Probabilistic Framework for Sensor Management

A probabilistic sensor management framework is introduced, which maximizes the utility of sensor systems with many different sensing modalities by dynamically configuring the sensor system in the most beneficial way. For this purpose, techniques from stochastic control and Bayesian estimation are combined such that long-term effects of possible sensor configurations and stochastic uncertainties resulting from noisy measurements can be incorporated into the sensor management decisions

An improved robot for bridge inspection

This paper presents a significant improvement from the previous submission from the same authors at ISARC 2016. The robot is now equipped with low-cost cameras and a 2D laser scanner which is used to monitor and survey a bridge bearing. The robot is capable of localising by combining a data from a pre-surveyed 3D model of the space with real-time data collection in-situ. Autonomous navigation is also performed using the 2D laser scanner in a mapped environment. The Robot Operating System (ROS) framework is used to integrate data collection and communication for navigation

Localization And Mapping Of Unknown Locations And Tunnels With Unmanned Ground Vehicles

The main goals of this research were to enhance a commercial off the shelf (COTS) software platform to support unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) exploring the complex environment of tunnels, to test the platform within a simulation environment, and to validate the architecture through field testing. Developing this platform will enhance the U. S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center’s (ERDC’s) current capabilities and create a safe and efficient autonomous vehicle to perform the following functions within tunnels: (1) localization (e.g., position tracking) and mapping of its environment, (2) traversing varied terrains, (3) sensing the environment for objects of interest, and (4) increasing the level of autonomy of UGVs available at the ERDC. The simulation experiments were performed in the STAGE Simulator, a physics-based multi-scale numerical test bed developed by Robotic Operating System (ROS). Physical testing was conducted in Vicksburg, MS using a Coroware Explorer. Both the simulation and physical testing evaluated three SLAM algorithms, i.e., Hector SLAM, gMapping, and CORESLAM to determine the superior algorithm. The superior algorithm was then used to localize the robot to the environment and autonomously travel from a start location to a destination location. Completion of this research has increased the ERDC’s level of autonomy for UGVs from tether to tele-operated to autonomous

Advances in Simultaneous Localization and Mapping in Confined Underwater Environments Using Sonar and Optical Imaging.

This thesis reports on the incorporation of surface information into a probabilistic simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) framework used on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed for underwater inspection. AUVs operating in cluttered underwater environments, such as ship hulls or dams, are commonly equipped with Doppler-based sensors, which---in addition to navigation---provide a sparse representation of the environment in the form of a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud. The goal of this thesis is to develop perceptual algorithms that take full advantage of these sparse observations for correcting navigational drift and building a model of the environment. In particular, we focus on three objectives. First, we introduce a novel representation of this 3D point cloud as collections of planar features arranged in a factor graph. This factor graph representation probabalistically infers the spatial arrangement of each planar segment and can effectively model smooth surfaces (such as a ship hull). Second, we show how this technique can produce 3D models that serve as input to our pipeline that produces the first-ever 3D photomosaics using a two-dimensional (2D) imaging sonar. Finally, we propose a model-assisted bundle adjustment (BA) framework that allows for robust registration between surfaces observed from a Doppler sensor and visual features detected from optical images. Throughout this thesis, we show methods that produce 3D photomosaics using a combination of triangular meshes (derived from our SLAM framework or given a-priori), optical images, and sonar images. Overall, the contributions of this thesis greatly increase the accuracy, reliability, and utility of in-water ship hull inspection with AUVs despite the challenges they face in underwater environments. We provide results using the Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HAUV) for autonomous ship hull inspection, which serves as the primary testbed for the algorithms presented in this thesis. The sensor payload of the HAUV consists primarily of: a Doppler velocity log (DVL) for underwater navigation and ranging, monocular and stereo cameras, and---for some applications---an imaging sonar.PhDElectrical Engineering: SystemsUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/120750/1/paulozog_1.pd

Modal Features and Dynamic Behavior of a Nonlinear 3D Guyed Mast with Uncertain Guys Pretension

The study of the nonlinear dynamic characteristics and response of a guyed mast, considering the uncertainty of the guys pretension is reported in this work. A computational model is constructed with the mast represented by an equivalent beam-column and the three guys at one level by cables with an initial pretension and only having tensile capacity. Starting from the energy formulation of beams and nonlinear cables, the continuous equations are discretized using finite element techniques, considering Hermite elements for the mast (Bernoulli beam theory) and quadratic elements for the nonlinear guys. Also, the second order effect due to the axial loads on the mast is taken into account. An ad hoc software, developed by the first author, is employed here to explore natural frequencies and modes of the structure considering the uncertainty propagation of the stochastic guys pretension. Since the guys design value can be modified at the construction stage and more, during the service life, the pretension force is modeled as a random variable with a probability density function (PDF) derived from the Principle of Maximum Entropy (PME). The model herein presented contributes to attain a more realistic description of the structure, mainly regarding the three-dimensional representation and the sensibility to the variability of the guys pretensions. The results here presented (natural frequencies and modes) obtained through an uncertainty quantification analysis, improve the understanding of the real dynamic properties and behavior of slender and flexible guyed structures.Publicado en: Mecánica Computacional vol. XXXV, no. 21Facultad de Ingenierí

Mobile localization : approach and applications

textLocalization is critical to a number of wireless network applications. In many situations GPS is not suitable. This dissertation (i) develops novel localization schemes for wireless networks by explicitly incorporating mobility information and (ii) applies localization to physical analytics i.e., understanding shoppers' behavior within retail spaces by leveraging inertial sensors, Wi-Fi and vision enabled by smart glasses. More specifically, we first focus on multi-hop mobile networks, analyze real mobility traces and observe that they exhibit temporal stability and low-rank structure. Motivated by these observations, we develop novel localization algorithms to effectively capture and also adapt to different degrees of these properties. Using extensive simulations and testbed experiments, we demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of our new schemes. Second, we focus on localizing a single mobile node, which may not be connected with multiple nodes (e.g., without network connectivity or only connected with an access point). We propose trajectory-based localization using Wi-Fi or magnetic field measurements. We show that these measurements have the potential to uniquely identify a trajectory. We then develop a novel approach that leverages multi-level wavelet coefficients to first identify the trajectory and then localize to a point on the trajectory. We show that this approach is highly accurate and power efficient using indoor and outdoor experiments. Finally, localization is a critical step in enabling a lot of applications --- an important one is physical analytics. Physical analytics has the potential to provide deep-insight into shoppers' interests and activities and therefore better advertisements, recommendations and a better shopping experience. To enable physical analytics, we build ThirdEye system which first achieves zero-effort localization by leveraging emergent devices like the Google-Glass to build AutoLayout that fuses video, Wi-Fi, and inertial sensor data, to simultaneously localize the shoppers while also constructing and updating the product layout in a virtual coordinate space. Further, ThirdEye comprises of a range of schemes that use a combination of vision and inertial sensing to study mobile users' behavior while shopping, namely: walking, dwelling, gazing and reaching-out. We show the effectiveness of ThirdEye through an evaluation in two large retail stores in the United States.Computer Science

Modal Features and Dynamic Behavior of a Nonlinear 3D Guyed Mast with Uncertain Guys Pretension

The study of the nonlinear dynamic characteristics and response of a guyed mast, considering the uncertainty of the guys pretension is reported in this work. A computational model is constructed with the mast represented by an equivalent beam-column and the three guys at one level by cables with an initial pretension and only having tensile capacity. Starting from the energy formulation of beams and nonlinear cables, the continuous equations are discretized using finite element techniques, considering Hermite elements for the mast (Bernoulli beam theory) and quadratic elements for the nonlinear guys. Also, the second order effect due to the axial loads on the mast is taken into account. An ad hoc software, developed by the first author, is employed here to explore natural frequencies and modes of the structure considering the uncertainty propagation of the stochastic guys pretension. Since the guys design value can be modified at the construction stage and more, during the service life, the pretension force is modeled as a random variable with a probability density function (PDF) derived from the Principle of Maximum Entropy (PME). The model herein presented contributes to attain a more realistic description of the structure, mainly regarding the three-dimensional representation and the sensibility to the variability of the guys pretensions. The results here presented (natural frequencies and modes) obtained through an uncertainty quantification analysis, improve the understanding of the real dynamic properties and behavior of slender and flexible guyed structures.Publicado en: Mecánica Computacional vol. XXXV, no. 21Facultad de Ingenierí

Modal Features and Dynamic Behavior of a Nonlinear 3D Guyed Mast with Uncertain Guys Pretension

The study of the nonlinear dynamic characteristics and response of a guyed mast, considering the uncertainty of the guys pretension is reported in this work. A computational model is constructed with the mast represented by an equivalent beam-column and the three guys at one level by cables with an initial pretension and only having tensile capacity. Starting from the energy formulation of beams and nonlinear cables, the continuous equations are discretized using finite element techniques, considering Hermite elements for the mast (Bernoulli beam theory) and quadratic elements for the nonlinear guys. Also, the second order effect due to the axial loads on the mast is taken into account. An ad hoc software, developed by the first author, is employed here to explore natural frequencies and modes of the structure considering the uncertainty propagation of the stochastic guys pretension. Since the guys design value can be modified at the construction stage and more, during the service life, the pretension force is modeled as a random variable with a probability density function (PDF) derived from the Principle of Maximum Entropy (PME). The model herein presented contributes to attain a more realistic description of the structure, mainly regarding the three-dimensional representation and the sensibility to the variability of the guys pretensions. The results here presented (natural frequencies and modes) obtained through an uncertainty quantification analysis, improve the understanding of the real dynamic properties and behavior of slender and flexible guyed structures.Publicado en: Mecánica Computacional vol. XXXV, no. 21Facultad de Ingenierí

Towards Natural Human Control and Navigation of Autonomous Wheelchairs

Approximately 2.2 million people in the United States depend on a wheelchair to assist with their mobility. Often times, the wheelchair user can maneuver around using a conventional joystick. Visually impaired or wheelchair patients with restricted hand mobility, such as stroke, arthritis, limb injury, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis, prevent them from using traditional joystick controls. The resulting mobility limitations force these patients to rely on caretakers to perform everyday tasks. This minimizes the independence of the wheelchair user. Modern day speech recognition systems can be used to enhance user experiences when using electronic devices. By expanding the motorized wheelchair control interface to include the detection of user speech commands, the independence is given back to the mobility impaired. A speech recognition interface was developed for a smart wheelchair. By integrating navigation commands with a map of the wheelchair’s surroundings, the wheelchair interface is more natural and intuitive to use. Complex speech patterns are interpreted for users to command the smart wheelchair to navigate to specified locations within the map. Pocketsphinx, a speech toolkit, is used to interpret the vocal commands. A language model and dictionary were generated based on a set of possible commands and locations supplied to the speech recognition interface. The commands fall under the categories of speed, directional, or destination commands. Speed commands modify the relative speed of the wheelchair. Directional commands modify the relative direction of the wheelchair. Destination commands require a known location on a map to navigate to. The completion of the speech input processer and the connection between wheelchair components via the Robot Operating System make map navigation possible