Autonomous 3D object modeling by a humanoid using an optimization-driven Next-Best-View formulation

International audienceAn original method to build a visual model for unknown objects by a humanoid robot is proposed. The algorithm ensures successful autonomous realization of this goal by addressing the problem as an active coupling between computer vision and whole-body posture generation. The visual model is built through the repeated execution of two processes. The first one considers the current knowledge about the visual aspects and the shape of the object to deduce a preferred viewpoint with the aim of reducing the uncertainty of the shape and appearance of the object. This is done while considering the constraints related to the embodiment of the vision sensors in the humanoid head. The second process generates a whole robot posture using the desired head pose while solving additional constraints such as collision avoidance and joint limitations. The main contribution of our approach relies on the use of different optimization algorithms to find an optimal viewpoint by including the humanoid specificities in terms of constraints, an embedded vision sensor, and redundant motion capabilities. This approach differs significantly from those of traditional works addressing the problem of autonomously building an object model

Toward Dynamic Manipulation of Flexible Objects by High-Speed Robot System: From Static to Dynamic

This chapter explains dynamic manipulation of flexible objects, where the target objects to be manipulated include rope, ribbon, cloth, pizza dough, and so on. Previously, flexible object manipulation has been performed in a static or quasi-static state. Therefore, the manipulation time becomes long, and the efficiency of the manipulation is not considered to be sufficient. In order to solve these problems, we propose a novel control strategy and motion planning for achieving flexible object manipulation at high speed. The proposed strategy simplifies the flexible object dynamics. Moreover, we implemented a high-speed vision system and high-speed image processing to improve the success rate by manipulating the robot trajectory. By using this strategy, motion planning, and high-speed visual feedback, we demonstrated several tasks, including dynamic manipulation and knotting of a rope, generating a ribbon shape, dynamic folding of cloth, rope insertion, and pizza dough rotation, and we show experimental results obtained by using the high-speed robot system

Visual Guided Approach-to-Grasp for Humanoid Robots

Vision based control for robots has been an active area of research for more than 30 years and significant progresses in the theory and application have been reported (Hutchinson et al., 1996; Kragic & Christensen, 2002; Chaumette & Hutchinson, 2006). Vision is a very important non-contact measurement method for robots. Especially in the field of humanoi

Human-Mechanical system interaction in Virtual Reality

The present work aims to show the great potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Indeed, it is foreseeable that in not too distant future cooperating robots will be increasingly present in human environments. Many authors actually believe that after the current information revolution, we will witness the so-called "robotics revolution", with the spread of increasingly intelligent and autonomous robots capable of moving into our own environments. Since these machines must be able to interact with human beings in a safe way, new design tools for the study of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) are needed. The author believes that VR is an ideal design tool for the study of the interaction between humans and automatic machines, since it allows the designers to interact in real-time with virtual robotic systems and to evaluate different control algorithms, without the need of physical prototypes. This also shields the user from any risk related to the physical experimentation. However, VR technologies have also a more immediate application in the field of HRI, such as the study of usability of interfaces for real-time controlled robots. In fact, these robots, such as robots for microsurgery or even "teleoperated" robots working in a hostile environments, are already quite common. VR allows the designers to evaluate the usability of such interfaces by relating their physical input with a virtual output. In particular, the author has developed a new software application aimed at simulating automatic robots and, more generally, mechanical systems in a virtual environment. The user can interact with one or more virtual manipulators and also control them in real-time by means of several input devices. Finally, an innovative approach to the modeling and control of a humanoid robot with high degree of redundancy is discussed. VR implementation of a virtual humanoid is useful for the study of both humanoid robots and human beings

Computational intelligence approaches to robotics, automation, and control [Volume guest editors]

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