1,998 research outputs found

    Suitable task allocation in intelligent systems for assistive environments

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    The growing need of technological assistance to provide support to people with special needs demands for systems more and more efficient and with better performances. With this aim, this work tries to advance in a multirobot platform that allows the coordinated control of different agents and other elements in the environment to achieve an autonomous behavior based on the user’s needs or will. Therefore, this environment is structured according to the potentiality of each agent and elements of this environment and of the dynamic context, to generate the adequate actuation plans and the coordination of their execution.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

    Unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer: An abstraction layer to operate unmanned aerial vehicles

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    This article presents a software layer to abstract users of unmanned aerial vehicles from the specific hardware of the platform and the autopilot interfaces. The main objective of our unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer (UAL) is to simplify the development and testing of higher-level algorithms in aerial robotics by trying to standardize and simplify the interfaces with the unmanned aerial vehicles. Unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer supports operation with PX4 and DJI autopilots (among others), which are current leading manufacturers. Besides, unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer can work seamlessly with simulated or real platforms and it provides calls to issue standard commands such as taking off, landing or pose, and velocity controls. Even though unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer is under continuous development, a stable version is available for public use. We showcase the use of unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer with a set of applications coming from several European research projects, where different academic and industrial entities have adopted unmanned aerial vehicle abstraction layer as a common development framework

    Experimental Evaluation of a Team of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Cooperative Construction

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    Nº Artículo 9314142This article presents a team of multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to perform cooperative missions for autonomous construction. In particular, the UAVs have to build a wall made of bricks that need to be picked and transported from different locations. First, we propose a novel architecture for multi-robot systems operating in outdoor and unstructured environments, where robustness and reliability play a key role. Then, we describe the design of our aerial platforms and grasping mechanisms to pick, transport and place bricks. The system was particularly developed for the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC), where Challenge 2 consisted of building a wall cooperatively with multiple UAVs. However, our approach is more general and extensible to other multi-UAV applications involving physical interaction, like package delivery. We present not only our results in the final stage of MBZIRC, but also our simulations and field experiments throughout the previous months to the competition, where we tuned our system and assessed its performance

    Technology for an intelligent, free-flying robot for crew and equipment retrieval in space

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    Crew rescue and equipment retrieval is a Space Station Freedom requirement. During Freedom's lifetime, there is a high probability that a number of objects will accidently become separated. Members of the crew, replacement units, and key tools are examples. Retrieval of these objects within a short time is essential. Systems engineering studies were conducted to identify system requirements and candidate approaches. One such approach, based on a voice-supervised, intelligent, free-flying robot was selected for further analysis. A ground-based technology demonstration, now in its second phase, was designed to provide an integrated robotic hardware and software testbed supporting design of a space-borne system. The ground system, known as the EVA Retriever, is examining the problem of autonomously planning and executing a target rendezvous, grapple, and return to base while avoiding stationary and moving obstacles. The current prototype is an anthropomorphic manipulator unit with dexterous arms and hands attached to a robot body and latched in a manned maneuvering unit. A precision air-bearing floor is used to simulate space. Sensor data include two vision systems and force/proximity/tactile sensors on the hands and arms. Planning for a shuttle file experiment is underway. A set of scenarios and strawman requirements were defined to support conceptual development. Initial design activities are expected to begin in late 1989 with the flight occurring in 1994. The flight hardware and software will be based on lessons learned from both the ground prototype and computer simulations

    A Survey of User Interfaces for Robot Teleoperation

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    Robots are used today to accomplish many tasks in society, be it in industry, at home, or as helping tools on tragic incidents. The human-robot systems currently developed span a broad variety of applications and are typically very different from one another. The interaction techniques designed for each system are also very different, although some effort has been directed in defining common properties and strategies for guiding human-robot interaction (HRI) development. This work aims to present the state-of-the-art in teleoperation interaction techniques between robots and their users. By presenting potentially useful design models and motivating discussions on topics to which the research community has been paying little attention lately, we also suggest solutions to some of the design and operational problems being faced in this area

    System Architectures for Cooperative Teams of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Interacting Physically with the Environment

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    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become quite a useful tool for a wide range of applications, from inspection & maintenance to search & rescue, among others. The capabilities of a single UAV can be extended or complemented by the deployment of more UAVs, so multi-UAV cooperative teams are becoming a trend. In that case, as di erent autopilots, heterogeneous platforms, and application-dependent software components have to be integrated, multi-UAV system architectures that are fexible and can adapt to the team's needs are required. In this thesis, we develop system architectures for cooperative teams of UAVs, paying special attention to applications that require physical interaction with the environment, which is typically unstructured. First, we implement some layers to abstract the high-level components from the hardware speci cs. Then we propose increasingly advanced architectures, from a single-UAV hierarchical navigation architecture to an architecture for a cooperative team of heterogeneous UAVs. All this work has been thoroughly tested in both simulation and eld experiments in di erent challenging scenarios through research projects and robotics competitions. Most of the applications required physical interaction with the environment, mainly in unstructured outdoors scenarios. All the know-how and lessons learned throughout the process are shared in this thesis, and all relevant code is publicly available.Los vehículos aéreos no tripulados (UAVs, del inglés Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) se han convertido en herramientas muy valiosas para un amplio espectro de aplicaciones, como inspección y mantenimiento, u operaciones de rescate, entre otras. Las capacidades de un único UAV pueden verse extendidas o complementadas al utilizar varios de estos vehículos simultáneamente, por lo que la tendencia actual es el uso de equipos cooperativos con múltiples UAVs. Para ello, es fundamental la integración de diferentes autopilotos, plataformas heterogéneas, y componentes software -que dependen de la aplicación-, por lo que se requieren arquitecturas multi-UAV que sean flexibles y adaptables a las necesidades del equipo. En esta tesis, se desarrollan arquitecturas para equipos cooperativos de UAVs, prestando una especial atención a aplicaciones que requieran de interacción física con el entorno, cuya naturaleza es típicamente no estructurada. Primero se proponen capas para abstraer a los componentes de alto nivel de las particularidades del hardware. Luego se desarrollan arquitecturas cada vez más avanzadas, desde una arquitectura de navegación para un único UAV, hasta una para un equipo cooperativo de UAVs heterogéneos. Todo el trabajo ha sido minuciosamente probado, tanto en simulación como en experimentos reales, en diferentes y complejos escenarios motivados por proyectos de investigación y competiciones de robótica. En la mayoría de las aplicaciones se requería de interacción física con el entorno, que es normalmente un escenario en exteriores no estructurado. A lo largo de la tesis, se comparten todo el conocimiento adquirido y las lecciones aprendidas en el proceso, y el código relevante está publicado como open-source

    A Comparison of Platform Configurations for Robotics Development within ROS2, Raspberry Pi, andWebots

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    Background: The field of robotics continues to expand with new, progressive technologies. The vast ecosystem of robotics, with its countless routes, is initially challenging to navigate. It is even more so during a season of virtual instruction. Creating strategic entrance points for the incoming students merits consideration. Purpose: Our aim is to provide a way for students to explore three critical areas in robotics: the physical robot (hardware), the simulated robot (digital twin), and the operating system and code (controller). Method: We explore options for integrating two advanced robot development frameworks (i.e. Robot Operating System 2 (ROS2) and Webots) in combination with the widely used beginners computing platform (i.e. Raspberry Pi) to facilitate introducing students to the field of robotics, while also providing them a path to advanced robot topics. Results: Two configurations for integrating ROS2, Webots, and the Raspberry Pi are presented. The advantages and concerns for each are discussed, along with pointers for mitigating concerns. Conclusion: The integration of these frameworks and platform, along with virtualizing the physical robot as a digital twin, opens a gateway for students to enter the field of robotics. We also envision our ideas supporting paths for improving online distance learning, developing robot networks, and reducing field testing time

    Towards adaptive multi-robot systems: self-organization and self-adaptation

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    Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.The development of complex systems ensembles that operate in uncertain environments is a major challenge. The reason for this is that system designers are not able to fully specify the system during specification and development and before it is being deployed. Natural swarm systems enjoy similar characteristics, yet, being self-adaptive and being able to self-organize, these systems show beneficial emergent behaviour. Similar concepts can be extremely helpful for artificial systems, especially when it comes to multi-robot scenarios, which require such solution in order to be applicable to highly uncertain real world application. In this article, we present a comprehensive overview over state-of-the-art solutions in emergent systems, self-organization, self-adaptation, and robotics. We discuss these approaches in the light of a framework for multi-robot systems and identify similarities, differences missing links and open gaps that have to be addressed in order to make this framework possible
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