A statistical approach to a verb vector task classifier

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in fulfilment ofthe requirements for the degree of Master of Science by researchHow to enable a service robot to understand its user's intention is a hot topic of research today. Based on its understanding, the robot can coordinate and adjust its behaviours to provide desired assistance and services to the user as a capable partner. Active Robot Learning (ARL) is an approach to the development of the understanding of human intention. The task action bank is part of the ARL which can store task categories. In this approach, a robot actively performs test actions in order to obtain its user's intention from the user's response to the action. This thesis presents an approach to verbs clustering based on the basic action required of the robot, using a statistical method. A parser is established to process a corpus and analyse the probability of the verb feature vector, for example when the user says "bring me a cup of coffee", this means the same as "give me a cup of coffee". This parser could identify similar verbs between "bring" and "give" with the statistical method. Experimental results show the collocation between semantically related verbs, which can be further utilised to establish a test action bank for Active Robot Learning (ARL)

UnimouseSim: a real-time mobile robot simulator with hardware-in-the-loop support for the micromouse contest

Mestrado de dupla diplomação com a UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do ParanáMobile robots are applied to various industrial contexts, performing repetitive and highperformance tasks. One way of generating interest in the study of robotics in this context is through robotics competitions. The aim of this work is the development of a 3D mobile robotics simulator with hardware-in-the-loop capabilities. It includes developing models for standard components, such as time-of-flight sensors, wheel encoders, and direct current motors. The simulator interacts with development boards, programmed through Arduino-compatible libraries for communication with each robot component. By having the microcontrollers process each sensor’s output and determine the appropriate motor commands, the microcontroller’s limitations are present even during the simulation. The simulator contains different environments, where users have to complete challenges that require sensor data to be interpreted and motor commands to be calculated for different purposes, namely following walls, controlling the robot speed, and developing algorithms for completing the micromouse competition. A modification to the flood fill algorithm, commonly used in the micromouse competition, was proposed and analysed. It targets robots with a simple movement set, unable to perform turns while maintaining linear speed. The simulator was used in the RoboSTEM hackathon, where students were presented with the challenge environments and developed their solutions. It provided insights about the problems they were asked to solve and the simulator software itself.A robótica móvel é aplicada a diferentes contextos industriais, executando tarefas repetitivas e de alta performance. Uma forma de gerar interesse no estudo da robótica é por meio de competições. O objetivo deste trabalho é o desenvolvimento de um simulador 3D de robótica com hardware-in-the-loop. Foi feito o desenvolvimento de components comumente utilizados nos robôs, como sensores time-of-flight, encoders e motores de corrente contínua. A intereção com o simulador é feita por placas de desenvolvimento programadas por bibliotecas compatíveis com o ambiente Arduino, específicas para cada componente. Sendo o microcontrolador responsável por processar as medições dos esnsores e determinar o comando apropriado para os motores, as limitações de memória e poder de processamento dos microcontroladores se fazem presentes mesmo no ambiente de simulação. O simulador contém diferentes ambientes, em que o tulizador deve completar desafios que requerem a utilização dos sensores e atuadores para dieferentes fins, nomeadamnete o seguimento de paredes, controlo de velocidade e completar a competição do micromouse. Foi proposta e analizada uma modificação ao algorítmo flood fill, comumente usado na competição do micromouse, que visa robôs com um conjunto de movimento limitado, inaptos a fazer curvas enquanto mantêm velocidade linear. O simulador foi utilizado no hackathon RoboSTEM, em que os diferentes desafios foram apresentados a estudantes, e as soluções elaboradas por eles continham observações imporotantes sobre os problemas apresentados e sobre o simulador em si

"A model-driven approach for designing multi-platform user interface dialogues": dialogues specification

Human-computer interaction becomes sophisticated, multimodal and multi device and needs to be well-designed with the aim of facilitating application correction (i.e. to correcting errors/bugs in the application) or extension (i.e. adding new functionalities or modifying existing tasks). This thesis is focused on building a methodology of designing and specifying User Interface (UI) behaviour. The Unified Modelling Language (UML) is used to describe in detail the conceptual model and to define all its objects. The methodology flux diagram is provided with the specification of the consistency and the completeness properties of the transformation model. To support the methodology, we implement a graphic Dialog Editor in which Models are organized in three levels (abstract, concrete and final) according to Cameleon Reference Framework (CFR) and, whose process respects the Model Driven Engineering (MDE) approach. Furthermore, the use of Dialog Editor is illustrated through a simple exam...Les interfaces Homme-Machine deviennent de plus en plus complexes. Leur conception nécessite des nouveaux outils et/ou méthodes. En exploitant l'aproche orienté-modèle, cette thèse repond à ce besoin en proposant une méthodologie de conception des dialogues multi-plateform

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 3

The theme of the Conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The Conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for application of telerobotics technology to the space systems planned for the 1990s and beyond. The Conference: (1) provided a view of current NASA telerobotic research and development; (2) stimulated technical exchange on man-machine systems, manipulator control, machine sensing, machine intelligence, concurrent computation, and system architectures; and (3) identified important unsolved problems of current interest which can be dealt with by future research

Development of a function block library to command Omron collaborative robot from an external CPU

Els robots col·laboratius estan dissenyats per a ser programats fàcilment per operadors no experts, però quan l'aplicació requereix que el robot s’integri i comuniqui amb la resta de la màquina, en ser el robot comandat per controladors externs, la programació es torna més complexa, per la qual cosa es requereix una certa experiència i coneixement en programació de robots. L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és proporcionar als operadors no qualificats una llibreria amb un conjunt de Blocs de Funció per a controlar el robot col·laboratiu Omron des d'un controlador extern Omron, sense necessitat d'aprendre a construir complexes trames de comunicacions TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). La llibreria està dissenyada seguint l'estàndard internacional IEC-61131 per a Controladors Programables i les directrius de PLCopen (associació mundial per al control de programació industrial). En aquesta tesi, es descriu la programació del programari del robot, el protocol per a enviar comandos des de dispositius externs al robot, l’algoritme dels Blocs de Funció, un exemple de programa de seqüència Pick and Place, i una interfície gràfica per a pantalla tàctil per a usar la llibreria i controlar el robot definint els paràmetres a través de llistes desplegables i camps d'entrada de dades, facilitant així a l'usuari l'ús dels Blocs de Funció. Una vegada realitzades les proves pertinents amb maquinari real i finalitzades les proves de depuració i implementació de millores de funcionalitat, s'ha obtingut un paquet de Blocs de Funció on els paràmetres d'entrada tenen un rang predefinit que es verifica internament abans d'enviar el comando per a assegurar que aquest és correcte i serà executat pel robot.Los robots colaborativos están diseñados para ser programados fácilmente por operadores no expertos, pero cuando la aplicación requiere que el robot se integre y comunique con el resto de la máquina, al ser el robot comandado por controladores externos, la programación se vuelve más compleja, por lo que se requiere cierta experiencia y conocimiento en programación de robots. El objetivo de este proyecto es proporcionar a los operadores no calificados una librería con un conjunto de Bloques de Función para controlar el robot colaborativo Omron desde un controlador externo Omron, sin necesidad de aprender a construir complejas tramas de comunicaciones TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). La librería está diseñada siguiendo el estándar internacional IEC-61131 para Controladores Programables y las directrices de PLCopen (asociación mundial para el control de programación industrial). En esta tesis, se describe la programación del software del robot, el protocolo para enviar comandos desde dispositivos externos al robot, el algoritmo de los Bloques de Función, un ejemplo de programa de secuencia Pick and Place, y una interfaz gráfica para pantalla táctil para usar la librería y controlar el robot definiendo el parámetros a través de listas desplegables y campos de entrada de datos, facilitando así al usuario el uso de los Bloques de Función. Una vez realizadas las pruebas pertinentes con hardware real y finalizadas las pruebas de depuración e implementación de mejoras de funcionalidad, se ha obtenido un paquete de Bloques de Función cuyos parámetros de entrada tienen un rango predefinido que se verifica internamente antes de enviar el comando para asegurar que éste es correcto y será ejecutado por el robot.Collaborative robots are designed to be easily programmed by non-expert operators, but when the application requires the robot to be integrated and communicate with the rest of the machine, being the robot commanded by external controllers, the programming becomes more complex hence certain expertise and knowledge in robot programming is required. The target of this project is providing to non-skilled operators, a library with a set of Function Blocks to command the Omron collaborative robot from an external Omron controller without needs to learn how to build complex TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) communication frames. The library is designed following the international standard IEC-61131 for Programmable Controllers and compliant PLCopen guidelines (worldwide association for industrial programming control). In this thesis, it is described the robot software program, the protocolto send commandsfrom external devices to the robot, the algorithm inside the Function Blocks, an example of Pick and Place sequence program, and a graphical interface for touch-screen to use the library and control the robot defining the parameters through drop-down lists and data entry fields, facilitating the user to use the Function Blocks. After the pertinent tests with real hardware and once the tests for debugging and implementation of functionality improvements have been completed, a package of Function Blocks has been obtained whose input parameters have a predefined range that is verified internally before sending the command to ensure this is correct and will be executed by the robot

An Analysis of Robot-Assisted Social-Communication Instruction for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Social and communication deficits are a core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and impact an individual\u27s ability to be a full participant in their school environment and community. The increase in number of students with ASD in schools combined with the use of ineffective interventions have created a critical need for quality social-communication instruction in schools for this population. Technology-based interventions, like robots, have the potential to greatly impact students with disabilities, including students with ASD who tend to show increased interest and engagement in technology-based tasks and materials. While research on the use of robots with these learners is limited, these technologies have been successfully used to teach basic social-communication skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a social-communication intervention for young children with ASD that is rooted in evidence-based practices and utilizes a surrogate interactive robot as the primary interventionist. This study utilized a multiple baseline design across behaviors to determine the impact of the robot-assisted intervention on the manding, tacting, and intraverbal skills of four, 3-year old students with ASD. The researchers found that this intervention was effective in increasing the rate of all three the target behaviors

Modeling Robotic Systems with Activity Flow Graphs

Autonomous robotic systems are becoming increasingly common in our society, with research efforts towards automated goods transportation, service robots and autonomous cars. These complex systems have to solve many different problems in order to function robustly. Two especially important areas of interest are perception and high level control. Intelligent systems have to perceive their surroundings in order to facilitate autonomy. With an understanding of the environment, they then can make their own decisions based on high level control policies defined by the developers. Robotic systems differ drastically in their sensory capabilities, their computational power, and their designated tasks. When developing algorithms, however, we need to have a common modeling framework that enables us to generalize and re-use existing solutions. A modular approach, which is coherent across different platforms, also allows faster prototyping of new systems. In this dissertation we develop a modeling framework based on data flow that achieves this goal. We first extend the existing Synchronous Data Flow (SDF) model and combine it with reactive programming ideas and finite-state machines. Together, these existing frameworks enable us to model many aspects of complex robotic systems. We apply this model to a robot in a warehouse scenario to demonstrate the viability of the approach. Using three disjoint formalisms to model a robotic system has many downsides. In a first unification step we merge SDF and reactive programming into Hybrid Flow Graphs (HFGs), where we explicitly model synchronous and asynchronous data flow. We then apply the HFG model to the perception system of an autonomous transportation robot. In a last step, we eliminate the need for separate finite-state machines by introducing the concept of activity into the data flow. We therefore unify the different aspects into a single and coherent framework which we call Activity Flow Graphs (AFGs). The flow of activity enables us to model high level state directly in the data flow graph. The result is a single computation graph that can express both perception and high level control aspects of any robotic system. We then demonstrate this with multiple high level robotic system models. Finally, we make use of the uniform AFG model to provide a single graphical user interface that allows a developer to rapidly prototype complete robotic systems. Since all aspects of a robot can be implemented using the same theoretical framework, there is no need to switch between different paradigms. The user interface is designed to give immediate feedback, which speeds up prototyping, testing and evaluation, as well as debugging when working with real robots.Autonome Roboter werden zunehmend zu einem wichtigen Bestandteil unserer Gesellschaft, in Bereichen wie dem automatisierten Gütertransport, in der Servicerobotik und bei autonomen Automobilen. Diese komplexen Systeme müssen viele Problem lösen, um robust zu funktionieren. Zwei sehr wichtige Anwendungsfelder sind die Umgebungswahrnehmung und die Ablaufplanung. Intelligente Systeme müssen ihre Umgebung wahrnehmen, um autonom agieren zu können. Mit einem Verständnis der Umwelt können sie Entscheidungen treffen, welche auf abstrakten Richtlinien der Entwickler basieren. Verschiedene Roboter weichen stark in ihren sensorischen Fähigkeiten, in ihrer Rechenleistung und in ihren zu lösenden Aufgaben voneinander ab. Bei der Entwicklung von Algorithmen wird jedoch ein einheitliches Modellierungssystem benötigt, welches die Wiederverwendung von existierenden Lösungen erlaubt. Ein modulares System, welches über mehrere Plattformen hinweg genutzt werden kann, ermöglicht eine schnellere Entwicklung von neuen Systemen. In dieser Dissertation wird ein auf Datenfluss basierendes Modell entwickelt, welches diese Anforderungen erfüllt. Zuerst wird das existierende Synchronous Data Flow (SDF) Modell erweitert und mit Elementen von reaktiver Programmierung und endlichen Zustandsautomaten kombiniert. Zusammen können so viele Aspekte von Robotern modelliert werden. Das Modell wird auf einen Roboter in einem Warenhausszenario angewandt, um den Ansatz zu validieren. Drei verschiedene Formalismen zur Modellierung von Robotern zu verwenden hat viele Nachteile. In einem ersten Vereinigungsschritt werden SDF und reaktive Programmierung zu hybriden Flussgraphen (HFG) kombiniert, bei denen synchroner und asynchroner Datenfluss explizit modelliert werden. Dann wird das HFG-Modell auf die Wahrnehmungsmodule eines autonomen Transportsystems angewandt. Anschließend wird der Bedarf eines Zustandsautomaten beseitigt, indem das Konzept der Aktivität in den Datenfluss eingeführt wird. Dadurch werden alle Aspekte in einem einzigen, schlüssigen System vereinigt, welches Aktivitätsflussgraph (AFG) genannt wird. Der Aktivitätsfluss ermöglicht es, den höheren Systemzustand direkt im Datenflussgraphen zu modellieren. Als Ergebnis erhalten wir einen einzigen Berechnungsgraphen, der sowohl zur Beschreibung der Umgebungswahrnehmung als auch zur Kontrolle der höheren Abläufe benutzt werden kann. Dies wird anhand mehrerer Robotersysteme demonstriert. Eine graphische Benutzerschnittstelle wird bereitgestellt, welche von dem einheitlichen Modell Gebrauch macht, um ein schnelles Prototyping von Robotern zu ermöglichen. Da alle Aspekte mit demselben System modelliert werden, muss nicht zwischen verschiedenen Paradigmen gewechselt werden. Die Nutzerschnittstelle erleichtert Entwicklung, Test und Validierung von Algorithmen sowie das Auffinden von Fehlern bei echten Robotern

Real-Time Set Editing in a Virtual Production Environment with an Innovative Interface

This bachelor thesis wants to describe a prototypical implementation of a 3D user interface for intuitive real-time set editing in virtual production. Furthermore this approach is evaluated qualitatively through a user group, testing the device and fill in a questionnaire. The dimension of virtual elements created with computer graphics technology in all areas of entertainment industry is steadily growing since the past years. Nevertheless can the editing process of virtual elements still require a costly process in terms of time and money. With the appearance of new input devices and improved tracking technologies it is interesting to evaluate if a real-time editing process could improve this situation. Being currently bound to experts on special workstations, this could lead to a more intuitive and real-time workflow, enabling everybody on a film set to influence the digital editing process and work collaboratively on the scene consisting of virtual and real elements.Ziel dieser Bachelorthesis ist die Beschreibung eines prototypischen 3D Editierverfahrens, das intuitives Editieren von virtuellen Elementen in Echtzeit innerhalb einer virtuellen Produktionsumgebung ermöglichen soll. Die Evaluation dieses Ansatzes geschieht qualitativ. Eine Benutzergruppe, bestehend aus Industrievertretern testet das neue Verfahren und füllt anschließend einen Fragebogen aus. Der Anteil virtueller, mithilfe von 3D Computergrafik erstellter, Elemente wächst in allen Bereichen der Entertainment Industrie seit Jahren stetig. Trotzdem ist die Bearbeitung von virtuellen Objekten nach wie vor ein komplexer Vorgang, der besonders geschulte Mitarbeiter an speziellen Arbeitsplätzen benötigt. Dies kostet Zeit und Geld. Mit dem Aufkommen neuer Eingabegeräte und verbesserten Tracking Technologien stellt sich die Frage ob es nicht möglich ist diesen Bearbeitungsprozess zu verbessern. Mithilfe des neuen Editierverfahrens soll eine intuitive Oberfläche geschaffen werden die es jedermann ermöglicht direkt noch am Filmset Änderungen an virtuellen Elementen vorzunehmen und gemeinsam an einer Filmszene zu arbeiten ohne dass hierfür besonderes Expertenwissen nötig wäre