13 research outputs found
Designing a Secure and Robust Mobile Interacting Robot for the Long Term
This paper presents the genesis of RoboX. This tour guide robot has been built from the scratch based on the experience of the Autonomous Systems Lab. The production of 11 of those machines has been realized by a spin-off of the lab: BlueBotics SA. The goal was to maximize the autonomy and interactivity of the mobile platform while ensuring high robustness, security and performance. The result is an interactive moving machine which can operate in human environments and interacts by seeing humans, talking to and looking at them, showing icons and asking them to answer its questions. The complete design of mechanics, electronics and software is presented in the first part. Then, as extraordinary test bed, the Robotics exhibition at Expo.02 (Swiss National Exhibition) permits to establish meaningful statistics over 5 months (from May 15 to October 20, 2002) with up to 11 robots operating at the same time
Designing a Secure and Robust Mobile Interacting Robot for the Long Term
This paper presents the genesis of RoboX. This tour guide robot has been built from the scratch based on the experience of the Autonomous Systems Lab. The production of 11 of those machines has been realized by a spin-off of the lab: BlueBotics SA. The goal was to maximize the autonomy and interactivity of the mobile platform while ensuring high robustness, security and performance. The result is an interactive moving machine which can operate in human environments and interacts by seeing humans, talking to and looking at them, showing icons and asking them to answer its questions. The complete design of mechanics, electronics and software is presented in the first part. Then, as extraordinary test bed, the Robotics exhibition at Expo.02 (Swiss National Exhibition) permits to establish meaningful statistics over 5 months (from May 15 to October 20, 2002) with up to 11 robots operating at the same time
Cybersecurity of Robotics and Autonomous Systems: Privacy and Safety
Robots and autonomous systems in general are set to suffer similar cybersecurity problems that computers have been facing for decades. This is not only worrying for critical tasks such as those performed by surgical, or military robots but also for household robots such as vacuum cleaners or for teleconference robots compromise privacy and safety of their owners. What will happen if these robots are hacked? This study presents a survey on the cybersecurity attacks associated with service robots, and as a result, a taxonomy that classifies the risks faced by users when using service robots, distinguishing between security and safety threads, is presented. We also present the robot software development phase as one the most relevant ones for the security of robots
Autonomous Navigation and Security: A 13000h/3000km Case Study
This paper presents the design of an autonomous mobile platform and its security system. The MB835 mobile platform has been adopted for RoboX, a fully autonomous tour guide robot. In 2002, 11 of these tour guides have served the Robotics exhibition at Expo.02 (Swiss National Exhibition) from May 15 to October 20. This project has been conjointly conducted by the Autonomous Systems Lab, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and BlueBotics SA the spin-off company of the lab, which has produced the robots. The goal was to maximize the autonomy and mobility of the platform while ensuring high performance, robustness and security. The paper presents the platform, its navigation and security, which resulted in the ANT product (Autonomous Navigation Technology) and the results of the Robotics exhibition as empirical validation of the whole system
"May You Have a Strong (-Typed) Foundation", Why Strong-Typed Programming Languages Do Matter
Programming efficient and reliable code can be considered a non-trivial task, as it requires deep understanding of the problem to be solved along with good programming skills. However, software frameworks and programming paradigms can provide a dependable infrastructure upon which better programs can be written and deployed. This allows engineers to focus mainly on their task, while relying on the underlying run-time environment for taking care of low-level programming issues, such as memory allocation and disposal, typing consistency and interface compliance. In this paper, we argue that strong-typed programming languages and paradigms offer a valid support for the production of reliable programs. Aware of the challenges of formal measurement metrics for code quality, we present the benefits of strong-typing by considering a practical application: The design and implementation of RoboX, a tour-guide robot for the Swiss National Exhibition Expo.02. The example is extremely well suited for such a discussion, since complex mechatronic applications can be considered critical systemsi.e. systems whose failure may endanger missions, lives and societythus their reliability has to be made a prime concern
Do we want to share our lives and bodies with robots? A 2000 people survey
For roughly two decades a new generation of robots, robotic prostheses and implantable devices is about to arise accompanied by great optimism that they will widely pervade our daily life in a near future. This paper presents the results from a survey on the question if people want to share their life and body with robots. The survey, carried out in connection with the Robotics exhibition at the Swiss National Exhibition Expo.02, counts over 2000 participants. The questionnaire covers issues on robotics in general, service and personal robots, robotic prostheses and artificial organs. While the results testify a positive attitude towards potential robotic co-workers, flat-mates or body part, they include a number of surprising answers. We find correlations in the data, discuss interpretations, speculate about the answers and cultural influences and finally conclude: Whom are we building robots for and what should they be like? To whom are we selling robots and how should we market them
Design and control of quadrotors with application to autonomous flying
This thesis is about modelling, design and control of Miniature Flying Robots (MFR) with a focus on Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) systems and specifically, micro quadrotors. It introduces a mathematical model for simulation and control of such systems. It then describes a design methodology for a miniature rotorcraft. The methodology is subsequently applied to design an autonomous quadrotor named OS4. Based on the mathematical model, linear and nonlinear control techniques are used to design and simulate various controllers along this work. The dynamic model and the simulator evolved from a simple set of equations, valid only for hovering, to a complex mathematical model with more realistic aerodynamic coefficients and sensor and actuator models. Two platforms were developed during this thesis. The first one is a quadrotor-like test-bench with off-board data processing and power supply. It was used to safely and easily test control strategies. The second one, OS4, is a highly integrated quadrotor with on-board data processing and power supply. It has all the necessary sensors for autonomous operation. Five different controllers were developed. The first one, based on Lyapunov theory, was applied for attitude control. The second and the third controllers are based on PID and LQ techniques. These were compared for attitude control. The fourth and the fifth approaches use backstepping and sliding-mode concepts. They are applied to control attitude. Finally, backstepping is augmented with integral action and proposed as a single tool to design attitude, altitude and position controllers. This approach is validated through various flight experiments conducted on the OS4
Design of Interactive Service Robots applying methods of Systems Engineering and Decision Making
Interaktive Service Roboter werden heute bereits in einigen
Anwendungsszenarien eingesetzt, in denen sie beispielsweise Menschen durch
GebĂ€ude geleiten oder bei hĂ€uslichen Aufgaben unterstĂŒtzen. Dennoch gibt es
bislang kein System, das den erwarteten Marktdurchbruch geschafft hat. Die
hohe KomplexitÀt solcher Systeme und vielfÀltige Anforderungen durch
Benutzer und Betreiber erschweren die Entwicklung von erfolgreichen Service
Robotern.
In dieser Arbeit wurden zwei interaktive Service Roboter entwickelt, die
das Potential haben, die beschriebenen HinderungsgrĂŒnde fĂŒr einen breiten
Einsatz zu ĂŒberwinden. Das erste Robotersystem wurde als Shopping Roboter
fĂŒr BaumĂ€rkte entwickelt, in denen es Kunden zu gesuchten Produkten fĂŒhrt.
Das zweite System dient als interaktiver Pflegeroboter Àlteren Menschen in
hÀuslicher Umgebung bei der BewÀltigung tÀglicher Aufgaben. Diese Arbeit
beschreibt die Realisierung der Embedded Systems beider Robotersysteme und
umfasst insbesondere die Entwicklung der Low-Level System Architekturen,
Energie Management Systeme, Kommunikationssysteme, Sensorsysteme, sowie
ausgewÀhlte Aspekte der mechanischen Umsetzung. Die Entwicklung einer
Vielzahl von Steuerungsmodulen, notwendig fĂŒr die Realisierung interaktiver
Service Roboter, wird beschrieben.
Die vorliegende Arbeit verwendet und erweitert Methoden des Systems
Engineerings, um die hohe SystemkomplexitÀt von interaktiven Service
Robotern sowie die vielfÀltigen Anforderungen an deren spÀteren Einsatz
beherrschen zu können. Der Entwicklungsprozess der beiden Roboter basiert
auf dem V-Model, welches einen strukturierten Entwurfsablauf unter
BerĂŒcksichtigung aller Systemanforderungen erlaubt. Es zwingt ferner zur
frĂŒhzeitigen Spezifikation von PrĂŒfablĂ€ufen, was die QualitĂ€t und
ZuverlĂ€ssigkeit der Entwicklungsergebnisse verbessert. FĂŒr die
UnterstĂŒtzung von Entscheidungen im Entwicklungsprozess schlĂ€gt diese
Arbeit eine Kombination aus dem V-Model und dem Analytic Hierarchy Process
(AHP) vor. Der AHP hilft bei der Auswahl verfĂŒgbarer technischer
Alternativen unter BerĂŒcksichtigung von PrioritĂ€ten im Entwicklungsprozess.
Diese Arbeit spezifiziert sieben Kriterien, die Service Roboter
charakterisieren: Anpassbarkeit, Laufzeit, Benutzbarkeit, Robustheit,
Sicherheit, Features und Kosten. Die PrioritÀten dieser Kriterien im
Entwicklungsprozess werden fĂŒr jeden Roboter individuell bestimmt. Der AHP
ermittelt die beste Lösung basierend auf diesen gewichteten Kriterien und
den bewerteten technischen Alternativen. Die Einbindung des AHP in den
V-Model Prozess wurde am Entwurf des Shopping Roboter entwickelt und
geprĂŒft. Die AllgemeingĂŒltigkeit dieser Methode wurde wĂ€hrend der
Entwicklung des Pflegeroboters verifiziert.Interactive service robots have already been developed and operate as
example installations taking over guidance tasks or serving as home
assistants. However, none of these systems have become an off-the-shelf
product or have achieved the predicted breakthrough so far. The challenges
of the design of such systems are, on the one hand, the combination of
cutting edge technologies to a complex product; on the other hand, the
consideration of requirements important for the later marketing during the
design process.
In the framework of this dissertation, two interactive service robot
systems are developed that have the potential to overcome current market
entry barriers. These robots are designed to operate in two different
environments: one robot guides walked-in users in large home improvement
stores to requested product locations and interacts with the customer to
provide product information; the other robot assists elderly people to stay
longer in their homes and takes over home-care tasks. This work describes
the realization of the embedded systems of both robots. In particular, the
design of low-level system architectures, energy management systems,
communication systems, sensor systems, and selected aspects of mechanical
implementations are carried out in this work. Multiple embedded system
modules are developed for the control of the robots' functionalities; the
development processes as well as the composition and evaluation of these
modules are presented in this work.
To cope with the complexity and the various factors that are important for
the design of the robots, this thesis applies and further develops system
engineering methods. The development process is based on the V-Model system
design method. The V-Model helps to structure the design process under
consideration of all system requirements. It involves evaluation procedures
at all design levels, and thus increases the quality and reliability of the
development outputs. To support design decisions, this thesis proposes to
combine the V-Model with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The
AHP helps to evaluate technical alternatives for design decisions according
to overall criteria, a system has to fulfill. This thesis defines seven
criteria that characterize a service robot: Adaptability, Operation Time,
Usability, Robustness, Safeness, Features, and Costs. These criteria are
weighted for each individual robot application. The AHP evaluates technical
design alternatives based on the weighted criteria to reveal the best
technical solution. The integration of the AHP into the V-Model development
is tested and improved during the design process of the shopping robot
system. The generality of this combined systematic design approach is
validated during the design of the home-care robot system