Path-planning and navigation of a mobile robot as discrete optimization problems

There is huge diversity among navigation and path-planning problems in the real world because of the enormous number and great variety of assumptions about the environments, constraints, and tasks imposed on a robot. To deal with this diversity, we propose a new solution to the path-planning and navigation of a mobile robot. In our approach, we formulated the following two problems at each time-step as discrete optimization problems: (1) estimation of a robot's location, and (2) action decision. For the first problem, we minimize an objective function that includes a data term, a constraint term, and a prediction term. This approach is an approximation of Markov localization. For the second problem, we define and minimize another objective function that includes a goal term, a smoothness term, and a collision term. Simulation results show the effectiveness of our approach. This work was presented in part at the Fifth International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 26–28, 2000     

A distributed control scheme for multiple robotic vehicles to make group formations

This paper presents a novel distributed control scheme of multiple robotic vehicles. Each robotic vehicle in this scheme has its own coordinate system, and it senses its relative position and orientation to others, in order to make group formations. Although there exists no supervisor and each robotic vehicle has only relative position feedback from the others in the local area around itself, all the robotic vehicles are stabilized, which we have succeeded in proving mathematically only in the cases where the attractions between the robots are symmetrical. Each robotic vehicle especially has a two-dimensional control input referred to as a “formation vector” and the formation is controllable by the vectors. The validity of this scheme is supported by computer simulations.     

Vehicle Teleoperation Interfaces

Despite advances in autonomy, there will always be a need for human involvement in vehicle teleoperation. In particular, tasks such as exploration, reconnaissance and surveillance will continue to require human supervision, if not guidance and direct control. Thus, it is critical that the operator interface be as efficient and as capable as possible. In this paper, we provide an overview of vehicle teleoperation and present a summary of interfaces currently in use.     

Supervisory control of multiple robots in dynamic tasking environments

A military targeting environment was simulated to examine the effects of an intelligent route-planning agent RoboLeader, which could support dynamic robot re-tasking based on battlefield developments, on the performance of robotics operators. We manipulated the level of assistance (LOAs) provided by RoboLeader as well as the presence of a visualisation tool that provided feedback to the participants on their primary task (target encapsulation) performance. Results showed that the participants' primary task benefited from RoboLeader on all LOAs conditions compared to manual performance; however, visualisation had little effect. Frequent video gamers demonstrated significantly better situation awareness of the mission environment than did infrequent gamers. Those participants with higher spatial ability performed better on a secondary target detection task than did those with lower spatial ability. Finally, participants' workload assessments were significantly lower when they were assisted by RoboLeader than when they performed the target entrapment task manually. Practitioner Summary: This study demonstrated the utility of an intelligent agent for enhancing robotics operators' supervisory control performance as well as reducing their workload during a complex urban scenario involving moving targets. The results furthered the understanding of the interplay among level-of-autonomy, multitasking performance and individual differences in military tasking environments.     

室内移动机器人超声传感器导航网络分布研究

对于室内广域移动机器人,超声波传感器网络是能够保证给定导航准确度的一种有效方法。合理的超声波传感器网络分布是实现超声波网络导航的重要条件。论述了超声波网络合理分布的原则,据此提出并分析了获得合理超声波传感器网络分布的四个步骤,仿真试验结果验证了它的有效性。     

Rolling and swaying motion estimation for a mobile robot by using omnidirectional optical flows

Described here is a method for estimating rolling and swaying motions of a mobile robot using optical flow. We have proposed an image sensor with a hyperboloidal mirror for the vision-based navigation of a mobile robot. Its name is HyperOmni Vision. The radial component of optical flow in HyperOmni Vision has a periodic characteristic. The circumferential component of optical flow has a symmetric characteristic. The proposed method makes use of these characteristic to estimate robustly the rolling and swaying motion of the mobile robot. Correspondence to: Y. Yagi e-mail: y-yagi@sys.es.osaka-u.ac.jp     

形状记忆合金电机在机器人中的应用研究

作为新型功能材料的形状记忆合金(SMA)在工程机械和日常生活中得到了广泛的应用。由SMA构成的结构简单、控制灵活、功率密度大的电机(SMAA)，在机器人系统中具有独特的技术优势。文中详细阐明了SMAA的独特优点和结构类型．综述在机器人中的应用。     

载人两足步行机器人研究现状及其关键技术

鉴于在诸如医疗、福利等众多领域广泛的应用前景,载人两足步行机器人的研发逐渐成为机器人学领域的一个新的热点。介绍了目前载人两足步行机器人的研究现状和相关成果。然后,对该研究的关键内容——步态稳定控制、安全保护和减震系统等作了介绍和分析。     

飞行器与机器人的区域目标搜索最优控制

描述了飞行器导航或移动机器人的区域搜索控制问题.为了使该问题得到优化解决,首先建立了基于区域搜索控制问题的模型,将最优控制原理运用于此模型上,得到其伴随方程和控制方程,后基于此分析了该问题,且讨论了此方法的可行性.然后,通过解出问题的规范方程,使飞行器导航或移动机器人的区域搜索控制问题最终得以解决,进而推导得到了飞行器导航或移动机器人的区域目标搜索最优控制以及最优轨线.最后,通过计算仿真结果表明,该方法是有效的,故为飞行器导航与移动机器人的区域目标搜索最优控制提供了依据.