Recent Advances in Multi Robot Systems

To design a team of robots which is able to perform given tasks is a great concern of many members of robotics community. There are many problems left to be solved in order to have the fully functional robot team. Robotics community is trying hard to solve such problems (navigation, task allocation, communication, adaptation, control, ...). This book represents the contributions of the top researchers in this field and will serve as a valuable tool for professionals in this interdisciplinary field. It is focused on the challenging issues of team architectures, vehicle learning and adaptation, heterogeneous group control and cooperation, task selection, dynamic autonomy, mixed initiative, and human and robot team interaction. The book consists of 16 chapters introducing both basic research and advanced developments. Topics covered include kinematics, dynamic analysis, accuracy, optimization design, modelling, simulation and control of multi robot systems

SWARM INTELLIGENCE AND STIGMERGY: ROBOTIC IMPLEMENTATION OF FORAGING BEHAVIOR

Swarm intelligence in multi-robot systems has become an important area of research within collective robotics. Researchers have gained inspiration from biological systems and proposed a variety of industrial, commercial, and military robotics applications. In order to bridge the gap between theory and application, a strong focus is required on robotic implementation of swarm intelligence. To date, theoretical research and computer simulations in the field have dominated, with few successful demonstrations of swarm-intelligent robotic systems. In this thesis, a study of intelligent foraging behavior via indirect communication between simple individual agents is presented. Models of foraging are reviewed and analyzed with respect to the system dynamics and dependence on important parameters. Computer simulations are also conducted to gain an understanding of foraging behavior in systems with large populations. Finally, a novel robotic implementation is presented. The experiment successfully demonstrates cooperative group foraging behavior without direct communication. Trail-laying and trail-following are employed to produce the required stigmergic cooperation. Real robots are shown to achieve increased task efficiency, as a group, resulting from indirect interactions. Experimental results also confirm that trail-based group foraging systems can adapt to dynamic environments

Monitoring system for detecting the motility and position of laboratory animals after anesthesia

Tato Diplomová práce, která nese název „Monitorovací systém pro zjištění motility a polohy laboratorních zvířat po anestézii“ se zaměřuje na návrh a realizaci bezkontaktní detekce polohy laboratorního potkana nebo myši ve výběhu s průhledným krytem. Semestrální práce si klade za cíl nalézt vhodné metody realizaci bezkontaktní detekce polohy laboratorního potkana nebo myši a automaticky určit a zobrazit průměrnou rychlost nebo jiné charakteristiky pohybu. Zadání vzešlo z potřeb monitoringu zvířat po kurativním zásahu a také jako potřebná utilita pro budoucí „stínování“ pohyb zvířete (automatické cílení na jizvu na zádech zvířete). Potkan, který je umístěný uvnitř našeho výběhu je buď standardně pohyblivý nebo je omámen po anestezií. V této práci se zabývám nejprve rešerší automatických monitorovacích systémů pro detekci polohy zvířat ve výběhu. Pak v praktické části jsou testovány tři typy kamer pro obrazovou detekci polohy potkana a je navrhnut skript pro automatickou detekci a analýzu pohybu potkana. Systém funguje jako kamerové oko které v reálnem času v svém zorném poli schopno najit plochu černého boxu následně omezit plochu detekci o velikosti teto krabice a nasledne v omezenem prostoru automaticky detekuje težište a vzpočitava cestu kterou udelava ten bod , jako stitistiku uklada cestu za deasat sekund a z toho vzpočitava přumernou rzchlost potkanu za tu dobu .A hodnocenim získanou rzchlosti s průměrem vypočtenzm s testev na 10 myšich - hlasi na obrazovce stav myši za predešlych desat sekund.Vytvořeny software detekuje bilou myš nebo potkana v černém hovnem boxu , bez doplňkového označeni zvířeti pomoci markéru pro žádné stresovaní zvířeti . Potkan, který je umístěný uvnitř našeho výběhu je buď standardně pohyblivý nebo je omámen po anestezií. V této práci se zabývám nejprve rešerší automatických monitorovacích systémů pro detekci polohy zvířat ve výběhu. Pak v praktické části jsou testovány tři typy kamer pro obrazovou detekci polohy potkana a je navrhnut skript pro automatickou detekci a analýzu pohybu potkana. A vytvořen software na detekciThis diploma thesis, entitled "Monitoring System for Determination of Motility and Position of Laboratory Animals After Anesthesia", focuses on the design and implementation of contactless detection of the position of a rat or mouse in an enclosure with a transparent cover. The aim of the semester work is to find suitable methods of realization of contactless detection of rat or mouse position and to automatically determine and display average speed or other movement characteristics. The assignment arose from the needs of animal monitoring after curative intervention and also as a necessary utility for future "shading" animal movement (automatic targeting of the scar on the animal's back). The rat, which is located inside our enclosure, is either moving as standard or is dazed after anesthesia. In this work I deal first with search of automatic monitoring systems for detection of animals in the enclosure. Then in the practical part are tested three types of cameras for visual detection of rat position and a script for automatic detection and analysis of rat movement is designed. The system works like a camera eye which in real time is able to find the area of a black box in its field of view and then limit the detection area to the size of this box and then automatically detects the center of gravity and counts. and evaluates the obtained speed with an average calculated with a test of 10 mice - voices on the screen the mouse status in the previous ten seconds. for no stressed animal The rat that is located inside our enclosure is either standard or movable after anesthesia. In this work I first deal with searches of automatic monitoring systems for detecting the position of animals in the enclosure. Then, in the practical part, I test three types of cameras for image detection of rat position. Evaluation software for motion analysis will largely be solved in the follow-up diploma thesis.Project made like monitoring and detecting software based on OpenCV.

Active interaction utilizing micro mobile robot and on-line data gathering for experiments in cricket pheromone behavior

This paper describes about a prototype system for active interaction experiment to a cricket by utilizing an operated micro mobile robot. It is also able to measure/collect behavior data of the cricket on-line. The behavior selection of the cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) is influenced by the experience or the context in living environment. In our current research, we are trying to investigate neuronal mechanisms underlying adaptive behavior switching of the cricket based on individual interactions. However in conventional biological experiments, the conditions are not maneuverable intentionally. Therefore, we are developing an integrated system for conducting active interaction experiments and gathering behavior data related to the effect of interactions. The prototype consists of a micro mobile robot as a physical interaction agent, a camera and a microphone and a computer. The computer is for commanding the robot by the operator's input. It also works for recording the data of a video sequence, on-line motion tracking and the audio during the experiment. Interaction experiments with the cricket utilizing the prototype system were done. From the results, we could confirm it works well especially for maneuvering experimental conditions and on-line experimental data gathering

Wireless multimedia sensor networks, security and key management

Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) have emerged and shifted the focus from the typical scalar wireless sensor networks to networks with multimedia devices that are capable to retrieve video, audio, images, as well as scalar sensor data. WMSNs are able to deliver multimedia content due to the availability of inexpensive CMOS cameras and microphones coupled with the significant progress in distributed signal processing and multimedia source coding techniques. These mentioned characteristics, challenges, and requirements of designing WMSNs open many research issues and future research directions to develop protocols, algorithms, architectures, devices, and testbeds to maximize the network lifetime while satisfying the quality of service requirements of the various applications. In this thesis dissertation, we outline the design challenges of WMSNs and we give a comprehensive discussion of the proposed architectures and protocols for the different layers of the communication protocol stack for WMSNs along with their open research issues. Also, we conduct a comparison among the existing WMSN hardware and testbeds based on their specifications and features along with complete classification based on their functionalities and capabilities. In addition, we introduce our complete classification for content security and contextual privacy in WSNs. Our focus in this field, after conducting a complete survey in WMSNs and event privacy in sensor networks, and earning the necessary knowledge of programming sensor motes such as Micaz and Stargate and running simulation using NS2, is to design suitable protocols meet the challenging requirements of WMSNs targeting especially the routing and MAC layers, secure the wirelessly exchange of data against external attacks using proper security algorithms: key management and secure routing, defend the network from internal attacks by using a light-weight intrusion detection technique, protect the contextual information from being leaked to unauthorized parties by adapting an event unobservability scheme, and evaluate the performance efficiency and energy consumption of employing the security algorithms over WMSNs

ANNUAL REPORT 1989-1990

Clemson University reports to the Office of State Budget its annual accountability report that includes a discussion and analysis, major accomplishments, strategic planning and performance measurement