A biologically inspired meta-control navigation system for the Psikharpax rat robot

A biologically inspired navigation system for the mobile rat-like robot named Psikharpax is presented, allowing for self-localization and autonomous navigation in an initially unknown environment. The ability of parts of the model (e. g. the strategy selection mechanism) to reproduce rat behavioral data in various maze tasks has been validated before in simulations. But the capacity of the model to work on a real robot platform had not been tested. This paper presents our work on the implementation on the Psikharpax robot of two independent navigation strategies (a place-based planning strategy and a cue-guided taxon strategy) and a strategy selection meta-controller. We show how our robot can memorize which was the optimal strategy in each situation, by means of a reinforcement learning algorithm. Moreover, a context detector enables the controller to quickly adapt to changes in the environment-recognized as new contexts-and to restore previously acquired strategy preferences when a previously experienced context is recognized. This produces adaptivity closer to rat behavioral performance and constitutes a computational proposition of the role of the rat prefrontal cortex in strategy shifting. Moreover, such a brain-inspired meta-controller may provide an advancement for learning architectures in robotics

SLAM algorithm applied to robotics assistance for navigation in unknown environments

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The combination of robotic tools with assistance technology determines a slightly explored area of applications and advantages for disability or elder people in their daily tasks. Autonomous motorized wheelchair navigation inside an environment, behaviour based control of orthopaedic arms or user's preference learning from a friendly interface are some examples of this new field. In this paper, a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is implemented to allow the environmental learning by a mobile robot while its navigation is governed by electromyographic signals. The entire system is part autonomous and part user-decision dependent (semi-autonomous). The environmental learning executed by the SLAM algorithm and the low level behaviour-based reactions of the mobile robot are robotic autonomous tasks, whereas the mobile robot navigation inside an environment is commanded by a Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this paper, a sequential Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) feature-based SLAM algorithm is implemented. The features correspond to lines and corners -concave and convex- of the environment. From the SLAM architecture, a global metric map of the environment is derived. The electromyographic signals that command the robot's movements can be adapted to the patient's disabilities. For mobile robot navigation purposes, five commands were obtained from the MCI: turn to the left, turn to the right, stop, start and exit. A kinematic controller to control the mobile robot was implemented. A low level behavior strategy was also implemented to avoid robot's collisions with the environment and moving agents.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The entire system was tested in a population of seven volunteers: three elder, two below-elbow amputees and two young normally limbed patients. The experiments were performed within a closed low dynamic environment. Subjects took an average time of 35 minutes to navigate the environment and to learn how to use the MCI. The SLAM results have shown a consistent reconstruction of the environment. The obtained map was stored inside the Muscle-Computer Interface.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The integration of a highly demanding processing algorithm (SLAM) with a MCI and the communication between both in real time have shown to be consistent and successful. The metric map generated by the mobile robot would allow possible future autonomous navigation without direct control of the user, whose function could be relegated to choose robot destinations. Also, the mobile robot shares the same kinematic model of a motorized wheelchair. This advantage can be exploited for wheelchair autonomous navigation.</p

Development of Hand-cleaning Service-oriented Autonomous Navigation Robot

[[abstract]]This paper proposes the development of an autonomous navigation robot with hand-cleaning service in indoor environments. To navigate in unknown environments and provide service, the robot is with several intelligent behaviors including wall-following, obstacle avoidance, autonomous navigation, and human detection. A laser-sensor-based approach is used in the wall-following and obstacle avoidance behavior controllers. A preliminary map-matching algorithm is applied in the localization strategy of autonomous navigation in which the robot can acquire the current location and then move toward to the target position. In this study a hand-cleaning mechanism is embedded into the robot and the service will activate while a human is recognized within the designated range. The overall robotic system is carried out using a two-wheeled driving mobile robot with LabVIEW as an integration tool. The experimental results demonstrate the practicable application of the proposed approach.[[conferencetype]]國際[[conferencedate]]20121014~20121017[[booktype]]電子版[[iscallforpapers]]Y[[conferencelocation]]Seoul, Kore

Planned perception within concurrent mapping and localization

The fundamental requirement of truly autonomous mobile robots is navigation. Navigation is the science of determining one's position and orientation based on information provided by various sensors. Mobile robot navigation, especially autonomous vehicle navigation, is confronted with the problem of attempting to determine the structure of an a priori unknown environment, while at the same time using this information for navigation purposes. This problem is referred to as concurrent mapping and localization (CML). This thesis addresses the question of how to improve CML performance through smarter sensing strategies affecting robot behavior. Planned perception is the process of adaptively determining the sensing strategy of the mobile robot. The goal of integrating planned perception within concurrent mapping and localization is to attempt to answer the question of how a mobile robot should behave so as to attempt to optimize CML performance. This thesis demonstrates in simulation how the CML framework could be improved with planned perception by motivating changes in robot pose and hence, sensing locale.http://archive.org/details/plannedperceptio109451102

Fuzzy based obstacle avoidance system for autonomous mobile robot

The goal of this research was to develop a fuzzy obstacle avoidance system for an autonomous mobile robot using IR detection sensors. This paper presents implemented control architecture for behavior-based mobile robot. The mobile robot is able to interact with an unknown environment using a reactive strategy determined by sensory information. Current research in robotics aims to build autonomous and intelligent robots, which can plan its motion in a dynamic environment. Autonomous mobile robots are increasingly used in well structured environment such as warehouses, offices and industries. Fuzzy behavior able to make inferences is well suited for mobile robot navigation because of the uncertainty of the environment. A rule-based fuzzy controller with reactive behavior was implemented and tested on a two wheels mobile robot equipped with infrared sensors to perform collision-free navigation. The experimental results have shown that the proposed architecture provides an efficient and flexible solution for small wheeled mobile robots

Neural network controller against environment: A coevolutive approach to generalize robot navigation behavior

In this paper, a new coevolutive method, called Uniform Coevolution, is introduced to learn weights of a neural network controller in autonomous robots. An evolutionary strategy is used to learn high-performance reactive behavior for navigation and collisions avoidance. The introduction of coevolutive over evolutionary strategies allows evolving the environment, to learn a general behavior able to solve the problem in different environments. Using a traditional evolutionary strategy method, without coevolution, the learning process obtains a specialized behavior. All the behaviors obtained, with/without coevolution have been tested in a set of environments and the capability of generalization is shown for each learned behavior. A simulator based on a mini-robot Khepera has been used to learn each behavior. The results show that Uniform Coevolution obtains better generalized solutions to examples-based problems.Publicad

A general learning co-evolution method to generalize autonomous robot navigation behavior

Congress on Evolutionary Computation. La Jolla, CA, 16-19 July 2000.A new coevolutive method, called Uniform Coevolution, is introduced, to learn weights for a neural network controller in autonomous robots. An evolutionary strategy is used to learn high-performance reactive behavior for navigation and collision avoidance. The coevolutive method allows the evolution of the environment, to learn a general behavior able to solve the problem in different environments. Using a traditional evolutionary strategy method without coevolution, the learning process obtains a specialized behavior. All the behaviors obtained, with or without coevolution have been tested in a set of environments and the capability for generalization has been shown for each learned behavior. A simulator based on the mini-robot Khepera has been used to learn each behavior. The results show that Uniform Coevolution obtains better generalized solutions to example-based problems