Virtual Simulation Platform for Training Semi-Autonomous Robotic Vehicles’ Operators

This chapter covers the development of a virtual simulation platform for training a semiautonomous robotic vehicle (SARV) operator via an open-source game engine called Unity3D. The SARV such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) is becoming increasingly popular in the maritime industry for risky jobs in inhospitable environments. The primary element in carrying out underwater missions in a hostile environment lies within the skills and experience of an ROV pilot. Training for ROV pilots is essential to prevent damage to expensive field equipment during the real operations. The proposed simulator differs from the existing simulators in the market is the use of modern game engine software to develop a “serious game” for ROV pilot trainee at much lower cost and shorter time-to-market. The results revealed that proposed virtual simulator can develop a high-fidelity virtual reality training for the underwater operation guided by classification society

Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Tata Surya berbasis Virtual Reality untuk Siswa Kelas 6 Sekolah Dasar dengan Evaluasi Kepuasan Pengguna terhadap Elemen Multimedia

Dalam studi ini, kami mengembangkan aplikasi virtual reality untuk mempelajari tata surya di tingkat sekolah dasar. Tujuan pembuatan aplikasi ini untuk menyediakan media pembelajaran berbasis multimedia bagi siswa agar dapat memahami konsep tata surya. Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) adalah tahap pengembangan sistem yang digunakan untuk membangun aplikasi virtual reality. MDLC terdiri dari tahapan konsep manufaktur, desain, pengumpulan bahan, perakitan, pengujian, dan distribusi. Hasil tes penerimaan pengguna yang dilakukan oleh satu orang guru pengampu menunjukkan hasil 81,25%, sedangkan yang dilakukan oleh 26 siswa menunjukkan hasil 88,63%. Berdasarkan hasil tes penerimaan oleh guru diperoleh saran perbaikan aplikasi pada sisi interaktifitas pengguna. Evaluasi kepuasan pengguna terhadap aplikasi dilakukan dengan kuesioner berdasarkan empat elemen multimedia: teks, interaktivitas, animasi, dan gambar grafis. Hasil evaluasi penggunaan teks memiliki nilai 3,57, grafik bernilai 3,52, animasi bernilai 3,54, dan interaktivitas memiliki nilai 3,51. Berdasarkan hasil tes, dapat disimpulkan bahwa responden puas dengan penggunaan elemen multimedia pada aplikasi tersebut, dan aplikasi tersebut dapat membantu mereka untuk memahami topik pembelajaran lebih baik daripada metode pembelajaran dan pengajaran konvensional. AbstractIn this study, we developed a virtual reality application for learning the solar system at the elementary school. The purpose of making this application is to provide multimedia-based learning media for students to be able to understand the concept of the solar system. Multimedia Development Life Cycle is a development stage of the system used to build virtual reality applications. MDLC consists of stages of the manufacturing concept, design, material collecting, assembly, testing, and distribution. Results of user acceptance test conducted by one teacher show the results of 81.25%, while that is done by 26 student shows the results of 88.63%. Based on the acceptance test results by the teacher, there are suggestions to improve the application on the user interactivity aspect. Evaluation of user satisfaction of the applications is done by a questionnaire based on the four elements of multimedia: text, interactivity, animation, and a graphical image. The result of the evaluation of the use of text has a value of 3.57, the graphic has a value of 3.52, animation has a value of 3.54, and interactivity has a value of 3.51. Based on the test results, it can be concluded that the respondents are satisfied with the use of multimedia elements on the application, and the application can help them to understand the learning topic better than conventional methods of learning dan teaching

Making Informed Decisions: Supporting Cobot Integration Considering Business and Worker Preferences

Robots are ubiquitous in small-to-large-scale manufacturers. While collaborative robots (cobots) have significant potential in these settings due to their flexibility and ease of use, proper integration is critical to realize their full potential. Specifically, cobots need to be integrated in ways that utilize their strengths, improve manufacturing performance, and facilitate use in concert with human workers. Effective integration requires careful consideration and the knowledge of roboticists, manufacturing engineers, and business administrators. We propose an approach involving the stages of planning, analysis, development, and presentation, to inform manufacturers about cobot integration within their facilities prior to the integration process. We contextualize our approach in a case study with an SME collaborator and discuss insights learned.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. To be published in Proceedings of the 2024 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '24

Shybo. Design of a research artifact for human-robot interaction studies.

This article discusses the role of Design Research in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Notably, the Research through Design (RtD) approach is proposed as a valuable method to develop HRI research artefacts due to the importance of having a physical artefact, a robot, that enables direct interaction. Moreover, there is a growing interest in HRI for design methodologies as methods for investigation. The article presents an example of a design process, focused on hands-on activities, namely sketching, 3D modelling, prototyping, and documenting. These making practices were applied to the development of Shybo, a small sound-reactive robot for children. Particular attention has been given to the five prototypes that led to the definition of the current solution. Morphological, behavioral, and interaction aspects were investigated throughout the whole process. Each phase of the design process was then documented with the intent of sharing potentially replicable practices and contributing to the understanding of the role that RtD can play in HRI

Real-Time Strategy Game Control for Mobile Robots

As society has progressed, technology has made major advancements. Practical technologies have become more prominent making many laborious roles redundant through remote controlled and autonomous robots, and recreational technologies have seen great success with the gaming industry being worth tens of billions of dollars. Through the exploration of both mobile robots and real-time gaming systems it was identified that the knowledge of real-time gaming control can be of significant aid to the industry of remotely controlled robots. An Xbox Kinect Sensor 1.0 was employed along with the Unity game engine to provide feedback to a user through a gaming system. To limit the scope of the project, the focus was made to limit the feedback for the user to have minimal data transfer rates and be focusing solely on the user’s situational awareness. This task was not able to be successfully completed throughout the duration of the project, however other components of the research identified the potential of this topic. Through the successful integration of the Xbox Kinect Sensor and Unity, sufficient justification for further research in the field was found. This research includes the exploration of control methods, memory mapping through the program development and real-world applications and testing of a mobile robot

VITCAPLA (Virtual Control Application Plataform) Plataforma robótica virtual remolcadora de buques

Visita Técnica InternacionalEl remolque de buques en puertos y canales ha sido una actividad económica y social muy importante en el campo de la ingeniería naval en algunos países costeros del mundo, ya que se debe garantizar el arribo y desplazamiento de los mismos a través de un espacio limitado en forma segura. En este trabajo se presenta el desarrollo de un modelo en realidad virtual de una plataforma remolcadora de buques, que permite la ilustración en 3D del transporte de un buque desde el arribo hasta su salida.INTRODUCCIÓN 1. GENERALIDADES 2. DESCRIPCION LOS COMPONENTES 3. IMPLEMENTACIÓN 4. MANUAL VITCAPLA 5. DESCRIPCION ECONOMICA DEL PROYECTO 6. RECOMENDACIONES 7. CONCLUSIONES BIBLIOGRAFÍA ANEXOSPregradoIngeniero Electrónic

Approach an autonomous vessel as a single robot with Robot Operating System in virtual environment

This project aims at developing an efficient simulation environment for the vessel navigation system. The design of the overall navigation system is described along with its application for the case study of an autonomous vessel. The UNITY and Robot Operating System were utilised as the virtual environment and the main control framework, respectively. By treating the autonomous vessel as a single robot, each part of the system was formulated to enhance the efficiency and visualisation in the development progresses for autonomous system. The virtual environment using UNITY overwhelms the space-time constraints in the testing stage. The navigation system combined with conventional navigation algorithms and a computer vision algorithm were implemented in the Robot Operating System. Hence, the navigation system was enhanced by an assistant object detection algorithm to be more active on fusing environment information. The excellence of the proposed object detection model was demonstrated with reliable performance with 94% mean Average Precision, which renders the model exhibiting visual sensibility in navigation. Overall, it is believed that this study can contribute to offering some insights into developing autonomous marine vessels

The robot engine - Making the unity 3D game engine work for HRI

Bartneck C, Soucy M, Fleuret K, Sandoval E. The robot engine - Making the unity 3D game engine work for HRI. In: Proceedings of the 24th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); 2015: 431-437

Autonomous Vehicles

This edited volume, Autonomous Vehicles, is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters, offering a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of vehicle autonomy. The book comprises nine chapters authored by various researchers and edited by an expert active in the field of study. All chapters are complete in itself but united under a common research study topic. This publication aims to provide a thorough overview of the latest research efforts by international authors, open new possible research paths for further novel developments, and to inspire the younger generations into pursuing relevant academic studies and professional careers within the autonomous vehicle field