Motion Planning

Motion planning is a fundamental function in robotics and numerous intelligent machines. The global concept of planning involves multiple capabilities, such as path generation, dynamic planning, optimization, tracking, and control. This book has organized different planning topics into three general perspectives that are classified by the type of robotic applications. The chapters are a selection of recent developments in a) planning and tracking methods for unmanned aerial vehicles, b) heuristically based methods for navigation planning and routes optimization, and c) control techniques developed for path planning of autonomous wheeled platforms

Design of a semi-autonomous modular robotic vehicle for gas pipeline inspection

This paper presents a new solution for inspecting and repairing defects in live gas pipelines. The proposed approach is the development of a modular and semi-autonomous vehicle system. The robotic system has a drive mechanism, capable of navigating and adjusting its orientation in various configurations of pipelines. Other features of the system are cable-free communications, semi-autonomous motion control as well as integration of sensory devices. The robotic system is designed to traverse in 150-300 mm diameter pipes through straight and curved sections, junctions and reducers. The vehicle control and navigation technique is implemented using a two-mode controller consisting of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and fuzzy logic control. Unlike other available systems, the vehicle employs proprioceptive sensors to monitor its own states. The fuzzy logic controller is used to evaluate the sensor outputs such as speed, climbing angle and rate of change of climbing angle. This control technique allows the vehicle to drive and adapt in a partially observable gas pipe system. Laboratory experiment results are presented. The paper also describes a cable-free communication method for the system. A brief account of typical pipe environments and currently available inspection tools is presented as background information

Design of a semi-autonomous modular robotic vehicle for gas pipeline inspection

This is an article from the journal, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part I: Journal of Systems and Control Engineering [© IMechE ]. It is also available at: http://journals.pepublishing.com/content/119778This paper presents a new solution for inspecting and repairing defects in live gas pipelines. The proposed approach is the development of a modular and semi-autonomous vehicle system. The robotic system has a drive mechanism, capable of navigating and adjusting its orientation in various configurations of pipelines. Other features of the system are cable-free communications, semi-autonomous motion control as well as integration of sensory devices. The robotic system is designed to traverse in 150-300 mm diameter pipes through straight and curved sections, junctions and reducers. The vehicle control and navigation technique is implemented using a two-mode controller consisting of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and fuzzy logic control. Unlike other available systems, the vehicle employs proprioceptive sensors to monitor its own states. The fuzzy logic controller is used to evaluate the sensor outputs such as speed, climbing angle and rate of change of climbing angle. This control technique allows the vehicle to drive and adapt in a partially observable gas pipe system. Laboratory experiment results are presented. The paper also describes a cable-free communication method for the system. A brief account of typical pipe environments and currently available inspection tools is presented as background information

Virtual Structure Based Formation Tracking of Multiple Wheeled Mobile Robots: An Optimization Perspective

Today, with the increasing development of science and technology, many systems need to be optimized to find the optimal solution of the system. this kind of problem is also called optimization problem. Especially in the formation problem of multi-wheeled mobile robots, the optimization algorithm can help us to find the optimal solution of the formation problem. In this paper, the formation problem of multi-wheeled mobile robots is studied from the point of view of optimization. In order to reduce the complexity of the formation problem, we first put the robots with the same requirements into a group. Then, by using the virtual structure method, the formation problem is reduced to a virtual WMR trajectory tracking problem with placeholders, which describes the expected position of each WMR formation. By using placeholders, you can get the desired track for each WMR. In addition, in order to avoid the collision between multiple WMR in the group, we add an attraction to the trajectory tracking method. Because MWMR in the same team have different attractions, collisions can be easily avoided. Through simulation analysis, it is proved that the optimization model is reasonable and correct. In the last part, the limitations of this model and corresponding suggestions are given

RUR53: an Unmanned Ground Vehicle for Navigation, Recognition and Manipulation

This paper proposes RUR53: an Unmanned Ground Vehicle able to autonomously navigate through, identify, and reach areas of interest; and there recognize, localize, and manipulate work tools to perform complex manipulation tasks. The proposed contribution includes a modular software architecture where each module solves specific sub-tasks and that can be easily enlarged to satisfy new requirements. Included indoor and outdoor tests demonstrate the capability of the proposed system to autonomously detect a target object (a panel) and precisely dock in front of it while avoiding obstacles. They show it can autonomously recognize and manipulate target work tools (i.e., wrenches and valve stems) to accomplish complex tasks (i.e., use a wrench to rotate a valve stem). A specific case study is described where the proposed modular architecture lets easy switch to a semi-teleoperated mode. The paper exhaustively describes description of both the hardware and software setup of RUR53, its performance when tests at the 2017 Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge, and the lessons we learned when participating at this competition, where we ranked third in the Gran Challenge in collaboration with the Czech Technical University in Prague, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Lincoln (UK).Comment: This article has been accepted for publication in Advanced Robotics, published by Taylor & Franci

Robotics 2010

Without a doubt, robotics has made an incredible progress over the last decades. The vision of developing, designing and creating technical systems that help humans to achieve hard and complex tasks, has intelligently led to an incredible variety of solutions. There are barely technical fields that could exhibit more interdisciplinary interconnections like robotics. This fact is generated by highly complex challenges imposed by robotic systems, especially the requirement on intelligent and autonomous operation. This book tries to give an insight into the evolutionary process that takes place in robotics. It provides articles covering a wide range of this exciting area. The progress of technical challenges and concepts may illuminate the relationship between developments that seem to be completely different at first sight. The robotics remains an exciting scientific and engineering field. The community looks optimistically ahead and also looks forward for the future challenges and new development