Deliberative Layer Research Articles

Q-Free Walk Ant Hybrid Architecture for Mobile Robot Path Planning in Dynamic Environment

This work provides a novel hybrid system for the trajectory planning of an autonomous mobile robot named Q-Free Walk Ant Hybrid Architecture (Q-FWAHA). The proposed approach combines two layers: a deliberative layer (global planning) and a reactive one (local planning), it is adapted to partially unknown environments (dynamic). It includes both reactive planning methods based on the Perception & Action principle (Sense & Act) and deliberative methods based on the Perception-Planning & Action principle (Sense-Plan & Act). The deliberative layer consists of a global planning algorithm and a model (a map) based on current knowledge of the environment. It is based on a method inspired by nature called Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) for optimal trajectory planning in known environments. The next layer is the reactive layer, it allows the robot to avoid collisions with dynamic obstacles by directly using sensory data. The reactive planning method used is a reinforcement learning approach for planning in dynamic environments; The Q-learning method. The deliberative layer is compared alone with an existing system for path planning, results show that the final path produced by our system is more efficient in terms of safety and energy saving. Simulations and experimental results to validate the proposed hybrid system are presented.

Depicting probabilistic context awareness knowledge in deliberative architectures

Facing long-term autonomy with a cognitive architecture raises several difficulties for processing symbolic and sub-symbolic information under different levels of uncertainty, and deals with complex decision-making scenarios. For reducing environment uncertainty and simplify the decision-making process, this paper establishes a method for translating robot knowledge to a conceptual graph to later extract probabilistic context information that allows to bound of the actions present at the deliberative layer. This research develops two ROS components, one for translating robot knowledge to the conceptual graphs and one for extracting context knowledge from this graph using Bayesian networks. We evaluate these components in a real-world scenario, performing a task where a robot notifies to a user a message of an event at home. Our results show an improvement in task completion when using our approach, decreasing the planning requests by 65% and doing the task in a third of the time.

Acceptability Study of A3-K3 Robotic Architecture for a Neurorobotics Painting

In this paper, authors present a novel architecture for controlling an industrial robot via Brain Computer Interface. The robot used is a Series 2000 KR 210-2. The robotic arm was fitted with DI drawing devices that clamp, hold and manipulate various artistic media like brushes, pencils, pens. User selected a high-level task, for instance a shape or movement, using a human machine interface and the translation in robot movement was entirely demanded to the Robot Control Architecture defining a plan to accomplish user's task. The architecture was composed by a Human Machine Interface based on P300 Brain Computer Interface and a robotic architecture composed by a deliberative layer and a reactive layer to translate user's high-level command in a stream of movement for robots joints. To create a real-case scenario, the architecture was presented at Ars Electronica Festival, where the A3-K3 architecture has been used for painting. Visitors completed a survey to address 4 self-assessed different dimensions related to human-robot interaction: the technology knowledge, the personal attitude, the innovativeness and the satisfaction. The obtained results have led to further exploring the border of human-robot interaction, highlighting the possibilities of human expression in the interaction process with a machine to create art.

Development of Artificial Intelligent Skills and Techniques in Agricultural Robotics

Objectives: This analysis paper mainly focuses on the development of cognitive architecture where the agents at different levels exhibit different levels of thinking and on the acquisition of smart sensor motor skills which is known as Construction Skill Tree (CST). Methods/Statistical Analysis: These concepts are implemented through simulation by using prolog programming language. This simulation is an imitation of the operation of real world fruit picking robot system over time. It includes the discovery of one’s own body, including its structure and dynamics. This includes the acquisition of associated cognitive skills such as self and non-self-distinction. Finding: The obtained simulation results can be given by designing and implementing the Construction Skill tree Implementation Architecture (CSIA). The design of CSIA provides faster skill acquisition. Hence it is called CSIA, the CSIA has a five layer and first four layers are single agent environment. Improvement/Application: The proposed cognitive architecture has collections of agents that work together for reaching predefined goal. In CSIA these contains reflexive, reactive, deliberative, thinking and meta-thinking layer.

Machine vision and fuzzy logic-based navigation control of a goal-oriented mobile robot

This work addresses a new goal oriented navigation framework for autonomous system. In the proposed work, a hybrid control system, comprising deliberative and behavior-based architectures, has been developed. Deliberative layer employs a monocular vision camera to obtain the position of the goal while behavior-based framework makes use of the motor schema technique for safe navigation. Fuzzy logic is also adopted in order to enhance the performance of the navigation system. A rigorous series of experiments has been conducted using two navigation methods, which are the proposed control system and the conventional navigation technique utilizing the potential field method for achieving the desired goals. Both systems are implemented in the simulated experiments using Stage simulator. By employing these two approaches, it is possible to present a comparison of the navigation results between the systems utilizing different navigation techniques. The experimental results reveal that the proposed system produces better navigation performance compared to the conventional method in terms of safe and successful navigation, with a smoother trajectory and consistent motion.

A new hybrid navigation algorithm for mobile robots in environments with incomplete knowledge

A new hybrid navigation algorithm for mobile robots in environments with incomplete knowledge

A Real-Time Hybrid Architecture for Biped Humanoids with Active Vision Mechanisms

A real-time hybrid control architecture for biped humanoid robots is proposed. The architecture is modular and hierarchical. The main robot's functionalities are organized in four parallel modules: perception, actuation, world-modeling, and hybrid control. Hybrid control is divided in three behavior-based hierarchical layers: the planning layer, the deliberative layer, and the reactive layer, which work in parallel and have very different response speeds and planning capabilities. The architecture allows: (1) the coordination of multiple robots and the execution of group behaviors without disturbing the robot's reactivity and responsivity, which is very relevant for biped humanoid robots whose gait control requires real-time processing. (2) The straightforward management of the robot's resources using resource multiplexers. (3) The integration of active vision mechanisms in the reactive layer under control of behavior-dependant value functions from the deliberative layer. This adds flexibility in the implementation of complex functionalities, such as the ones required for playing soccer in robot teams. The architecture is validated using simulated and real Nao humanoid robots. Passive and active behaviors are tested in simulated and real robot soccer setups. In addition, the ability to execute group behaviors in real- time is tested in international robot soccer competitions.

Towards a Deliberative Mission Control System for an AUV

Towards a Deliberative Mission Control System for an AUV

Pure reactive behavior learning using Case Based Reasoning for a vision based 4-legged robot

Pure reactive behavior learning using Case Based Reasoning for a vision based 4-legged robot

A FLEXIBLE RUNTIME SYSTEM FOR IMAGE PROCESSING IN A DISTRIBUTED COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

A runtime system for implementation of image processing operations is presented. It is designed for working in a flexible and distributed environment related to the software architecture of a newly developed UAV system. The software architecture can be characterized at a coarse scale as a layered system, with a deliberative layer at the top, a reactive layer in the middle, and a processing layer at the bottom. At a finer scale each of the three levels is decomposed into sets of modules which communicate using CORBA, allowing system development and deployment on the UAV to be made in a highly flexible way. Image processing takes place in a dedicated module located in the process layer, and is the main focus of the paper. This module has been designed as a runtime system for data flow graphs, allowing various processing operations to be created online and on demand by the higher levels of the system. The runtime system is implemented in Java, which allows development and deployment to be made on a wide range of hardware/software configurations. Optimizations for particular hardware platforms have been made using Java's native interface.

동적 환경에서 이동로봇의 자율주행을 위한 혼합 심의/반응 제어구조의 구현

Instantaneous reaction and intelligence are required for autonomous mobile robots to achieve multiple goals in the unpredictable and dynamic environments. Design of the appropriate control architecture and clear definitions of systems are needed to construct and control these robots. This research proposes the hybrid deliberative/reactive control architecture which consists of three layers and uses the method of software structure design. The highest layer, Deliberative Layer makes the overall run-time schedule for navigation and/or manipulation, and the middle layer, Task Execution Layer carries out various missions. The lowest layer, Reactive Layer enables a robot to react rapidly in the dynamic environment and controls the mechanical devices concurrently. This paper proposes independent system supervisors called Manager to reuse the modules so that the Manager supports common use of the system and multi-processing tasks. It is shown that the mobile robot based on the proposed control scheme can perform the basic navigation and cope with the dynamic obstacles reasonably well.

A multi-agent system architecture for mobile robot navigation based on fuzzy and visual behaviour

A multi-agent system based on behaviour for controlling the navigation task of a mobile robot in office-like environments is presented. The set of agents is structured into a three-layer hybrid architecture. A high level of abstraction plan is created using a topological map of the environment in the Deliberative layer. It is composed by the sequence of rooms and corridors to traverse and doors to cross in order to reach a desired room. The Execution and Monitoring layer translates the plan into a sequence of available skills in order to achieve the desired goal and monitors the execution of the plan. In the Control layer there is a set of agents that implements fuzzy and visual behaviours that run concurrently to guide the robot. Fuzzy behavior manages the vagueness and uncertainty of the range sensor information allowing to navigate safely in the environment. Visual behavior locates a required door to cross and fixate it, indicating the appropriate direction to reach it. Artificial landmarks are placed beside the doors to show its position. The system has been implemented in a Nomad 200 mobile robot and has been validated in numerous experiments in a real office-like environment.