Design an evaluation of RoboCup humanoid goalie

P. 19-26In this article we describe the ethological inspired architecture we have developed and how it has been used to implement a humanoid goalkeeper according to the regulations of the two-legged Standard Platform League of the RoboCup Federation. We present relevant concepts borrowed from ethology that we have successfully used for generating autonomous behaviours in mobile robotics, such as the use of ethograms in robotic pets or the ideas of schemata, or the use of fixed actions patterns to implement reactivity. Then we discuss the implementation of this architecture on the Nao biped robot. Finally, we propose a method for its evaluation and validation and analyse the results obtained during RoboCup real competition, which allowed us to test first hand how it worked in a real environmentS

Can models of agents be transferred between different areas?

One of the main reasons for the sustained activity and interest in the field of agent-based systems, apart from the obvious recognition of its value as a natural and intuitive way of understanding the world, is its reach into very many different and distinct fields of investigation. Indeed, the notions of agents and multi-agent systems are relevant to fields ranging from economics to robotics, in contributing to the foundations of the field, being influenced by ongoing research, and in providing many domains of application. While these various disciplines constitute a rich and diverse environment for agent research, the way in which they may have been linked by it is a much less considered issue. The purpose of this panel was to examine just this concern, in the relationships between different areas that have resulted from agent research. Informed by the experience of the participants in the areas of robotics, social simulation, economics, computer science and artificial intelligence, the discussion was lively and sometimes heated

How to Blend a Robot within a Group of Zebrafish: Achieving Social Acceptance through Real-time Calibration of a Multi-level Behavioural Model

We have previously shown how to socially integrate a fish robot into a group of zebrafish thanks to biomimetic behavioural models. The models have to be calibrated on experimental data to present correct behavioural features. This calibration is essential to enhance the social integration of the robot into the group. When calibrated, the behavioural model of fish behaviour is implemented to drive a robot with closed-loop control of social interactions into a group of zebrafish. This approach can be useful to form mixed-groups, and study animal individual and collective behaviour by using biomimetic autonomous robots capable of responding to the animals in long-standing experiments. Here, we show a methodology for continuous real-time calibration and refinement of multi-level behavioural model. The real-time calibration, by an evolutionary algorithm, is based on simulation of the model to correspond to the observed fish behaviour in real-time. The calibrated model is updated on the robot and tested during the experiments. This method allows to cope with changes of dynamics in fish behaviour. Moreover, each fish presents individual behavioural differences. Thus, each trial is done with naive fish groups that display behavioural variability. This real-time calibration methodology can optimise the robot behaviours during the experiments. Our implementation of this methodology runs on three different computers that perform individual tracking, data-analysis, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms, simulation of the fish robot and adaptation of the robot behavioural models, all in real-time.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Flying Animal Inspired Behavior-Based Gap-Aiming Autonomous Flight with a Small Unmanned Rotorcraft in a Restricted Maneuverability Environment

This dissertation research shows a small unmanned rotorcraft system with onboard processing and a vision sensor can produce autonomous, collision-free flight in a restricted maneuverability environment with no a priori knowledge by using a gap-aiming behavior inspired by flying animals. Current approaches to autonomous flight with small unmanned aerial systems (SUAS) concentrate on detecting and explicitly avoiding obstacles. In contrast, biology indicates that birds, bats, and insects do the opposite; they react to open spaces, or gaps in the environment, with a gap_aiming behavior. Using flying animals as inspiration a behavior-based robotics approach is taken to implement and test their observed gap-aiming behavior in three dimensions. Because biological studies were unclear whether the flying animals were reacting to the largest gap perceived, the closest gap perceived, or all of the gaps three approaches for the perceptual schema were explored in simulation: detect_closest_gap, detect_largest_gap, and detect_all_gaps. The result of these simulations was used in a proof-of-concept implementation on a 3DRobotics Solo quadrotor platform in an environment designed to represent the navigational diffi- culties found inside a restricted maneuverability environment. The motor schema is implemented with an artificial potential field to produce the action of aiming to the center of the gap. Through two sets of field trials totaling fifteen flights conducted with a small unmanned quadrotor, the gap-aiming behavior observed in flying animals is shown to produce repeatable autonomous, collision-free flight in a restricted maneuverability environment. Additionally, using the distance from the starting location to perceived gaps, the horizontal and vertical distance traveled, and the distance from the center of the gap during traversal the implementation of the gap selection approach performs as intended, the three-dimensional movement produced by the motor schema and the accuracy of the motor schema are shown, respectively. This gap-aiming behavior provides the robotics community with the first known implementation of autonomous, collision-free flight on a small unmanned quadrotor without explicit obstacle detection and avoidance as seen with current implementations. Additionally, the testing environment described by quantitative metrics provides a benchmark for autonomous SUAS flight testing in confined environments. Finally, the success of the autonomous collision-free flight implementation on a small unmanned rotorcraft and field tested in a restricted maneuverability environment could have important societal impact in both the public and private sectors

UltraSwarm: A Further Step Towards a Flock of Miniature Helicopters

We describe further progress towards the development of a MAV (micro aerial vehicle) designed as an enabling tool to investigate aerial flocking. Our research focuses on the use of low cost off the shelf vehicles and sensors to enable fast prototyping and to reduce development costs. Details on the design of the embedded electronics and the modification of the chosen toy helicopter are presented, and the technique used for state estimation is described. The fusion of inertial data through an unscented Kalman filter is used to estimate the helicopter’s state, and this forms the main input to the control system. Since no detailed dynamic model of the helicopter in use is available, a method is proposed for automated system identification, and for subsequent controller design based on artificial evolution. Preliminary results obtained with a dynamic simulator of a helicopter are reported, along with some encouraging results for tackling the problem of flocking

Social behaviours in dog-owner interactions can serve as a model of companion robot behaviour

It is essential for social robots to fit in the human society. In order to facilitate this process we propose to use the family dog’s social behaviour shown towards humans as an inspiration. In this study we explored dogs’ low level social monitoring in dog-human interactions and extracted individually consistent and context dependent behaviours in simple everyday social scenarios. We found that proximity seeking and tail wagging were most individually distinctive in dogs, while activity, orientation towards the owner, and exploration were dependent on the context and/or the activity of the owner. The functional analogues of these dog behaviours can be implemented in social robots of different embodiments in order to make them acceptable and more believable for humans

What could assistance robots learn from assistance dogs?

These studies are part of our broader project that aims at revealing relevant aspects of human-dog interactions, which could help to develop and test robot social behaviour. We suggest that the cooperation between assistance dogs and their disabled owners could serve as a model to design successful assistance robot–human interactions. In Study 1, we analysed the behaviour of 32 assistance dog–owner dyads performing a fetch and carry task. In addition to important typical behaviours (attracting attention, eye-contact, comprehending pointing gestures), we found differences depending on how experienced the dyad was and whether the owner used a wheel chair or not. In Study 2 we investigated the reactions of a subsample of dogs to unforeseen difficulties during a retrieving task. We revealed different types of communicative and displacement behaviours, and importantly, dogs showed a strong commitment to execute the insoluble task or at least their behaviours lent a “busy” appearance to them, which can attenuate the owners’ disappointment. We suggest that assistant robots should communicate their inability to solve a problem using simple behaviours (non-verbal vocalisation, orientation alternation), and/or could show displacement behaviours rather than simply not performing the task. In sum, we propose that assistant dogs’ communicative behaviours and problem solving strategies could inspire the development of the relevant functions and social behaviours of assistance robots

Robot Compatible Environment and Conditions

Service robot technology is progressing at a fast pace. Accurate robot-friendly indoor localization and harmonization of built environ-ment in alignment with digital, physical, and social environment becomes emphasized. This paper proposes the novel approach of Robot Compatible Environment (RCE) within the architectural space. Evolution of service robotics in connection with civil engineering and architecture is discussed, whereas optimum performance is to be achieved based on robots’ capabilities and spatial affordances. For ubiquitous and safe human-robot interaction, robots are to be integrated into the living environment. The aim of the research is to highlight solutions for various interconnected challenges within the built environment. Our goal is to reach findings on comparison of robotic and accessibility standards, synthesis of navigation, access to information and social acceptance. Checklists, recommendations, and design process are introduced within the RCE framework, proposing a holistic approach