Efficient Simulation Environment of Wireless Radio Communications in MEMS Modular Robots

International audienceModular robots needs networking for coordination and it is particularly true for MEMS micro robots. A promising communication technology is nanowireless networking which could be integrated directly into MEMS micro robots, in our case, the catoms of the Claytronics project. A first step towards this objective is to design a wireless simulator able to deal with modular robots. This simulator called Vouivre is integrated in DPRSim a modular robot simulator developed by Intel Research. This paper describes Vouivre and its integration in DPRSim which is an interesting case of integrating different timelines in one simulator. Experiments validate our design and show the interest of using wireless communication in modular robots

MINI-ROBOT VIA WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

 The Emergence Of Nano-Electromagnetic Communications Supported Graphene Nano-Antennas Has Opened New Perspectives For Communications Between Small Things, Referred As To The Web Of MiniThings Or Maybe Because The Internet Of Nano-Things. However, These Antennas Make Use Of The Terahertz Band Which Raises Many Problems Just Like The Absorption Of Entire Range Of The Available Bandwidth By Any Molecule. Meanwhile, Recent Advances Are Made Within The Design And Fabrication Of Mini-Robots Enabling Formation Of Minirobots Networks. Nano-Antennas Are A Stimulating Way Of Communicating Between Mini-Robots. We Envision Two Types Of Bene_Ts Using Integrated NanoAntennas In Mini-Robots. Second, nano wireless communications can create new applications and new applications.This Article Presents A Simulation Framework For Mini-Robots Using Nano-Wireless Communications And An Application Being Developed Within Our Simulator.&nbsp

Large scale MEMS robots cooperative map building based on realistic simulation of nano-wireless communications

International audienceThe Claytronics project has produced interesting hardware components like cylindric micro-robots called catoms and software models to enable the concept of programmable matter. One application is the use of several catoms linked together so that they can " walk ". These walkers can explore an area and thanks to electromagnetic wireless nano-networks, they can communicate with each other sharing the map of the place to explore. In this paper, we study the different parameters influencing the transmission quality of the map to a sink which uses both traditional wireless and wireless nano-communication networks

Distributed Intelligent MEMS: Progresses and Perspectives

International audienceMEMS research has until recently focused mainly on the engineering process, resulting in interesting products and a growing market. To fully realize the promise of MEMS, the next step is to add embedded intelligence. With embedded intelligence, the scalability of manufacturing will enable distributed MEMS systems consisting of thousands or millions of units which can work together to achieve a common goal. However, before such systems can become a reallity, we must come to grips with the challenge of scalability which will require paradigm-shifts both in hardware and software. Furthermore, the need for coordinated actuation, programming, communication and mobility management raises new challenges in both control and programming. The objective of this article is to report the progresses made by taking the example of two research projects and by giving the remaining challenges and the perspectives of distributed intelligent MEMS

NASA NDE Applications for Mobile MEMS Devices and Sensors

NASA would like new devices and sensors for performing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of aerospace vehicles. These devices must be small in size/volume, mass, and power consumption. The devices must be autonomous and mobile so they can access the internal structures of aircraft and spacecraft and adequately monitor the structural health of these craft. The platforms must be mobile in order to transport NDE sensors for evaluating structural integrity and determining whether further investigations will be required. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology is crucial to the development of the mobile platforms and sensor systems. This paper presents NASA s needs for micro mobile platforms and MEMS sensors that will enable NDE to be performed on aerospace vehicles

Visible light positioning for location-based services in Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 refers to the evolution in manufacturing from computerization to fully cyberphysical systems that exploit rich sensor data, adaptive real-time safety-critical control, and machine learning. An important aspect of this vision is the sensing and subsequent association of objects in the physical world with their cyber and virtual counterparts. In this paper we propose Visible Light Positioning (VLP) as an enabler for these Industry 4.0 applications. We also explore sensing techniques, including cameras (and depth sensors), and other light-based solutions for object positioning and detection along with their respective limitations. We then demonstrate an application of positioning for real time robot control in an interactive multiparty cyber-physical-virtual deployment. Lastly, based on our experience with this cyber-physical-virtual application, we propose Ray-Surface Positioning (RSP), a novel VLP technique, as a low cost positioning system for Industry 4.0.Accepted manuscrip

Department of Computer Science Activity 1998-2004

This report summarizes much of the research and teaching activity of the Department of Computer Science at Dartmouth College between late 1998 and late 2004. The material for this report was collected as part of the final report for NSF Institutional Infrastructure award EIA-9802068, which funded equipment and technical staff during that six-year period. This equipment and staff supported essentially all of the department\u27s research activity during that period

Multidisciplinary Microrobotics Teaching Activities In Engineering Education

Within the College of Engineering at RIT, a small nucleus of faculty from four different departments have been quietly developing expertise in the area of MEMS and Microrobotics by working on multidisciplinary projects of mutual interest at various levels. This paper discusses our experience in teaching microrobotics by designing multidisciplinary projects for undergraduates and their integration with research and graduate students. It also discusses the broader impact of these activities on various levels of students. The activities can be categorized in three levels: undergraduate teaching, graduate research, and clubs and organizations. This paper explores our experience in developing these projects and related research, including our lessons learned so far, and our plans for the future. Some statistical data are also provided to show the broader impact of these multidisciplinary microrobotics teaching and research activities on the students. The paper starts with a discussion on learning styles and how teamwork and multidisciplinary projects tie to theses learning styles. Then, multidisciplinary microrobotics projects are explored including their organizational structure and their ties to the existing research. In section 4 the effect of multidisciplinary microrobotics projects on research and teaching integration is discussed. Clubs and student organizations are presented in Section 5, specifically Multidisciplinary Robotics Club. Section 6 presents the broader impact of these projects in terms of curriculum development, student population, and retention. Finally, the paper is summarized and conclusion obtained from these projects and educational experiences in Section 7