Secure Encoded Instruction Graphs for End-to-End Data Validation in Autonomous Robots

As autonomous robots become increasingly ubiquitous, more attention is being paid to the security of robotic operation. Autonomous robots can be seen as cyber-physical systems that transverse the virtual realm and operate in the human dimension. As a consequence, securing the operation of autonomous robots goes beyond securing data, from sensor input to mission instructions, towards securing the interaction with their environment. There is a lack of research towards methods that would allow a robot to ensure that both its sensors and actuators are operating correctly without external feedback. This paper introduces a robotic mission encoding method that serves as an end-to-end validation framework for autonomous robots. In particular, we put our framework into practice with a proof of concept describing a novel map encoding method that allows robots to navigate an objective environment with almost-zero a priori knowledge of it, and to validate operational instructions. We also demonstrate the applicability of our framework through experiments with real robots for two different map encoding methods. The encoded maps inherit all the advantages of traditional landmark-based navigation, with the addition of cryptographic hashes that enable end-to-end information validation. This end-to-end validation can be applied to virtually any aspect of robotic operation where there is a predefined set of operations or instructions given to the robot

Rapid Control Prototyping for Reconfigurable Assembly Workstations

Department of System Design and Control EngineeringDiverse customer demands and rapid technology change have led to a paradigm shift in the manufacturing industry, from mass production to mass customization, and eventually to personalization. In the past, manufacturers have faced a challenge to produce a large volume of a product at low cost. Today, they should however produce a very small volume of a highly personalized product at mass production cost. In order to meet these challenges, rapid configuration or reconfiguration of manufacturing systems are crucial. Therefore, many studies have discussed reconfigurable manufacturing systems, emphasizing on dynamic scheduling and flexible shop floor logistics. However, little attention has given to the hardware control and the corresponding software development, although they are very important and time-consuming tasks for manufacturing system reconfiguration. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to quickly design, test, and verify the control software both in a virtual and in a real environment. To do this, we propose a procedure of rapid control prototyping consisting of virtual factory construction, control software development and a final calibration procedure. Rapid control prototyping facilitates engineers to quickly develop control software including communication inputs and outputs, prior to constructing a real shop floor. The proposed simultaneous procedure of manufacturing system design and its control software development will significantly reduce the reconfiguration time of a manufacturing system.clos