Common Data Fusion Framework : An open-source Common Data Fusion Framework for space robotics

Multisensor data fusion plays a vital role in providing autonomous systems with environmental information crucial for reliable functioning. In this article, we summarize the modular structure of the newly developed and released Common Data Fusion Framework and explain how it is used. Sensor data are registered and fused within the Common Data Fusion Framework to produce comprehensive 3D environment representations and pose estimations. The proposed software components to model this process in a reusable manner are presented through a complete overview of the framework, then the provided data fusion algorithms are listed, and through the case of 3D reconstruction from 2D images, the Common Data Fusion Framework approach is exemplified. The Common Data Fusion Framework has been deployed and tested in various scenarios that include robots performing operations of planetary rover exploration and tracking of orbiting satellites

A damage sampling method to reduce A-index standard deviation in the probabilistic assessment of ship survivability using a non-zonal approach

The present SOLAS damage stability regulations for passenger and dry cargo ships address vessel survivability after flooding due to collisions with a probabilistic framework. This concept has been extended to other possible hazards responsible for flooding of a ship, such as groundings (bottom or side). Therefore, probabilistic distributions have been provided for damage locations and dimensions, enabling ship survivability assessment to be based on Monte Carlo (MC) sampling of pertinent distributions for generation of damage breaches using a flexible non-zonal approach. Such a method introduces randomness into the process, leading to a dispersion of obtained A-indices within different batches of generated damages. In the present work, a Quasi Monte Carlo sampling method is applied to generate multiple sets of bottom grounding damages on a reference test barge available in literature. The obtained A-index has a significant data dispersion reduction compared to standard MC samples of equivalent size, reducing the number of cases necessary to obtain an engineering significant value for A-index

Aligning intact and damage stability in a multi-level-assessment framework

Against the background of using the Index of Subdivision as a reference to address the safety level of ships when damaged, following primarily collision incidents, the EC-funded FLARE project is making inroads towards a direct assessment of flooding risk, which is ship, operating environment, and accident-type specific by addressing all the underlying elements, using a two-level approach; level 1 being semi-empirical with risk models informed through a newly composed accident database and level 2 with flooding risk, in the form of Potential Loss of Life, calculated from first principles, using time-domain flooding simulation tools and evacuation analyses in pertinent emergencies. In addition to addressing all accident types and modes of loss, the FLARE framework and methodology target active and passive measures of risk prevention and control, hence with application potential to both newbuildings and existing ships as well as facilitate real-time flooding risk evaluation for risk monitoring and effective control in emergencies. A key objective of the FLARE project is to provide the technical basis and a proposal for the revision of relevant IMO regulations towards a risk-based approach to contain and control flooding emergencies. The paper provides a complete example of one cruise ship and one RoPax where levels 1 and 2 of flooding risk evaluation are presented and discussed, and a summary of results for a further 8 sample ships from Project FLARE, leading to conclusions on the progress made and recommendations for the way forward

SafePASS Project : A Risk Modelling Tool for Passenger Ship Evacuation and Emergency Response Decision Support

One of the biggest challenges in the field of maritime safety is the integration of all the systems related to the evacuation and emergency response under one Decision Support Tool that could broadly cover all the emergency cases and assist in the co-ordination of the evacuation process. Besides, for a decision support tool to be useful we need to be able to calculate the Available time to Evacuate based on real-time data, such as the passenger distribution on board and of course based on the various sensor data that will monitor the damage and its propagation. For all the above, the risk modelling tool developed in SafePASS H2020 project is able to estimate the potential fatalities both in the design phase and in real-time, assessing the evacuation and abandonment risk dynamically, based on real-time data related to the passenger distribution, route, semantics, LSA availability, procedural changes, and damage case (fire or flooding) propagation

Data fusion framework for planetary and orbital robotics applications

In space robotics, a wide range of sensor data fusion methods are required to accomplish challenging objectives for exploration, science and commercial purposes. This includes navigation for planetary and guidance for orbital robotics, scientific prospecting, and on-orbit servicing. In Fuse provides a comprehensive data fusion framework or toolset to fuse and interpret sensor data from multiple sensors. This project represents an optimal approach to develop software for robotics: a standardized and comprehensive development environment for industrial applications, with particular focus on space applications where components can be connected, tested offline, evaluated and deployed in any preferred robotic framework, including those devised for space or terrestrial applications. This paper discusses the results of verification and validation of data fusion methods for robots deployed in orbital and planetary scenarios using data sets collected in simulation and outdoor analogue campaigns

Modélisation et contrôle de la manipulation dextre multidigitale pour les mains robotisées humanoïdes

In robotics, when the demands for dexterity and versatility are high, traditional end effectors quickly show their limits and humanoid robot hands look like an appealing alternative. Unfortunately, although such hands can be built nowadays that are mechanically satisfactory, using them still remains problematic because their control is difficult. In this thesis, we have investigated three problems related to the control of humanoid robot hands: controlling the motion of the grasped object and the forces it is subject to, keeping hold of the object in case of external disturbances, and calculating the stiffness of the grasp, that is to say its elastic behavior. To manipulate the object, we propose a new control law, based on mathematical programming, that has the advantage of returning control torques which realize a trade-off between the different setpoints, possibly incompatible or unfeasible, and also respect the constraints due to physics and to the mechanics of the robot. To keep hold of the object when a disturbance happens, we propose a method to compute the tightening forces that make the grasp withstand the largest possible disturbance, in the direction where this largest possible disturbance is the smallest: a kind of critical disturbance for the grasp. Finally, we model the stiffness of the object as a function of the stiffness of the fingers, in the case when a relative rolling motion is possible between the fingers and the object. We prove that this stiffness is also function of the contact forces and the curvatures of the contacting surfaces.En robotique, lorsque les exigences de dextérité et de polyvalence sont élevées, les effecteurs terminaux traditionnels montrent vite leurs limites et les mains robotisées humanoïdes semblent une alternative séduisante. Malheureusement, si l'on sait aujourd'hui fabriquer de telles mains satisfaisantes sur le plan mécanique, leur utilisation pose toujours problème car leur contrôle est difficile. Dans cette thèse, on s'est intéressé à trois problèmes relatifs au contrôle des mains robotisées humanoïdes : le contrôle du mouvement de l'objet saisi et des efforts qui lui sont appliqués, le maintien de l'objet en cas de perturbations extérieures, et la raideur de la prise, c'est-à-dire son comportement élastique. Pour la manipulation de l'objet, on propose une nouvelle loi de contrôle, basée sur un problème d'optimisation sous contraintes, qui a l'avantage de synthétiser des couples articulaires moteurs réalisant un compromis entre les différents objectifs de contrôle, possiblement conflictuels ou non atteignables, tout en respectant les limitations de la physique et du robot. Pour garder prise sur l'objet en cas de perturbation, on propose une méthode pour calculer les forces de serrage qui assurent la robustesse de la prise à la plus grande perturbation possible, dans la direction où cette plus grande perturbation possible est la plus petite : une sorte de perturbation critique pour la prise. Enfin, on donne une modélisation de la raideur de l'objet en fonction de celle des doigts, dans le cas où un mouvement relatif de roulement est possible entre les doigts et l'objet. On montre que cette raideur dépend aussi des forces de contact et des courbures des surfaces en contact

A multi-level approach to flooding risk estimation of passenger ships

Against the background of using the Index of Subdivision as reference to address the safety level of ships when damaged, following primarily collision incidents, the EC-funded FLARE project is making inroads towards a direct assessment of flooding risk, which is ship, operating environment, and ancient type specific by addressing all the underlying elements, using a two-level approach; level 1 being semi-empirical with risk models informed through a newly composed accident database and level 2 with flooding risk, in the form of Potential Loss of Life, calculated from first principles, using time-domain flooding simulation tools and evacuation analyses in pertinent emergencies. In addition to addressing all accident types and modes of loss, the FLARE framework and methodology target active and passive measures of risk prevention and control, hence with application potential to both new buildings and existing ships as well as facilitate real-time flooding risk evaluation for risk monitoring and effective control in emergencies. A key objective of the FLARE project is to provide the technical basis and a proposal for the revision of relevant IMO regulations towards a risk-based approach to contain and control flooding emergencies. The paper provides a complete example of one cruise ship and one RoPax where levels 1 and 2 of flooding risk evaluation is presented and discussed, leading to conclusions and recommendations for the way forward

A common data fusion framework for space robotics: architecture and data fusion methods

International audienceData fusion algorithms make it possible to combine data from different sensors into symbolic representations such as environment maps, object models, and position estimates. The software community in space robotics lacks a comprehensive software framework to fuse and contextually store data from multiple sensors while also making it easier to develop, evaluate, and compare algorithms. The InFuse consortium, six partners in the industrial and academic space sector working under the supervision of a Program Support Activity (PSA) consisting of representatives from ESA, ASI, CDTI, CNES, DLR, UKSA, is developing such a framework, complete with a set of data fusion implementations based on state-of-the-art perception, localization and mapping algorithms, and performance metrics to evaluate them. This paper describes the architecture of this Common Data Fusion Framework and overviews the data fusion methods that it will provide for tasks such as localisation, mapping, environment reconstruction, object detection and tracking