270 research outputs found
Multi-Functional Sensing for Swarm Robots Using Time Sequence Classification: HoverBot, an Example
Scaling up robot swarms to collectives of hundreds or even thousands without sacrificing sensing, processing, and locomotion capabilities is a challenging problem. Low-cost robots are potentially scalable, but the majority of existing systems have limited capabilities, and these limitations substantially constrain the type of experiments that could be performed by robotics researchers. Instead of adding functionality by adding more components and therefore increasing the cost, we demonstrate how low-cost hardware can be used beyond its standard functionality. We systematically review 15 swarm robotic systems and analyse their sensing capabilities by applying a general sensor model from the sensing and measurement community. This work is based on the HoverBot system. A HoverBot is a levitating circuit board that manoeuvres by pulling itself towards magnetic anchors that are embedded into the robot arena. We show that HoverBot’s magnetic field readouts from its Hall-effect sensor can be associated to successful movement, robot rotation and collision measurands. We build a time series classifier based on these magnetic field readouts. We modify and apply signal processing techniques to enable the online classification of the time-variant magnetic field measurements on HoverBot’s low-cost microcontroller. We enabled HoverBot with successful movement, rotation, and collision sensing capabilities by utilising its single Hall-effect sensor. We discuss how our classification method could be applied to other sensors to increase a robot’s functionality while retaining its cost
Program and Proceedings: The Nebraska Academy of Sciences 1880-2012
PROGRAM
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012
REGISTRATION FOR ACADEMY, Lobby of Lecture wing, Olin Hall
Aeronautics and Space Science, Session A, Olin 249
Aeronautics and Space Science, Session B, Olin 224
Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B
Chemistry and Physics, Section A, Chemistry, Olin A
Applied Science and Technology, Olin 325
Biological and Medical Sciences, Session A, Olin 112
Biological and Medical Sciences, Session B, Smith Callen Conference Center
Junior Academy, Judges Check-In, Olin 219
Junior Academy, Senior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall Lobby
Chemistry and Physics, Section B, Physics, Planetarium
Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session A, Olin 324
Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, Olin 124, Olin 131
Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session, Olin 249
NWU Health and Sciences Graduate School Fair, Olin and Smith Curtiss Halls
Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session, Olin 249
MAIBEN MEMORIAL LECTURE, OLIN B
Buffalo Bruce McIntosh, Research Ecologist with Western Nebraska Resources
Council, The Status of Nebraska\u27s Native Aspen
LUNCH, PATIO ROOM, STORY STUDENT CENTER
(pay and carry tray through cafeteria line, or pay at NAS registration desk)
Aeronautics Group, Conestoga Room
Anthropology, Olin 111
Biological and Medical Sciences, Session C, Olin 112
Biological and Medical Sciences, Session D, Smith Callen Conference Center
Chemistry and Physics, Section A, Chemistry, Olin A
Chemistry and Physics, Section B, Physics, Planetarium
Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B
Collegiate Academy, Biology Session B, Olin 249
Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session B, Olin 324
Earth Science, Olin 224
History/Philosophy of Science, Olin 325
Junior Academy, Judges Check-In, Olin 219
Junior Academy, Junior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall Lobby
Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, (Final), Olin 110
Teaching of Science and Math, Olin 325
Junior Academy, Junior High Competition, Olin 124, Olin 131
NJAS Board/Teacher Meeting, Olin 219
BUSINESS MEETING, OLIN B
AWARDS RECEPTION for NJAS, Scholarships, Members, Spouses, and Guests
First United Methodist Church, 2723 N 50th Street, Lincoln, N
Distributed Communication in Swarms of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Effective communication mechanisms are a key requirement for schools of submersible robots and their meaningful deployment. Large schools of identical submersibles require a fully distributed communication system which scales well and optimises for ”many-to-many” communication (omnicast, also known as gossiping). As an additional constraint, communication channels under water are typically very low bandwidth and short range. This thesis discusses possible electric and electro-magnetic wireless communication channels suitable for underwater environments. Theoretical findings on the omnicast communication problem are presented, as well as the implementation of a distributed time division multiple access (TDMA) scheduling algorithm in simulation and in hardware. It is shown theoretically and in simulation that short range links in a robotic swarm are actually an advantage, compared to links that cover large parts of the network. Experiments were carried out on custom-developed digital long-wave radio and optical link modules. The results of the experiments are used to revisit the initial assumptions on communication in multi-hop wireless networks
Path and Motion Planning for Autonomous Mobile 3D Printing
Autonomous robotic construction was envisioned as early as the ‘90s, and yet, con-
struction sites today look much alike ones half a century ago. Meanwhile, highly
automated and efficient fabrication methods like Additive Manufacturing, or 3D
Printing, have seen great success in conventional production. However, existing
efforts to transfer printing technology to construction applications mainly rely on
manufacturing-like machines and fail to utilise the capabilities of modern robotics.
This thesis considers using Mobile Manipulator robots to perform large-scale
Additive Manufacturing tasks. Comprised of an articulated arm and a mobile base,
Mobile Manipulators, are unique in their simultaneous mobility and agility, which
enables printing-in-motion, or Mobile 3D Printing. This is a 3D printing modality,
where a robot deposits material along larger-than-self trajectories while in motion.
Despite profound potential advantages over existing static manufacturing-like large-
scale printers, Mobile 3D printing is underexplored. Therefore, this thesis tack-
les Mobile 3D printing-specific challenges and proposes path and motion planning
methodologies that allow this printing modality to be realised. The work details
the development of Task-Consistent Path Planning that solves the problem of find-
ing a valid robot-base path needed to print larger-than-self trajectories. A motion
planning and control strategy is then proposed, utilising the robot-base paths found
to inform an optimisation-based whole-body motion controller. Several Mobile 3D
Printing robot prototypes are built throughout this work, and the overall path and
motion planning strategy proposed is holistically evaluated in a series of large-scale
3D printing experiments
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