Development of a tabletop guidance system for educational robots

The guidance of a vehicle in an outdoor setting is typically implemented using a Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS) potentially enhanced by auxiliary sensors such as electronic compasses, rotation encoders, gyroscopes, and vision systems. Since GPS does not function in an indoor setting where educational competitions are often held, an alternative guidance system was developed. This article describes a guidance method that contains a laser-based localization system, which uses a robot-borne single laser transmitter spinning in a horizontal plane at an angular velocity up to 81 radians per second. Sensor arrays positioned in the corners of a flat rectangular table with dimensions of 1.22 m × 1.83 m detected the laser beam passages. The relative time differences among the detections of the laser passages gave an indication of the angles of the sensors with respect to the laser beam transmitter on the robot. These angles were translated into Cartesian coordinates. The guidance of the robot was implemented using a uni-directional wireless serial connection and position feedback from the localization system. Three experiments were conducted to test the system: 1) the accuracy of the static localization system was determined while the robot stood still. In this test the average error among valid measurements was smaller than 0.3 %. However, a maximum of 3.7 % of the measurements were invalid due to several causes. 2) The accuracy of the guidance system was assessed while the robot followed a straight line. The average deviation from this straight line was 3.6 mm while the robot followed a path with a length of approximately 0.9 m. 3) The overall performance of the guidance system was studied while the robot followed a complex path consisting of 33 sub-paths. The conclusion was that the system worked reasonably accurate, unless the robot came in close proximity

Mobile Robotics

The book is a collection of ten scholarly articles and reports of experiences and perceptions concerning pedagogical practices with mobile robotics.“This work is funded by CIEd – Research Centre on Education, project UID/CED/01661/2019, Institute of Education, University of Minho, through national funds of FCT/MCTES-PT.

OPEB: Open Physical Environment Benchmark for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence methods to solve continuous- control tasks have made significant progress in recent years. However, these algorithms have important limitations and still need significant improvement to be used in industry and real- world applications. This means that this area is still in an active research phase. To involve a large number of research groups, standard benchmarks are needed to evaluate and compare proposed algorithms. In this paper, we propose a physical environment benchmark framework to facilitate collaborative research in this area by enabling different research groups to integrate their designed benchmarks in a unified cloud-based repository and also share their actual implemented benchmarks via the cloud. We demonstrate the proposed framework using an actual implementation of the classical mountain-car example and present the results obtained using a Reinforcement Learning algorithm.Comment: Accepted in 3rd IEEE International Forum on Research and Technologies for Society and Industry 201

Design, Construction, Energy Modeling, and Navigation of a Six-Wheeled Differential Drive Robot to Deliver Medical Supplies inside Hospitals

Differential drive mobile robots have been the most ubiquitous kind of robots for the last few decades. As each of the wheels of a differential drive mobile robot can be controlled, it provides additional flexibility to the end-users in creating new applications. These applications include personal assistance, security, warehouse and distribution applications, ocean and space exploration, etc. In a clinic or hospital, the delivery of medicines and patients’ records are frequently needed activities. Medical personnel often find these activities repetitive and time-consuming. Our research was to design, construct, produce an energy model, and develop a navigation control method for a six-wheeled differential drive robot designed to deliver medical supplies inside the hospital. Such a robot is expected to lessen the workload of medical staff. Therefore, the design and implementation of a six-wheeled differential drive robot with a password-protected medicine carrier were presented. This password-protected medicine carrier ensures that only the authorized medical personnel can receive medical supplies. The low-cost robot base and the medicine carrier were built in real life. Besides the actual robot design and fabrication, a kinematic model for the robot was developed, and a navigation control algorithm to avoid obstacles was implemented using MATLAB/Simulink. The kinematic modeling is helpful for the robot to achieve better energy optimization. To develop the object avoidance algorithm, we investigated the use of the Robot Operating System (ROS) and the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm for the implementation of the mapping and navigation of a robotic platform named TurtleBot 2. Finally, using the Webot robot simulator, the navigation of the six-wheeled mobile robot was demonstrated in a hospital-like simulation environment

The Advanced Educational Robot

Existing literature in the field of computer science education clearly demonstrates that robots can be ideal teaching tools for basic computer science concepts. Likewise, robots are an ideal platform for more complicated CS techniques such as evolutionary algorithms and neural networks. With these two distinct roles in mind, that of the teaching tool and that of the research tool, in collaboration with customers in the CS department we have developed a new robotics platform suitable for both roles that provides higher performance and improved ease-of-use in comparison to the robots currently in use at Union. We have successfully designed and built a medium-sized robotics platform for classroom and research use that provides better maneuverability, increased flexibility, and is easier to use than commercial equivalents at significantly lower cost. In particular, our robot provides a platform with human-level mobility suitable for use in human-machine interaction (HMI) research and testing. Using a combination of easily available off-the-shelf parts, newly available sensors, and open-source software, we have built a platform that is both easy enough for beginners to use but also powerful enough for advanced users to customize and adapt to their specific needs

AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC SYSTEM: POINT-TO-POINT MOBILE ROBOT

Autonomous robots are defined as robots which can perform desired tasks in unstructured environments on their own without continuous human guidance. Different robots can be autonomous in different ways. The main difference between these robots is the task they have been programmed to do. This project is initiated for educational purpose in order to increase awareness and enthusiasm among students regarding the autonomous robotic system. The first task to ensure this project meet its objective is by doing extensive literature reviews on the subject (autonomous robotic system). Based on the reviews, the general structure and design block (consists of main system and sub-systems) can be constructed. This is referred as the foundation for the project to start with. The scope of study for this project is to focus on theoretical aspects of the system. It divided into several scopes, which are electronics circuitry (for sensors and motors), Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming, and some mechanical aspects regard to the physical parts of the robot. These areas are vital in order to develop and implement the theoretical aspects into a working prototype of autonomous robotic system. The project is planned to develop based on the process flowchart approach where every detail of tasks from starting to the end is shown in sequential order. The results on this project mainly present the selection and implementation of prototype sub-systems like locomotion, navigation and control system. The discussions are focus on process and problems occurred during the prototype development. Finally, this project is about fulfilling its objective which primarily is to deliver a working prototype of an autonomous robotic system with the ability to move from one point to another in precise manner

Design and simulation of a mobile robot platform for navigation and obstacle detection

Mobile platforms are expected to gain access to risk zones and hazardous environment. A typical example is the infectious disease environment to deliver items to a sick patient. The robot is aimed to manoeuver round flat grounds in indoor environment. Computer aided design (CAD) models of the selected concepts were developed in Fusion360 and imported into SolidWorks to optimize and improve the design. The design is focused on the development of the wheelbase. Arduino Microcontroller was the system and codes control board and it was developed using the Arduino software. The motor driver was used to drive the DC motor for robot navigation with ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection at a range of 20 cm. Result shows that the robot was able to navigate round flat ground while detecting obstacles within 20 cm

SAFER: Search and Find Emergency Rover

When disaster strikes and causes a structure to collapse, it poses a unique challenge to search and rescue teams as they assess the situation and search for survivors. Currently there are very few tools that can be used by these teams to aid them in gathering important information about the situation that allow members to stay at a safe distance. SAFER, Search and Find Emergency Rover, is an unmanned, remotely operated vehicle that can provide early reconnaissance to search and rescue teams so they may have more information to prepare themselves for the dangers that lay inside the wreckage. Over the past year, this team has restored a bare, non-operational chassis inherited from Roverwerx 2012 into a rugged and operational rover with increased functionality and reliability. SAFER uses a 360-degree camera to deliver real time visual reconnaissance to the operator who can remain safely stationed on the outskirts of the disaster. With strong drive motors providing enough torque to traverse steep obstacles and enough power to travel at up to 3 ft/s, SAFER can cover ground quickly and effectively over its 1-3 hour battery life, maximizing reconnaissance for the team. Additionally, SAFER contains 3 flashing beacons that can be dropped by the operator in the event a victim is found so that when team members do enter the scene they may easily locate victims. In the future, other teams may wish to improve upon this iteration by adding thermal imaging, air quality sensors, and potentially a robotic arm with a camera that can see in spaces too small for the entire rover to enter

Modeling and design of low cost customizable household robot

Just as the growth of Personal computer, Mobile phones and Automobiles took place in last 3 decades, the personal robotics industry still in its nascent stage, is heading in the same direction. This thesis explores the concept of customizable household robots (CHR) in the robotics community. An attempt has been made to design a customizable robot by extending the 2 wheel differential drive kinematic model to 4 wheel independent differential drive kinematic model. A framework for CHR is developed which will be able to do various household repetitive tasks. Just as we can assemble a PC by buying its individual components, in the same way in near future we should be able to assemble a robot at home to do specific/multiple tasks. This thesis presents the kinematic modeling and 3D design of CHR agBot, agBot is a 4 wheel independently driven solar powered robot. It weighs approximately 25 lbs. It is equipped with various sensors like compass, ultrasonic, GPS, and vision. To validate the concept of customizable household robot, lawn maintenance module and security module have been implemented