基于CORBA的Web机器人系统的设计与实现

：介绍了机器人远程控制的几种方案,分析了基于Web的机器人远程操作系统的基本结构,并提出了一个基于CORBA的Web机器人系统的计算模型。     

群机器人学

介绍了群机器人学的含义、特点和发展现状,分析了研究群机器人系统的相关理论和方法,总结了群机器人学研究的主要内容,并指出其发展趋势。     

Soft robotics

In this article, we gave an overview on the DLR activities related to two approaches for the realization of soft robotics: actively torque-controlled LWRs and VSA. On the basis of our experience with torque-controlled robots, we presented an analysis on expected advantages and also disadvantages of VSA actuators. Furthermore, two VSA joint designs motivated by this analysis were presented. Torque-controlled robots currently represent a technology mature enough for the market, but we believe that impressive research progress can be expected in the area of VSA-actuated robots in the next decade.     

Underwater robotics

As the ocean attracts great attention on environmental issues and resources as well as scientific and military tasks, the need for and use of underwater robotic systems has become more apparent. Underwater robotics represents a fast growing research area and promising industry as advanced technologies in various subsystems develop and potential application areas are explored. Great efforts have been made in developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to overcome challenging scientific and engineering problems caused by the unstructured and hazardous ocean environment. With the development of new materials, advanced computing and sensory technology, as well as theoretical advancements, R & D activities in the AUV community have increased. This paper describes current state-of-the art in the area of underwater robotics focusing on some key subsystems.     

Construction robotics

First construction robots had been designed in the beginning seventies in order to increase the quality in prefabrication of modular homes in Japan and the late 70ies planning started for use of robots in construction sites. In the 80ies the first construction robots appeared on sites and in the 90ies integrated automated building construction sites had been developped and implemented about 20 times. Furthermore maintenance robots for cleaning and inspection of buildings, infrastructure and real estate and safety robots guarding buildings had been developped. In the first decade of this century humanoid construction robots had been tested. In the future service robots will be a big market in the built envrironment.     

Simulation in robotics

Simulation has been recognized as an important research tool since the beginning of the 20th century. However, the “good times” for simulation started with the development of computers and now the simulation is a powerful visualization, planning, and strategic tool in different areas of research and development. The simulation has also a very important role in robotics. Different tools are used for the analysis of kinematics and dynamics of robotic manipulators, for off-line programming, to design different control algorithms, to design mechanical structure of robots, to design robotic cells and production lines, etc.     

The robotics experience

The classical engineering fields have evolved standards and techniques for developing complex systems. For example, both mechanical and electrical engineers have a wide variety of standard components, with defined capabilities, that they can draw upon (e.g., gears, transistors) in the design of complex systems. On the other hand, software engineering has struggled with the basic idea of reusability. Software engineering approaches, such as the use of components [1] that promote the concept of information hiding [2] and the introduction of structured programming languages [3], offer a roadmap to an improved software reuse. Unfortunately, their adoption by robotics researchers has been slow, impeded by the tradition of individual research groups crafting independent and incompatible solutions to common problems.     

Micromanipulation in robotics

Achievements in the area of research into the micromanipulation of objects within the micron range are considered. The similarities and differences between objects in the macro-and micromanipulation area are discussed. The author describes the adhesive mechanisms that act in the microworld in adhesion to hard surfaces in the presence of liquid adhesives and without their participation. Theoretical models are presented for estimating the adhesion forces arising between micro-objects and the area of micromanipulation, as well as some practical experiments with mechanical and biological objects in regard to their grasping and clinging to surfaces.     

Appearance based robotics

Robot localization has been recognized as one of the most fundamental problems in mobile robotics. Localization can be defined as the problem of determining the position of a robot. More precisely, the aim of localization is to estimate the position of a robot in its environment, given local sensorial data. This information is essential for a broad range of mobile robots tasks; in particular, the robot behavior may depend on its position. This article presents a novel and efficient metric for appearance based robot localization. This metric is integrated in a framework that uses a partially observable Markov decision process as position evaluator, thus allowing good results even in partially explored environments and in highly perceptually aliased indoor scenarios.     

Artificial intelligence and robotics

Since Robotics is the field concerned with the connection of perception to action, Artificial Intelligence must have a central role in Robotics if the connection is to be intelligent. Artificial Intelligence addresses the crucial questions of: what knowledge is required in any aspect of thinking; how should that knowledge be represented; and how should that knowledge be used. Robotics challenges AI by forcing it to deal with real objects in the real world. Techniques and representations developed for purely cognitive problems, often in toy domains, do not necessarily extend to meet the challenge. Robots combine mechanical effectors, sensors, and computers. AI has made significant contributions to each component. We review AI contributions to perception and reasoning about physical objects. Such reasoning concerns space, path-planning, uncertainty, and compliance. We conclude with three examples that illustrate the kinds of reasoning or problem-solving abilities we would like to endow robots with and that we believe are worthy goals of both Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, being within reach of both.     

Electronic Markets on robotics

Electronic Markets -     

Modern robotics engineering instruction

We discuss three basic principles of modern robotics education and contrast the traditional teaching style used in a majority of engineering classes with that necessary for a rapidly developing field such as robotics. Our basic tenet is that a modern robotic engineer must have knowledge, experience, and insight. While traditional education methods focus on knowledge and experience through the standard lecture-laboratory cycle, we submit that insight is the key to a complete robotics education. We conjecture that insight cannot be gained from textbooks, lectures, and laboratory exercises alone, as these tend to focus on merely academic rather than global and social issues. We present a discussion of the techniques used at the United States Naval Academy to inform, educate, and motivate students in the field of robotics.     

Exception handling in robotics

The construction of robust and reliable robot systems able to handle errors arising from abnormal operating conditions is addressed. It is assumed that the robot program is logically correct but fails due to hardware or external state errors. The error-handling technique called exception handling is treated. The type of errors that can occur in a robot system and their error-handling requirements are described, and approaches to error handling and recovery are reviewed. Exception-handling facilities in Ada and AML/X are mentioned, and Exceptional C, the language chosen for exposition, is described. The use of exception-handling facilities is illustrated with two examples     

Aspects of non-cartesian robotics

Non-Cartesian robotics, which began with the introduction of subsumption architecture by Rodney Brooks, now encompasses a wide range of robotics that do not follow traditional cartesian principles in the running of a robot. The new field is sometimes called biorobotics as it draws its guiding principles from biology, physiology, behavioural sciences, genetics and theories of evolution, brain sciences, genetics and theories of evolution, brain sciences, ethology, psychology, and other related non-engineering disciplines. The difference in principles of operation, however, has roots deeper in the philosophical underpinnings of the way we view controlling artifacts and the concept of control itself when it is contrasted against the concept of autonomy. Realization of increasingly higher levels of autonomy is routinely demanded today not only in industry where most robotic applications occur, but also in areas closer to our daily life where a gradual but steady increase in service applications of robotics is observed. This paper introduces the concept of non-Cartesian robotics as an antithesis to conventional (Cartesian) robotics and describes various aspects of this new way of running a robotic system. This work was presented, in part, at the International symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, February 18–20, 1996