for kinematic robots, aiming essentially at providing desired velocities for navigation along the field, and for obstacle avoidance in cluttered environments. When robot dynamics are involved, it is usually considered either that dynamics are known and that robot is fully actuated, thus it is not clear how to deal with VF control (VFC) for unknown underactuated dynamics, such as for a quadrotor. Moreover, passive VF (PVF) stands for an attractive methodology for quadrotors because of it yields time-invariant nominal spatial field for smooth approaching and easy manoeuvring. In this paper, we propose a constructive method to design a PVF-based controller with a chattering-free integral sliding modes for local exponential position tracking. The salient feature of our proposal is the passive nature of the field as well as the controller is model-free for the complete standard quasi-Lagrangian dynamic model of the quadrotor. The controller does not require the derivative nor any assumption on boundedness on the integral of the VF, yet the closed-loop withstands robustness against parametric and model uncertainties. Simulations are discussed, and remarks address the viability of the proposed approach.     

A framework for the collective movement of mobile robots based on distributed decisions

A novel framework for the control of the collective movement of mobile robots is presented and analyzed in this article. It allows a group of robots to move as a unique entity performing the following functions: obstacle avoidance at group level, speed control and modification of the inter-robot distance. Its flocking controller is distributed among the robots, allowing them to move in the desired common direction and maintain a desired inter-robot distance. The framework is made up of different modules that modify the behavior of the group thus allowing different functions. They are based on consensus algorithms that allow the robots to agree on different parameters, taking into account which robot has more relevant information. New modules can be easily designed and incorporated into the framework in order to augment its capabilities. It can be easily implemented on any mobile robot capable of measuring the relative positions of neighboring robots and communicating with them. It has been successfully tested using 8 real robots and in simulation with up to 40 robots, demonstrating experimentally its scalability with an increasing number of robots.     

Evolutionary programming-based univector field navigation methodfor past mobile robots

Most of navigation techniques with obstacle avoidance do not consider the robot orientation at the target position. These techniques deal with the robot position only and are independent of its orientation and velocity. To solve these problems this paper proposes a novel univector field method for fast mobile robot navigation which introduces a normalized two dimensional vector field. The method provides fast moving robots with the desired posture at the target position and obstacle avoidance. To obtain the sub-optimal vector field, a function approximator is used and trained by evolutionary programming. Two kinds of vector fields are trained, one for the final posture acquisition and the other for obstacle avoidance. Computer simulations and real experiments are carried out for a fast moving mobile robot to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.     

基于生存理论的非完整约束轮式机器人高速避障控制

轮式移动机器人现有的避障控制方法大多需要在避障过程中进行减速处理, 会影响移动效率. 鉴于此, 将生存理论应用于轮式移动机器人的反应式避障控制. 分析非完整约束轮式机器人的仿射非线性系统模型和约束条件, 利用弹性边界升维和控制模型退化的方法给出系统的生存性设计, 并利用最优化方法得出机器人高速避障控制器. 最后通过仿真实验, 表明了轮式机器人高速避障控制的有效性.

     

Formation tracking of multi-vehicle systems in unknown environments using a multi-region control scheme

In this paper, a multi-region control scheme is proposed for a formation of nonholonomic vehicles to track a reference trajectory while avoiding collisions and preserving network connectivity in unknown environments. The proposed control scheme defines three regions, safe region, dangerous region and transition region. In different regions, priority is given to different control objectives. In safe region where trajectory tracking holds the priority, the proposed control scheme guarantees bounded tracking of the reference trajectory for each vehicle. In dangerous region where avoidance control is the main objective, a new bounded potential function is designed to characterise constraints of obstacle and inter-vehicle collision avoidance as well as connectivity maintenance. By introducing a series of transition functions, smooth switching between trajectory tracking and avoidance control is achieved in transition region. It has been proved that each vehicle can track its reference trajectory while satisfying the constraints simultaneously with a bounded controller which means that the proposed control scheme satisfies input constraints by properly tuning parameters. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Region-based shape control for a swarm of robots

This paper presents a region-based shape controller for a swarm of robots. In this control method, the robots move as a group inside a desired region while maintaining a minimum distance among themselves. Various shapes of the desired region can be formed by choosing the appropriate objective functions. The robots in the group only need to communicate with their neighbors and not the entire community. The robots do not have specific identities or roles within the group. Therefore, the proposed method does not require specific orders or positions of the robots inside the region and yet different formations can be formed for a swarm of robots. A Lyapunov-like function is presented for convergence analysis of the multi-robot systems. Simulation results illustrate the performance of the proposed controller.     

Path tracking control of Lagrange systems with obstacle avoidance

This paper addresses a path tracking problem with obstacle avoidance for Lagrange systems. The proposed method is based on field potential methods in combination with navigation functions for obstacle avoidance. First, it is shown that a simple combination of the navigation function with the conventional path tracking controller does not work. Therefore, in order to cope with this problem, a new feedback law is proposed for a path parameter which characterizes the reference path. It is proved that the proposed controller achieves both path following and collision avoidance. Moreover, since the method adopts bounded navigation functions, the proposed controllers generate bounded input signals even when target systems approach obstacles. Finally, an experimental evaluation is performed with a two-link manipulator to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

基于无线传感器网络的移动机器人智能导航算法

结合了无线传感器技术和群集智能技术两者的优势,提出一种新的基于无线传感器网络的移动机器人智能导航控制算法,并考虑了能量消耗的问题。算法利用基于多传感器信息融合的全局概率地图构建技术、使用群集仿生智能的基于微粒群算法的实时在线路径规划以及避障策略,提高了智能导航的整体性能,满足了在复杂环境和未知障碍物下导航的实时要求。最后设计并构造出了实际的无线传感器网络和实际的机器人系统,验证了算法成功实现机器人导航的有效性和准确性。     

通讯受限条件下的机器人编队算法

针对通讯受限条件下大规模移动机器人编队任务, 本文提出了基于行为的分布式多机器人线形编队控制 和避障算法. 机器人个体无需获得群体中所有机器人的信息, 而是根据传感器获取的环境信息和局部范围内的机器 人信息对其自身的调整方向进行预测, 并最终很好地完成了设定的编队及避障任务. 由于本文方法需求的通讯量不 大, 并且采用分布式控制, 因此该方法适用于大规模的机器人集群编队任务. 文中还给出了本系统的稳定性分析, 证 明了系统的稳定性. 实验结果表明该算法使得机器人能够仅通过局部信息形成线形编队, 在遇到障碍物后能够灵活 避开障碍物, 并且在避开障碍物进入安全区域后重新恢复线形编队.     

感知范围受限的群机器人自主围捕算法

针对在有障碍物场地中感知范围受限的群机器人协同围捕问题,本文首先给出了机器人个体、障碍物、目标的模型,并用数学形式对围捕任务进行描述,在此基础上提出了机器人个体基于简化虚拟速度和基于航向避障的自主围捕控制律.基于简化虚拟速度模型的控制律使得机器人能自主地围捕目标同时保持与同伴的距离避免互撞;基于航向的避障方法提升了个体的避障效率,避免斥力避障方法导致的死锁问题.其次本文证明了在该控制律下系统的稳定性.仿真结果表明,该算法在有效围捕目标的同时能够高效地避开障碍物,具有对复杂环境的适应性.最后本文分析了与其他方法相比该算法的优点.     

动态环境下基于速度空间寻优的局部避障方法

在动态环境下的局部避障是移动机器人的一项基本功能.在各种速度空间方法,如曲率-速率法(CVM)、巷道-曲率法(LCM)和扇区-曲率法(BCM)的基础上,提出了一种适用于未知或部分未知动态环境的局部避障方法.该方法将碰撞预测模型与改进后的BCM有效结合,不仅兼备了CVM的平滑性、LCM的安全性和BCM快速性的优点,而且弥补了各种速度空间寻优方法的不足,使其能够适用于移动机器人在动态环境下的避障与导航.实际机器人的导航实验表明该算法是可行而有效的.