基于迭代学习控制的移动机器人轨迹跟踪控制

为提高移动机器人对特定轨迹的重复跟踪能力,提出了采用开闭环PD型迭代学习控制算法对移动机器人进行轨迹跟踪控制的方法。建立了包含外界干扰的非完整约束条件下的轮式移动机器人运动学模型,给出了系统的控制算法和控制结构。仿真结果表明,采用开闭环PD型迭代学习控制算法对轨迹跟踪是可行有效的,收敛速度优于其他迭代学习算法。     

基于STM32的机器人自主移动控制系统设计

针对类车机器人自主移动的问题,首先在非完整约束系统下建立类车机器人低速移动过程的运动学模型和动力学模型,选用适合基础性类车移动机器人研究的自行车模型进行状态分析;在混合式体系结构下用STM32作为机器人自主移动控制系统的核心,给出控制系统框图,完成硬件设计;同时完成环境定位与建图,构建动态贝叶斯网络,最终综合实现类车机器人自主移动的功能。     

基于广义预测控制的移动机器人视觉导航

研究了室内环境下移动机器人的视觉导航问题。由单目传感器获取场景图像,利用颜色信息提取路径,采用最小二乘法拟合路径参数,简化图像处理过程,提高了算法的实时性。通过消除相对参考路径的距离偏差和角度偏差来修正机器人的位姿状态,实现机器人对路径的跟踪。为消除机器视觉识别和传输的耗时,达到实时控制,采用改进的多变量广义预测控制方法预测下一时刻控制信号的变化量来修正系统滞后。仿真和实验结果证明了控制算法的可靠性。     

强化学习在移动机器人自主导航中的应用

概述了移动机器人常用的自主导航算法及其优缺点,在此基础上提出了强化学习方法。描述了强化学习算法的原理,并实现了用神经网络解决泛化问题。设计了基于障碍物探测传感器信息的机器人自主导航强化学习方法,给出了学习算法中各要素的数学模型。经仿真验证,算法正确有效,具有良好的收敛性和泛化能力。     

A distributed control architecture for an autonomous mobile robot

This paper describes a Distributed Control Architecture for an autonomous mobile robot. We start by characterizing the Conceptual Levels into which the various problem-solving activities of a mobile robot can be classified. In sequence, we discuss a Distributed Control System that provides scheduling and coordination of multiple concurrent activities on a mobile robot. Multiple Expert Modules are responsible for the various tasks and communicate through messages and over a Blackboard. As a testbed, the architecture of a specific system for Sonar-Based Mapping and Navigation is presented, and a distributed implementation is described.     

一种移动机器人的禁忌搜索自主导航算法

纯粹的反应式导航算法在复杂未知环境下易陷入局部极小,为此提出一种基于局部子目标和禁忌搜索的自主导航算法．以当前可视区域内障碍物的关键角点为搜索邻域,利用禁忌搜索算法执行优化操作生成当前子目标,进而采用反应式导航算法对其进行跟踪,最终通过子目标的动态切换引导机器人驶达目标位置．算法可有效克服局部极小,显著提高机器人在复杂环境下的自主性．理论分析和仿真实验验证了算法的可行性和有效性．     

Behavioral control through evolutionary neurocontrollers for autonomous mobile robot navigation

This paper deals with the study of scaling up behaviors in evolutive robotics (ER). Complex behaviors were obtained from simple ones. Each behavior is supported by an artificial neural network (ANN)-based controller or neurocontroller. Hence, a method for the generation of a hierarchy of neurocontrollers, resorting to the paradigm of Layered Evolution (LE), is developed and verified experimentally through computer simulations and tests in a Khepera^® micro-robot. Several behavioral modules are initially evolved using specialized neurocontrollers based on different ANN paradigms. The results show that simple behaviors coordination through LE is a feasible strategy that gives rise to emergent complex behaviors. These complex behaviors can then solve real-world problems efficiently. From a pure evolutionary perspective, however, the methodology presented is too much dependent on user’s prior knowledge about the problem to solve and also that evolution take place in a rigid, prescribed framework. Mobile robot’s navigation in an unknown environment is used as a test bed for the proposed scaling strategies.     

Integrated planning and execution control for an autonomous mobile robot

We present a distributed hierarchical planning and execution monitoring system and its implementation on an actual mobile robot. The planning system is a distributed hierarchical domain independent system called FPS for Flexible Planning System. It is a rule based plan generation system with planning specific and domain specific rules. A planning solution to the ‘Boxes and Wedge’ Problem is presented.The Robot Control System (RCS) operates and monitors the robot in the real world. In order to allow real-time responses to asynchronous events (both internal and external), RCS consists of a rule-based decision kernel and a distributed set of sensor/effector monitors. RCS contains an execution model and may authorize local corrective actions, e.g., unexpected obstacle avoidance during execution of a trajectory. RCS also generates status and failure reports through which the PMs inform the different decision subsystems as to the robot's state and current capacities. The failure reports help the RCS and planners in correcting/replanning a plan that has aborted. An illustrative example of system behaviour is to be presented.     

Incremental supervised learning for mobile robot reactive control

Reactive control for a mobile robot can be defined as a mapping from a perceptual space to a command space. This mapping can be hard-coded by the user (potential fields, fuzzy logic), and can also be learnt. This paper is concerned with supervised learning for perception to action mapping for a mobile robot. Among the existing neural approaches for supervised learning of a function, we have selected the grow and learn network for its properties adapted to robotic problems: incrementality and flexible structure. We will present the results we have obtained with this network using first raw sensor data and then pre-processed measures with the automatic construction of virtual sensors.     

Vision-based hybrid control scheme for autonomous parking of a mobile robot

This paper presents a novel vision-based hybrid controller for parking of mobile robots. Parking or docking is an essential behavioral unit for autonomous robots. The proposed hybrid controller comprises a discrete event controller to change the direction of travel and a pixel error-driven proportional controller to generate motion commands to achieve the continuous motion. At the velocity control level, the robot is driven using a built-in PID control system. The feedback system uses image plane measurements in pixel units to perform image-based visual servoing (IBVS). The constraints imposed due to the non-holonomic nature of the robot and the limited field of view of the camera are taken into account in designing the IBVS-based controller. The controller continuously compares the current view of the parking station against the reference view until the desired parking condition is achieved. A comprehensive analysis is provided to prove the convergence of the proposed method. Once the parking behavior is invoked, the robot has the ability to start from any arbitrary position to achieve successful parking given that initially the parking station is in the robot's field of view. As the method is purely based on vision the hybrid controller does not require any position information (or localization) of the robot. Using the Pioneer 3AT robot, several experiments are carried out to authenticate the method. The experimental system has the ability to achieve the parking state and align laterally within ±0.5 cm of the target pose.     

Visual servoing control of autonomous robot calibration and navigation

This article addresses the problem of how to visually control a mobile robot in a navigation process. The algorithms proposed may be used either for external calibration to locate the robot accurately in a structured environment, or in visual servoing as feedback to the controller which is maintaining the robot on a navigation course. Herein, we examine the problem in a special case, where the ground plane is assumed to be horizontal and there are two locally parallel sidelines available. This assumption holds in many indoor environments, such as hallways, where the system's success has been demonstrated. The algorithms use geometric features such as vanishing points and line orientations. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the algorithms work robustly and accurately. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Path planning based on geographical features information for an autonomous mobile robot

We propose a path-planning algorithm for an autonomous mobile robot using geographical information, under the condition that the robot moves in an unknown environment. Images input by a camera at every sampling time are analyzed and geographical elements are recognized, and the geographical information is embedded in an environmental map. Then the path is updated by integrating the known information and the prediction on the unknown environment. We used a sensor fusion method to improve the mobile robot's dead-reckoning accuracy. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm as the robot reached the goal successfully using the geographical information.     

Four-legged intelligent mobile autonomous robot

This paper presents the design and development of a four-legged mobile robot with intelligent sensing and decision-making capabilities. Multiple sensors with embedded knowledge bases and learning capabilities are used in a novel approach towards environmental perception and reaction. These sensors continuously monitor the environment as well as their own operating parameters. Priority is given to any one or a group of sensors based on prevailing environmental conditions. Intelligent sensing is shown to be the key towards a high degree of autonomy for a mobile robot. Nicknamed Flimar, this robot has the ability to function at varying degrees of intelligence made possible by an object-oriented architecture with embedded intelligence at various levels. This architecture is shown to be conducive towards incremental learning. Each of the four legs has three degrees of freedom, i.e. Flimar has a total of 12 motors on its four legs. Flimar can walk and turn without dragging or skidding, and also turns about its center of gravity with a zero radius. Flimar responds to light, sound and touch in different ways, based on prevailing environmental conditions. The overall goal of the paper is to present a novel walking principle and control architecture for a walking robot.     

An autonomous vision-based mobile robot

This paper describes the theoretical development and experimental implementation of a complete navigation procedure for use in an autonomous mobile robot for structured environments. Estimates of the vehicle's position and orientation are based on the rapid observation of visual cues located at discrete positions within the environment. The extended Kalman filter is used to combine these visual observations with sensed wheel rotations to produce optimal estimates continuously. The complete estimation procedure, as well as the control algorithm, developed are time independent. A naturally suitable quantity involving wheel rotations is used as the independent variable. One consequence of this choice is that the vehicle speed can be specified independently of the estimation and control algorithms. Reference paths are “taught” by manually leading the vehicle through the desired path. Estimates produced by the extended Kalman filter during this teaching session are then used to represent the geometry of the path. The tracking of taught reference paths is accomplished by controlling the position and orientation of the vehicle relative to the reference path. Time-independence path tracking has necessitated the development of a novel, geometry-based means for advancing along the reference path     

Stability analysis of a vision-based control design for an autonomous mobile robot

We propose a simple control design allowing a mobile robot equipped with a camera to track a line on the ground. The control algorithm, as well as the image-processing algorithm, are very simple. We discuss the existence and the practical stability of an equilibrium trajectory of the robot when tracking a circular reference line. We then give a complementary analysis for arbitrary reference lines with bounded curvature. Experimental results confirm the theoretical analysis.     

An autonomous fuzzy mobile robot

Autonomous mobile robots should have the capability of recognizing their environments and manoeuvring through those environments on the basis of their own judgement. Fuzzy control is suitable for autonomous mobile robot control where the amount of information to be handled is limited as much as possible and the processing is simple. Autonomous mobile control of a robot is derived from two kinds of controls: for obstacle avoidance and for guidance following an appropriate path to a destination point. Fuzzy control of a robot for obstacle avoidance based on finding permissible passageways using the edges between the floor and the wall or obstacles obtained by processing the image from a CCD camera in front of the robot is developed. Furthermore, guidance control of the robot over paths that are specified in terms of maps may be developed by a process that treats a wrong path as a virtual obstacle on the screen, and the robot advances in the designated direction when it reaches intersections. An autonomous fuzzy robot based on the above method is fabricated as a trial and its usefulness is demonstrated.     

基于行为融合的移动机器人自主避障算法

当移动机器人面临环境未知或不确定时,各个行为融合的权重随环境的变化而变化,从而导致权重无法在线调整而不能顺利到达目标点.为此,提出一种权重可在线调整的自主避障行为融合算法.用Mamdani型模糊控制器设计移动机器人自主避障过程中的基本行为;同时,提出一种基于两级BP神经网络信息融合的权重调整方法来实现各个基本行为的融合.该算法能够根据环境的变化实现各个基本行为权重的在线调整,增强自主避障控制的实时性和鲁棒性.仿真实验结果表明了该算法的有效性和可行性.     

Autonomous mobile robot model predictive control

This paper presents model predictive control of an autonomous vehicle. Simulation and experimental results have been shown and compared with input–output linearization method. The results obtained show that the MPC is an efficient method that allows for accurate control and navigation of an autonomous vehicle. Model based predictive control is tested in simulations for motion on an inclined plane. This is done to prepare future work regarding the avoidance of the violation of the smoothness condition for exact linearization, while at the same time by modifying the input commands the geometric path planning results are conserved. The approach is presented for the wheel-ground slippage and tip-over avoidance of the three-wheeled vehicle for inclined plane motion. A complete three-dimensional dynamic model using Newtonian dynamics is also presented. Simulation results using a three-wheeled vehicle built in our laboratory illustrate the performance of the proposed controller.     

Reinforcement learning of goal-directed obstacle-avoiding reaction strategies in an autonomous mobile robot

In this paper we argue for building reactive autonomous mobile robots through reinforcement connectionist learning. Nevertheless, basic reinforcement learning is a slow process. This paper describes an architecture which deals with complex— high-dimensional and/or continuous—situation and action spaces effectively. This architecture is based on two main ideas. The first is to organize the reactive component into a set of modules in such a way that, roughly, each one of them codifies the prototypical action for a given cluster of situations. The second idea is to use a particular kind of planning for figuring out what part of the action space deserves attention for each cluster of situations. Salient features of the planning process are that it is grounded and that it is invoked only when the reactive component does not generalize correctly its previous experience to the new situation. We also report our experience in solving a basic task that most autonomous mobile robots must face, namely path finding.