Mobile Robot Platform Research Articles

Application of ultrasonic guided waves to robotic occupancy grid mapping

This paper evaluates the benefits of using ultrasonic guided waves for the mapping of a structure, when implemented on a mobile magnetic robotic platform. It considers the specific problem of mapping geometric features using the guided ultrasonic waves, which enables the localisation of edges and/or the welded joints. Shear Horizontal (SH) guided waves generated by Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) are used for mapping steel samples with a nominal thickness of 10 mm. A Bayesian mapping technique (Occupancy grid mapping) was used to map the boundaries of an irregular sample in a pseudo-pulse-echo mode. The principle is demonstrated in both simulation and laboratory-based experiments. It is shown that the proposed mapping algorithm successfully estimates the position of a sample’s edges. Experimentally, a range accuracy of < 1.7 mm (1σ) was achieved on a 1 × 2 m sample using miniaturised EMATs operating at a wavelength of 22 mm.

Autonomous robotic platform for inspection and repairing operations in harsh environments

ABSTRACT The MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) industry expected economic growth is severely limited by the high human injury and death toll rates, mainly associated to harsh working environment and scarcity of unmanned support solutions. The present work introduces an advanced mobile robotic platform that is capable of providing a clear response to key MRO barriers being designed to climb vertical surfaces and operating in harsh environment while executing inspection and repairing tasks. The paper outlines the integrated design procedure supporting the engineering of the mobile platform; the benefits of the solution have been addressed and validated with regard to real world operating scenarios.

Using Additional Moderator to Control the Footprint of a COSMOS Rover for Soil Moisture Measurement

AbstractCosmic‐Ray Neutron Probes (CRNP) have found application in soil moisture (SM) estimation due to their conveniently large (&gt;100 m) footprints. Here, we explore the possibility of using high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) moderator to limit the field of view, and hence, the footprint of a SM sensor formed of 12 CRNP mounted on to a mobile robotic platform (Thorvald) for better in‐field localization of moisture variation. Ultra Rapid Adaptable Neutron‐Only Simulation neutron scattering simulations are used to show that 5 cm of additional HDPE moderator (used to shield the upper surface and sides of the detector) is sufficient to (a) reduce the footprint of the detector considerably, (b) approximately double the percentage of neutrons detected from within 5 m of the detector, and (c) does not affect the shape of the curve used to convert neutron counts into SM. Simulation and rover measurements for a transect crossing between grass and concrete additionally suggest that (d) SM changes can be sensed over a length scales of tens of meters or less (roughly an order of magnitude smaller than commonly used footprint distances), and (e) the additional moderator does not reduce the detected neutron count rate (and hence increase noise) as much as might be expected given the extent of the additional moderator. The detector with additional HDPE moderator was also used to conduct measurements on a stubble field over three weeks to test the rover system in measuring spatial and temporal SM variation.

Use of Spectral Landscape Indices for Obstacle Detection in the Tasks of Mobile Robotic Platforms Navigation in Agricultural Areas

Purposeor research is to develop an algorithm for detecting obstacles on the orthophotomap based on the analysis of the spectral landscape indices in the tasks of mobile robotic equipment navigation in agricultural areas.Methods.The following landscape indices characterizing objects of various types on a map obtained by spectral aerial photography have been considered in the paper: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized building difference index (NDBI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), and soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI). These indices provide an assessment of the four main classes of objects on the map: vegetation, buildings, water bodies, and soil cover. An algorithm that provides the segmentation of zones on the map which are impassable for ground robotic means using multispectral images and the considered indices was proposed.Results. Each image is presented in the form of a colour map based on the pixel-by-pixel calculation of the indicated indices. In this case, three indices, i.e. SAVI, NDWI, NDBI, are combined (superimposed on each other), and then the NDVI layer is subtracted from the resulting image to highlight the passable zones. Thus, a formula to obtain a mask of obstacles in the image was obtained. Hence, this algorithm allows generalizing the results of calculations for all selected indices and constructing a mask of obstacles in the image. For quantitative assessment the of the algorithm execution, the area of obstacles was calculated using the indices on a sample of manually marked images. The experiments conducted show that the developed algorithm provides, on average, detection of 85.47 % of the area of all impassable zones in the images in the above classes of land cover.Conclusion.An algorithm for the automated detection of obstacles on a map obtained from a spectral orthophotomap of the area for use in the tasks of mobile robotic equipment navigation in agricultural areas has been developed and tested. In the further research, to determine flat soil areas, it is planned to modify the developed solution using the improved modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI).

Autonomous Fingerprinting and Large Experimental Data Set for Visible Light Positioning.

This paper presents an autonomous method of collecting data for Visible Light Positioning (VLP) and a comprehensive investigation of VLP using a large set of experimental data. Received Signal Strength (RSS) data are efficiently collected using a novel method that utilizes consumer grade Virtual Reality (VR) tracking for accurate ground truth recording. An investigation into the accuracy of the ground truth system showed median and 90th percentile errors of 4.24 and 7.35 mm, respectively. Co-locating a VR tracker with a photodiode-equipped VLP receiver on a mobile robotic platform allows fingerprinting on a scale and accuracy that has not been possible with traditional manual collection methods. RSS data at 7344 locations within a 6.3 × 6.9 m test space fitted with 11 VLP luminaires is collected and has been made available for researchers. The quality and the volume of the data allow for a robust study of Machine Learning (ML)- and channel model-based positioning utilizing visible light. Among the ML-based techniques, ridge regression is found to be the most accurate, outperforming Weighted k Nearest Neighbor, Multilayer Perceptron, and random forest, among others. Model-based positioning is more accurate than ML techniques when a small data set is available for calibration and training. However, if a large data set is available for training, ML-based positioning outperforms its model-based counterparts in terms of localization accuracy.

Development of a Portable IP-Based Remote Controlled System for Mobile Robot

The use of Mobile Robots to interact with objects in remote locations has proved to be useful in areas not easily accessible or too dangerous for humans. Various means have been used to remotely operate or control Mobile Robots. These range from wired connection to Wireless connection like radio frequency signal and more recently internet controlled Mobile Robot using the TCP/IP protocol stack. However, the problem of remote control dependence on the Mobile Robot Platform or configuration has made it difficult to switch controllers between Mobile Robots. In this work, a portable IP based remote control system has been designed and implemented to remove the constraint imposed by the Mobile Robot's platform in choosing the control interface. The system developed was built on three loosely coupled components working together to ensure a high degree of Control interface portability. The Mobile Robot Gateway component was used to receive and send data from the Mobile Robot.

Path-building and localization system for mobile robotic platforms based on Raspberry Pi

The paper demonstrates a system for detection of location of robotic platform FESTO Robotino and optimal route building. It processes data from the camera and transmits control signals to the control system of the robot. The whole system is based on Raspberry Pi. It detects robot’s current coordinates, current angular rotation, angular difference (difference between current and previous angular rotation) and displacement of the robot in its own coordinate system. It uses an ArUco marker, placed on the top of the mobile robot for that. System also builds an optimal path, when moving from one point of the surface to another, according to the permeability of the surface. The authors set the permeability of testing surfaces. Using that, a weighted graph is built through the centers of particular surfaces, which are detected via an algorithm on Raspberry Pi. The optimal path is constructed through the edges of the graph via modified Dijkstra algorithm.

Small-size Unmanned Control Algorithm of an Underwater Complex

Purpose of research: The creation of water bodies monitoring systems makes it possible to evaluate environmental situation in various points of monitoring area quickly. One of the main stages of water quality research is sampling, which is currently carried out at stationary posts, which makes it impossible to ensure operational control in various areas of an observation site. The problem can be solved by using mobile robotic platforms. The purpose of this study is to create mathematical model and algorithm for controlling autonomous movement of an underwater robotic device for collecting water samples in a reservoir. Methods. The following problems were solved for this purpose: the structure of the device was developed, which consists of a power frame unit, units of screw electric drives, units of depth and direction rudders. On-board power supply unit, sensor unit providing interaction of underwater vehicle with environment were also developed. Control tasks are formulated. A scheme of device movement in a reservoir has been developed for this purpose. Results. Modular method of trajectory planning is proposed. It is based on a single motion cycle concept, which consists of 2 turns and 2 straight-line stages of 2R2P. A model of control algorithm is also proposed and reactions of apparatus to external disturbances are studied. General dynamics theorems, method of algorithm synthesizing according to inverse dynamics problem were applied when solving problems. Conclusion: As a result of conducted studies, the system response to disturbances acting in longitudinal direction is described, disturbance diagrams are also described, random type with normal distribution law and mass center deviation s from the given position are given.

Stocktaking Robots, Automatic Inventory, and 3D Product Maps: The Smart Warehouse Enabled by UHF-RFID Synthetic Aperture Localization Techniques

In our age of global networks and the Internet of Things, communication and identification with a transponder tagged on goods and products have become increasingly important [1]. There is not only a need for the identification of the labeled objects but also for finding their exact positions in 3D space. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) offers both and is, in fact, already used in a vast field of applications, such as access control, goods logistics, indoor localization, automation, stocktaking, and many others [2]-[6]. Figure 1 illustrates a mobile robot platform for automatic inventory rounds that is used to acquire 3D product maps with ultrahigh-frequency (UHF)-RFID technology.

A Novel Real-Time MATLAB/Simulink/LEGO EV3 Platform for Academic Use in Robotics and Computer Science.

Over the last years, mobile robot platforms are having a key role in education worldwide. Among others, LEGO Robots and MATLAB/Simulink are being used mainly in universities to improve the teaching experience. Most LEGO systems used in the literature are based on NXT, as the EV3 version is relatively recent. In contrast to the previous versions, the EV3 allows the development of real-time applications for teaching a wide variety of subjects as well as conducting research experiments. The goal of the research presented in this paper was to develop and validate a novel real-time educational platform based on the MATLAB/Simulink package and the LEGO EV3 brick for academic use in the fields of robotics and computer science. The proposed framework is tested here in different university teaching situations and several case studies are presented in the form of interactive projects developed by students. Without loss of generality, the platform is used for testing different robot path planning algorithms. Classical algorithms like rapidly-exploring random trees or artificial potential fields, developed by robotics researchers, are tested by bachelor students, since the code is freely available on the Internet. Furthermore, recent path planning algorithms developed by the authors are also tested in the platform with the aim of detecting the limits of its applicability. The restrictions and advantages of the proposed platform are discussed in order to enlighten future educational applications.

Wireless communication based on Raspberry pi and Codesys for mobile robots using IoT technology

The industrial environment is going through exponential changes, due to the diversity of technological solutions that appear more and more frequently and the increase of productivity at increasing capacities. Due to this fact in the industrial area the number of devices, processing systems, collaborative robots, mobile robots and industrial equipment is increasing more and more. Consequently, there is a need for communication and connectivity of entities, common physical or virtual functioning and decision making, all of which are fundamental to the transition to the new concept of Industry 4.0. This study presents how wireless communication can be achieved in a mobile robotic platform that serves an industrial sector with other equipment in the production area, such as industrial equipment, collaborative industrial robots or other mobile robots. Also in this paper is presented how to create an HMI interface for the mobile platform that can be accessed from a touchscreen display mounted on the robot or from any mobile device connected to the internet.

Operator - mobile robot collaboration for synchronized part movement

Mobile robotic platforms have become increasingly popular. Commercially available versions of mobile robots are designed to support human operators in typical production environments. They may be used for transferring parts from one place to another, as well as for assisting the operator in a series of tasks, by utilizing the dexterity of their arm and end effector. This paper focuses on the development of a novel approach that allows the handling and transportation of parts through the simultaneous operation of human operators and mobile robots. In particular, a straightforward, easy to implement control strategy is used to adapt the operation of the mobile robot to the tasks carried out by the operator. This paper discusses also the advantages of introducing mobile robots in typical industrial environments and compares their potential against fully automated robotic solutions.

Patient satisfaction with a pharmacist-led best possible medication discharge plan via tele-robot in a remote and rural community hospital.

Medication reconciliation (MedRec) reduces the risk of preventable medication-related adverse events (ADEs). A best possible medication discharge plan (BPMDP) is a revised list of medications a patient will take when discharged from hospital; a pharmacist review ensures accuracy. For many hospitals, on-site pharmacists are non-existent. Extension of a visual presence via a mobile robotic platform with real-time audiovisual communication by pharmacists to conduct MedRec remains unstudied. This study explored patient perceptions of a pharmacist-led BPMDP using a telepresence robot. Time requirements, unintentional discharge medication discrepancies (UMD), programme inefficiencies/barriers and facilitators involved in pharmacist review of the discharge medication list and patient interviews were also described. This prospective cohort study enrolled adult patients admitted to a 12-bed community hospital at high risk of an ADE. Remote pharmacists reviewed the discharge prescription list, identified/resolved UMDs, and interviewed/counselled patients using a telepresence robot. Thereafter, patients completed an anonymous satisfaction questionnaire. Prescriber discharge UMDs were classified, and barriers/inefficiencies and facilitators were documented. Nine patients completed an interview, with a 75% interview agreement rate. All patients were comfortable with the robot and 76% felt their care was better. With a median of 11 discharge medications/patient, the UMD rate was 78%; 71% had omitted medications, 43% involved a cardiovascular medication, 88% were due to a hospital system cause, and 43% were specifically due to an inaccurate best possible admission medication history. Median times for interview preparation, interview and UMD/drug therapy problem resolution were 45, 15 and 10 min, respectively. Using a telepresence robot to provide pharmacist-led BPMDPs is acceptable to patients and an innovative, effective solution to identify/resolve UMDs.

Consideration of Mobile Robot Platform for Social Implementation

Consideration of Mobile Robot Platform for Social Implementation

Development of Mobile Robot Platform for Social Implementation-Oriented Research

Development of Mobile Robot Platform for Social Implementation-Oriented Research

Artificial Fuzzy-PID Gain Scheduling Algorithm Design for Motion Control in Differential Drive Mobile Robotic Platforms.

Mobile robots are promising devices which are dedicated to human comfort in all areas. However, the control algorithm of the wheels of mobile robot is entirely challenging due to the nonlinearity. Recently, the classical PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controllers are frequently used in robotics for their high accuracy and the smooth determination of their parameters. A robust approach called fuzzy control which is based on the conversion of linguistic inference sets in a suitable control value is a widely used method in industrial system control in our days. A new challenging method to solve the problem of intelligent navigation of nonholonomic mobile robot is suggested. In this work, the presented methodology is based on three hybrid fuzzy logic PID controllers which are adapted to guarantee target achievement and trajectory tracking. A fuzzy-PID control algorithm is designed with 2 inputs and 3 outputs. By the information given by the system response, error and error derivate can be used to extract and adopt the PID controller parameters: proportional, integral, and derivative gains. Besides, a tuning value A is introduced to improve the resulted response in terms of speeding up and reducing error, overshoot, and oscillation, as well as reducing ISE and IAE values. A modelization of a differential drive mobile robot is presented. The developed algorithm is tested and implemented to this mobile robot model via Simulink/MATLAB.

Development of an EMG based SVM supported control solution for the PlatypOUs education mobile robot using MindRove headset

Abstract This paper describes the development of PlatypOUs - an open-source electromyography (EMG)-controlled mobile robot platform that uses the MindRove Brain Computer Interface (BCI) headset as signal acquisition unit, implementing remote control. Simultaneously with the physical mobile robot, simulation environment is also prepared using Gazebo, within the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, with the same capabilities as the physical device, from the point of view of the ROS. The purpose of the PlatypOUs project is to create a tool for STEM-based education, and it involves two major disciplines: mobile robotics and machine learning, with several sub-areas included in each. The use of the platform and the simulation environment exposes students to hands-on laboratory sessions, which contribute to their progression as engineers. An important feature of our project is that the platform is made up of open-source and easily available commercial hardware and software components. In this paper, an electromyography (EMG) based controller has been developed using support vector machine (SVM) based classification for robot control purposes.

Soccer‐Assisted Training Robot Based on Image Recognition Omnidirectional Movement

With the continuous emergence and innovation of computer technology, mobile robots are a relatively hot topic in the field of artificial intelligence. It is an important research area of more and more scholars. The core of mobile robots is to be able to realize real‐time perception of the surrounding environment and self‐positioning and to conduct self‐navigation through this information. It is the key to the robot’s autonomous movement and has strategic research significance. Among them, the goal recognition ability of the soccer robot vision system is the basis of robot path planning, motion control, and collaborative task completion. The main recognition task in the vision system is the omnidirectional vision system. Therefore, how to improve the accuracy of target recognition and the light adaptive ability of the robot omnidirectional vision system is the key issue of this paper. Completed the system construction and program debugging of the omnidirectional mobile robot platform, and tested its omnidirectional mobile function, positioning and map construction capabilities in the corridor and indoor environment, global navigation function in the indoor environment, and local obstacle avoidance function. How to use the local visual information of the robot more perfectly to obtain more available information, so that the “eyes” of the robot can be greatly improved by relying on image recognition technology, so that the robot can obtain more accurate environmental information by itself has always been domestic and foreign one of the goals of the joint efforts of scholars. Research shows that the standard error of the experimental group’s shooting and dribbling test scores before and the experimental group’s shooting and dribbling test results after the standard error level is 0.004, which is less than 0.05, which proves the use of soccer‐assisted robot‐assisted training. On the one hand, we tested the positioning and navigation functions of the omnidirectional mobile robot, and on the other hand, we verified the feasibility of positioning and navigation algorithms and multisensor fusion algorithms.

APPLICATION OF DENAVIT HARTENBERG METHOD IN SERVICE ROBOTICS

This work focuses primarily on the D-H method, as one of the most important methods used in the process of designing robotic structures. In the introduction, the history of the D-H method and its general use is briefly mentioned. In the following section, the algorithm for applying D-H in the form of mathematical formalism is explained. In this part, the individual steps of creating transformational relationships are explained in more detail. The next chapters deal in more detail with individual application types within service robotics. The first type deals with the application deployment of the mobile robotic platform, the second deals with the mobile humanoid robotic structure, the other deals with the fourlegged robotic mechanism and the last type with the application of the robotic arm.

Analysis of separate channels in a multi-connected control system

The object of research is the control system of an autonomous mobile robot equipped with an anthropomorphic manipulator with four degrees of mobility. When a mobile robot of variable configuration moves along a given route, the control system must ensure a minimum deviation of the center of mass of the platform from a given trajectory. In this case, the control moments are directed along the axes of the coordinate system associated with the platform of the autonomous mobile robot. With relative movements of the manipulator, the tensor of inertia of the system of bodies in the coordinate system associated with the platform becomes off-diagonal and non-stationary, which determines the interconnection of control channels. The number of control actions: when moving the trajectory – four (for each wheel), when the manipulator is working – four (for each generalized coordinate). Thus, the control system is multidimensional, the connection between control channels is carried out due to the physical properties of the control object.The paper presents the results of the first stages of the development of a multi-connected control system: study of separate control channels, synthesis of a separate controller, adjustments of the controller and analysis of the quality of the created control system. The research is carried out using matrix transfer functions; Besekersky formulas are applied to determine the parameters of the desired transfer function. During the analysis, logarithmic and amplitude frequency characteristics were constructed for each separate channel, a block diagram was chosen, and a transfer function was compiled. The quality assessment of the synthesized separate channel is carried out according to the following criteria: accuracy, speed, oscillation, transient time, overshoot, amplitude and phase distortions, stability margins. The properties of the synthesized separate channel in terms of accuracy, speed and oscillation correspond to the conditions.Further research and synthesis of multi-connected control systems of a mobile robot with a manipulator will increase its survivability and efficiency in autonomous operation. Since a mobile robot with a manipulator is an example of an «autonomous mobile robot of variable configuration» object class, the results obtained can be applied to all objects of this class.