Sensor-based Robot Systems Research Articles

Remote Robot-Sensor Calibration Service

Cyber physical systems (CPSs) are integrating computation, networking, and physical processes. CPSs facilitate improvements especially for asset management. The authors have contributed to robot automation with CPS technologies by a pilot system to support setup and maintenance of sensor-based robot systems with remote calibration services. This paper has focused to support remotely-located technology specialists as well as local field personnel by appropriate user interface design. A design example is given for a remote robot-sensor calibration procedure. In the user interface design, the authors follow loosely the Ecological Interface Design (EID) approach.

Constraint-based Task Specification and Estimation for Sensor-Based Robot Systems in the Presence of Geometric Uncertainty

This paper introduces a systematic constraint-based approach to specify complex tasks of general sensor-based robot systems consisting of rigid links and joints. The approach integrates both instantaneous task specification and estimation of geometric uncertainty in a unified framework. Major components are the use of feature coordinates, defined with respect to object and feature frames, which facilitate the task specification, and the introduction of uncertainty coordinates to model geometric uncertainty. While the focus of the paper is on task specification, an existing velocity- based control scheme is reformulated in terms of these feature and uncertainty coordinates. This control scheme compensates for the effect of time varying uncertainty coordinates. Constraint weighting results in an invariant robot behavior in case of conflicting constraints with heterogeneous units. The approach applies to a large variety of robot systems (mobile robots, multiple robot systems, dynamic human-robot interaction, etc.), various sensor systems, and different robot tasks. Ample simulation and experimental results are presented.

人間形ロボットハンドの高機能化に関する研究 ハンド・アームの動作分類を用いた接触覚センサベース制御

Demand for fine human function modeling methodology is rising with the popularization of assistive devices. Systems engineering based research that delves into the functional cooperative relationship of the digits, hand, and arm is needed for design of substitutive mechanisms and for their control of the human body. The optimal tool for such research is the design process of a sensor-based robotic hand-arm system. This paper discusses the research issues and our proposed strategy.Our research goal is to develop a sensory-controlled mechanical system for performing versatile human-like prehension. As a design concept, we propose an effective model extracted from functional analysis of the upper limb. The key assumption in categorizing hand behavior is the arm’s driving function. Without proper integration of the two, the hand function can be neither analyzed nor assembled. Our approach uses this assumption as its base; we propose a method for classifying a non-redundant relation to control the dynamic and static use of the artificial upper limb.We began remodeling the degrees of freedom (DOF) of the human hand by identifying the transverse and longitudinal adjustable arch structure in the hand. Our new model is composed of 21 active DOF, which include movement in the palm. We classified movements and postures of the hand and arm with this DOF model located at the end of a seven-DOF arm. We then classified the hand modes as prehensile forms and sustentacular forms.Based on this model and our previous research experience in developing prosthetic upper limbs and anthropomorphic robotic hands, we devised a robotic hand-arm with a total of 24 degrees of freedom. Additionally, a new multitactile sensor has been developed for use on the robotic hands in our laboratory at TDU.For generating control strategy, the behavior of the hand is classified into two divisions. The first is cooperation of the digits and palm, and the second is cooperation of the hand and arm modules. The digit cooperation task is fourfold: formation, transformation, deformation, and hold. A motion planner drives the digit movements from the relation of the hand forms to the task that is proposed.A tactile sensor-based control strategy is presented. The digits are controlled according to the hand modes and the sensory feedback loop, with slippage detection rules. Two strategies are proposed for extending the control for fine manipulation: cooperative slippage sensing of adjacent digits, and slippage prediction applying hand orientation information measured by an inclinometer.The overall objective of our approach is the design of a dexterous control system for a multi-DOF robotic upper limb. This includes discussion of a modeling method for the human upper limb.

Plan-N-Scan: A Robotic System for Collision-Free Autonomous Exploration and Workspace Mapping

This paper presents a sensor-based robotic system, called Plan-N-Scan, for collision-free, autonomous exploration and workspace mapping, using a wrist-mounted laser range camera. This system involves gaze planning with collision-free sensor positioning in a static environment, resulting in a 3-D map suitable for real-time collision detection. This work was initially motivated by the great demand for autonomous exploration systems in the remediation of buried but leaking tanks containing hazardous nuclear waste. Plan-N-Scan uses two types of representations: a spherical model of the manipulator and a weighted voxel map of the workspace. In addition to providing efficient collision detection, the voxel map allows the incorporation of different types of spatial occupancy information. The mapping of unknown sections of the workspace is achieved by either target or volume scanning. Target scanning incorporates a powerful A*-based search, along with a viewing position selection strategy, to incrementally acquire scans of the scene and use them to capture targets, even if they are not immediately viewable by the range camera. Volume scanning is implemented as an iterative process which automatically selects scan targets, then employs the target scanning process to scan these targets and explore the selected workspace volume. The performance and reliability of the system was demonstrated through simulation and a number of experiments involving a real robot system. The ability of the Plan-N-Scan system to incrementally acquire range information and successfully scan both targets and workspace volumes was demonstrated.

Task Skill Transfer in Sensor-based Robot System

Task Skill Transfer in Sensor-based Robot System

Erratum to : Task Skill Transfer in Sensor-based Robot System

Erratum to : Task Skill Transfer in Sensor-based Robot System

A Real-Time, Hierarchical, Sensor-Based Robotic System Architecture

A robotic system architecture is presented and its real-time performance, when used to control a robotic gripper system for deformation-free handling of limp material, is evaluated. A major problem to be overcome has been the integrability and compatibility issues between various components of the developed system. The software and hardware protocols and interfaces developed to control and coordinate the subsystem operations and interactions are presented. The performance of the developed real-time, hierarchical, sensor-based robotic system architecture is found to meet and satisfy a set of system operational constraints and demands as dictated by the industry.

センサベーストロボットシステムのための運動情報マネージメント 運動情報に基づく作業点誤差モデリングと倣いロボット診断への応用

Integrated motion information management for use in highly accurate sensor-based robot systems that increases the precision and quality of robotic tasks is described. In this method, the sources of the recognition errors are easily identified by introducing the error-model using the information obtained by the proximity sensor as well as the information about the robot motion acquired by commanded simple testing motions, and these identified error-sources are used to reduce the recogniton errors. Motion reliability is determined based on the robot-motion information, and this reliability is used to reduce the influence of the recognition errors to the whole sensor-based robot system. As a result of this tuning the sensor-based robot system is set up to be close to optimal as possible. Experimental results from a typical visual path-tracking task showed that the tracking error is significantly reduced by using this motion information management system.

Introduction to the special issue: Intelligent control for manipulation

This special issue is concerned with the intelligent control of robots in the performance of manipulation tasks. First we will try to define what we mean by intelligent control and by manipulation tasks.Unfortunately, intelligent control is a somewhat imprecise term, just like the word control itself, so that its meaning can vary widely depending on the application and on the writer's scientific discipline. In general terms, we can say that intelligent control implies some degree of autonomy in performing a task while accommodating uncertainty. In the control of sensor-based robot systems, we could characterize an intelligent controller as one with the following capabilities;

Robotic Simulations Using the Robot Controller Test Station (RCTS)

Abstract This paper provides a brief introduction to the Robot Controller Test Station, RCTS, and outlines the simulation capabilities presently available. The main purpose of devising the RCTS is to provide a tool for facilitating the development and integration of software for sensor-based robot systems. Present work is expanding the hierarchial control of RCTS for developing and integrating multi-robot sensor- based systems. RCTS is a highly flexible software platform that allows various types of robots to be programmed and simulated and controlled. Dynamics and kinematics are programmed and physical dimensions are entered. Various operating conditions are also programmable for simulation. These include user-defined settings of gravity, allowing simulation of robots in environments such as space or in an inverted orientation. A sample output from the simulation is included with a general description of the output parameters available.

Control Aspects of an Integrated Sensor Based Robot System with Novel Tactile Pads

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, together with its partners, has been developing an intelligent sensor based robot system as part of ESPRIT project 278. A particular aspect of the work at Newcastle is the integration of visual and tactile transducer data into the control algorithms for the determination of robot positioning and movement. This paper discusses the overall strategy adopted for the integrated robot control system and describes its major constituent parts

An Integrated Multisensor Robot System

This paper presents a Sensor Based Robot System developed for the DISAM E-65 scara type robot, which was designed by this Department. The DISAM E-65’s gripper also has been developed and it is equipped with several sensors, such as force-torque, vision, proximity and touch, that permit to modify robot movements in real time, according to the environment’s state. The whole system is controlled by a PDP 11-73 microcomputer, in which a new robot explicit programming language (LRS) also has been created, in order to integrate the programming of the robot and sensors. This language is an extension of the general purpose programming language PASCAL, and adds new data types and powerful instructions (such as compliant and guarded motions), so that the system becomes easy to program and to adapt to future applications.

Integrated sensor-based intelligent robot system

A description is given of the work of the European Economic Community ESPRIT 278 project, which is concerned with the development of an integrated sensor-based (tactile plus vision) robot system capable of intelligent action within the area of workpiece positioning and orientation. A vision system is used to provide an initial estimate of workpiece position and orientation, allowing the robot to grasp the object. During the grasping phase, the tactile sensor confirms, modifies, or improves the initial information provided by the vision system. The project is now at the final phase, and the integrated components show satisfactory performance.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Robotic Assembly System in Semiconductor Industry

A sensor-based robotic production system for assembly of rectifier bridges is described. Assembly tasks in semiconductor industry require a robot with good positional accuracy having the capability of high velocities and accelerations in all degrees of freedom. An important part of the semiconductor production is to measure the diode properties. The trajectory of the manipulator end-effector is determined by the results from these measurements. A vaccum gripper with an air flow sensor is also used in this particular task. The robotic language DARL was used to control the assembly process.

Sensor-based robotic assembly systems: Research and applications in electronic manufacturing

The analysis, design, and evaluation of robotic systems for manufacturing applications require understanding of sensing, representation, and manipulation as well as the integration and configuration of computer processors for control of the system. Robotic assembly presents particularly complex research issues due to the physical interactions among workpieces, precise positioning, and complex geometry of the manipulations. This paper presents an overview of research in the Flexible Assembly Laboratory at Carnegie-Mellon University and describes results in force, tactile, and visual sensing, sensor-based control, gripper design, and the configuration of a testbed multirobot integrated system for experiments in assembly of electronic components, using vision for the acquisition and orientation of parts and tactile sensing for assistance in insertion tasks. A joint research program between CMU and Westinghouse Electric Corporation has resulted in the development of the Standard Electronic Assembly Station (SEAS) which integrates a variety of research concepts into a production prototype for circuit board assembly.