A hybrid genetic algorithm and inver over approach for the travelling salesman problem

This article posted here with permission of the IEEE - Copyright @ 2010 IEEEThis paper proposes a two-phase hybrid approach for the travelling salesman problem (TSP). The first phase is based on a sequence based genetic algorithm (SBGA) with an embedded local search scheme. Within the SBGA, a memory is introduced to store good sequences (sub-tours) extracted from previous good solutions and the stored sequences are used to guide the generation of offspring via local search during the evolution of the population. Additionally, we also apply some techniques to adapt the key parameters based on whether the best individual of the population improves or not and maintain the diversity. After SBGA finishes, the hybrid approach enters the second phase, where the inver over (IO) operator, which is a state-of-the-art algorithm for the TSP, is used to further improve the solution quality of the population. Experiments are carried out to investigate the performance of the proposed hybrid approach in comparison with several relevant algorithms on a set of benchmark TSP instances. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid approach is efficient in finding good quality solutions for the test TSPs.This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the United Kingdom under Grant EP/E060722/1

Development of a general purpose tour-guide robot able to learn routes from people and to adapt and move in unstructured and crowded environments

Industrial robots has consolidated its presence in factories and professional environments during the last few years. However, in the next decades it is expected that service robots approach an exponential growth, reaching the mass market and taking over our homes and offices. In order to meet these predictions, there is still some way to go. Service robots need to be able to adapt to the dynamic nature of unstructured environments, where people walk by, and furniture might be moved around. In recent years, tour-guide robots have become a popular research topic because they face many of the challenges which have arisen in service robotics. Essentially, a tour-guide robot must be able to interact with humans, who might demand routes from the robot. Also, in order to showcase these routes, the robot must have a reliable and flexible perception of the changing environment where it operates. For these reasons, the goal of this thesis is to build a general purpose tourguide robot, which should be able to learn routes while following an instructor. The instructor can be anyone, i.e members of the staff from where the robot operates. This makes necessary the development of robust and flexible behaviours. More specifically, we have a) designed and developed a person-following behaviour, b) a human-robot interaction scheme, c) the processes for route recording and reproduction, and d) a strategy to allow the robot to learn its own control algorithms..

Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2022

This open access book presents the proceedings of the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)’s 29th Annual International eTourism Conference, which assembles the latest research presented at the ENTER2022 conference, which will be held on January 11–14, 2022. The book provides an extensive overview of how information and communication technologies can be used to develop tourism and hospitality. It covers the latest research on various topics within the field, including augmented and virtual reality, website development, social media use, e-learning, big data, analytics, and recommendation systems. The readers will gain insights and ideas on how information and communication technologies can be used in tourism and hospitality. Academics working in the eTourism field, as well as students and practitioners, will find up-to-date information on the status of research

Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2022

This open access book presents the proceedings of the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)’s 29th Annual International eTourism Conference, which assembles the latest research presented at the ENTER2022 conference, which will be held on January 11–14, 2022. The book provides an extensive overview of how information and communication technologies can be used to develop tourism and hospitality. It covers the latest research on various topics within the field, including augmented and virtual reality, website development, social media use, e-learning, big data, analytics, and recommendation systems. The readers will gain insights and ideas on how information and communication technologies can be used in tourism and hospitality. Academics working in the eTourism field, as well as students and practitioners, will find up-to-date information on the status of research

Guido and Am I Robot? A Case Study of Two Robotic Artworks Operating in Public Spaces

This article is a case study of two artworks that were commissioned for and exhibited in art venues in 2016 and 2017. The first artwork, Guido the Robot Guide, guided the visitors to an art-science exhibition, presenting the exhibits with a robot's perspective. Guido was the result of a collaboration between artists and engineers. The concept was an irreverent robot guide that could switch transparently from autonomous mode to operator control, allowing for seamless natural interaction. We examine how the project unfolded, its successes and limitations. Following on Guido, the lead artist developed the robotic installation Am I Robot? where the idea of a hybrid autonomous/remote-manual mode was implemented fully in a non-utilitarian machine that was exhibited in several art galleries. The article provides a concise contextualisation and details technical and design aspects as well as observations of visitors' interactions with the artworks. We evaluate the hybrid system's potential for creative robotics applications and identify directions for future research

Computational intelligence approaches to robotics, automation, and control [Volume guest editors]

No abstract available

Human-Like Guide Robot that Proactively Explains Exhibits

We developed an autonomous human-like guide robot for a science museum. Its identifies individuals, estimates the exhibits at which visitors are looking, and proactively approaches them to provide explanations with gaze autonomously, using our new approach called speak-and-retreat interaction. The robot also performs such relation-building behaviors as greeting visitors by their names and expressing a friendlier attitude to repeat visitors. We conducted a field study in a science museum at which our system basically operated autonomously and the visitors responded quite positively. First-time visitors on average interacted with the robot for about 9 min, and 94.74% expressed a desire to interact with it again in the future. Repeat visitors noticed its relation-building capability and perceived a closer relationship with it

Overcoming barriers and increasing independence: service robots for elderly and disabled people

This paper discusses the potential for service robots to overcome barriers and increase independence of elderly and disabled people. It includes a brief overview of the existing uses of service robots by disabled and elderly people and advances in technology which will make new uses possible and provides suggestions for some of these new applications. The paper also considers the design and other conditions to be met for user acceptance. It also discusses the complementarity of assistive service robots and personal assistance and considers the types of applications and users for which service robots are and are not suitable