Design and control of intelligent heterogeneous multi-configurable chained microrobotic modular systems

The objective of this thesis is the “Design and Control of Intelligent Heterogeneous Multi-configurable Chained Microrobotic Modular Systems”. That is, the development of modular microrobots composed of different types of modules able to perform different types of movements (gaits), that can have different (chained) configurations depending on the task to perform. Heterogenous is the key word in this thesis. It is possible to find in literature many designs concerning modular robots, but almost all of them are homogenous: all are composed of the same modules except for some designs having two different modules but one of them passive. In this thesis, several active modules are proposed (rotation, support, extension, helicoidal, etc.) that can be combined and execute different gaits. The original idea was to make the robots as smaller as possible, reaching in the end a final diameter of 27mm. Although they are not really microrobots, they are in the mesoscale (from hundreds of microns to tens of centimeters) and in literature they are called for simplicity minirobots or microrobots. Several modules have been developed: the rotation module (indeed it is a double rotation module, but for simplicity it is called rotation module) v1 and v2, the helicoidal module v1 and v2, the support module v1, v1.1 and v2, the extension module v1 and v2, the camera module v1 and v2, the contact module (it is included in the camera module v2) and the battery module. Some others are still in the design or conceptual phase, but they can be simulated. They are the SMA-based module (there is already a prototype), the traveler module (in the design phase) and the sensor module (in a conceptual phase). All modules have been designed with the idea to miniaturized them in the future, and so both the electronic and the embedded control programs are as simple as possible (maintaining the planned functionality). Parallel to the construction of the modules a simulator has been developed to provide a very efficient way of prototyping and verification of control algorithms, hardware design, and exploring system deployment scenarios. It is built upon an existing open source implementation of rigid body dynamics, the Open Dynamics Engine (ODE). Simulated modules have been designed as simple as possible (using simple primitives) to make simulation fluid, but trying to reflect as much as possible its real physic conditions and parameters, its electronics and communication buses, and the software embedded in the modules. The simulator has been validated using the information gathered from real modules experiments and this has helped to adjust the parameters of the simulator to have an accurate model. Although the first idea was to develop the microrobot for pipe inspection, the expe¬rience acquired with the first prototypes causes to realize that locomotion systems used inside pipes could also be suitable outside them, and that the prototypes and the control architecture were useful in open spaces. In this way, research was extended to open spaces and the ego-positioning system was added. The EGO-positioning system is a method that allows all individual robots of a swarm to know their own positions and orientations based in the projection of sequences of coded images composed of horizontal and vertical stripes over photodiodes placed on the robots. This concept can also be applied to the modules in order for them to know their position and orientation, and to send commands to all of them at the same time. To manage all of this a control architecture based on behaviors has been developed. Since the modules cannot have a big processor, a central control is included in the ar-chitecture to take the high level control. The central control has a model-based subpart and another part based on behaviors. The embedded control in the modules is entirely behavior-based. Between this two there is an heterogenous agent (layer) that allows the central control to treat all modules in the same way, since the heterogenous layer translates its commands into module specific commands. A behavior-based architecture has been chosen because it is specifically appropriate for designing and controlling biologically inspired robots, it has proven to be suitable for modular systems and it integrates very well both low and high level control. In order to communicate all actors (behaviors, modules and central control), a commu¬nication protocol based on I2C has been developed. It allows to send messages from the operator to the central control, from central control to the modules and between behaviors. A Module Description Language (MDL) has been designed, a language that allows modules to transmit their capabilities to the central control, so it can process this information and choose the best configuration and parameters for the microrobot. Inside the control architecture an offline genetic algorithm has been developed in order to: first, determine the modules to use to have an optimal configuration for an specific task (configuration demand), and second, determine the optimum parameters for best performance for a given module configuration (parameter optimization). Thus, the main contributions that can be found in this thesis are: the design and construction of an Heterogeneous Modular Multi-configurable Chained Microrobot able to perform different gaits (snake-like, inch-worm, helicoidal, combination), the design of a common interface for the modules, a behavior-based control architecture for heterogenous chained modular robot, a simulator for the physics and dynamics (including the design of a servo model), electronics, communications and embedded software routines of the modules, and finally, the enhancement of the ego-positioning system. Resumen El objetivo de esta tesis es el diseño y control de microrobots inteligentes modulares heterogéneos multiconfigurables de tipo cadena. Es decir, el desarrollo de microrobots modulares compuestos por diferentes tipos de módulos capaces de realizar diferentes tipos de movimientos (gaits en inglés), que pueden ser dispuestos en diferentes configuraciones (siempre en cadena) dependiendo de la tarea a realizar. Heterogéneo es la palabra clave en esta tesis. Es posible encontrar en la literatura muchos diseños sobre robots modulares, pero casi todos ellos son homogéneos: todos se componen de los mismos módulos, excepto en algunos diseños que tienen dos módulos diferentes, pero uno de ellos pasivo. En esta tesis, se proponen varios módulos activos (rotación, soporte, extensión, helicoidales, etc) que se pueden combinar y ejecutar diferentes movimientos, además de otros pasivos (baterías, sensores, medición de la distancia recorrida) como complemento a los primeros. La idea original era hacer los robots lo más pequeños posible, alcanzando finalmente un diámetro de 27 mm. Aunque no se puedan considerar técnicamente como microrobots, están en la mesoescala (entre cientos de mieras y decenas de centímetros) y en la literatura se les suele llamar por simplicidad minirrobots o microrrobots. Durante el desarrollo de esta tesis, varios módulos han sido desarrollados: el módulo de rotación (en realidad se trata de un módulo de doble rotación, pero por simplicidad se le llama módulo de rotación) vi y v2, el módulo helicoidal vi y v2, el módulo de soporte vi, vl.l y v2, el módulo de extensión vi y v2, el módulo de cámara vi y v2, el módulo de contacto (que está incluido en el módulo de la cámara v2) y el módulo de batería. Algunos otros están todavía en fase de diseño o conceptual, pero pueden ser utilizados en la simulación. Son el módulo basado en SMA (ya existe un prototipo), el módulo de medición de distancia recorrida (en fase de diseño) y el módulo de sensores (en fase conceptual). Todos los módulos han sido diseñados con la idea de ser miniaturizados en el futuro, por lo que tanto la electrónica como los programas de control integrados se han hecho tan simples como es posible (manteniendo por supuesto la funcionalidad prevista). Paralelamente a la construcción de los módulos se ha desarrollado un simulador para proporcionar un medio eficaz de creación de prototipos y de verificación de los algoritmos de control, diseño de hardware, y exploración de escenarios de despliegue del sistema. Está construido sobre un software (libre y de código abierto) de simulación de dinámica de cuerpos rígidos, el Open Dynamics Engine (ODE). Los módulos simulados se han diseñado de la forma más simple posible (usando primitivas simples) para hacer fluida la simulación, pero tratando de reflejar lo más posible sus condiciones reales y los parámetros físicos, sus componentes electrónicos y buses de comunicación, y el software incluido en los módulos. El simulador ha sido validado con la información obtenida en experimentos con módulos reales, y esto ha ayudado a ajustar los parámetros del simulador para tener un modelo preciso. Aunque la primera idea fue desarrollar el microrobot para la inspección de tuberías, la experiencia adquirida con los primeros prototipos mostró que los sistemas de locomoción utilizados en el interior de tuberías también podrían ser adecuados fuera de ellas, y que los prototipos y la arquitectura de control son útiles en espacios abiertos. De esta manera, la investigación se extendió a los espacios abiertos y se añadió el sistema de “ego-positioning”. El sistema de “ego-positioning” es un método que permite a los robots de un enjambre conocer su posición y orientación basadas en la proyección de secuencias de imágenes codificadas compuesto por rayas horizontales y verticales sobre fotodiodos colocados en los robots. Este concepto también puede aplicarse a los módulos de un microrobot para que puedan conocer su posición y orientación, y para enviar comandos a todos ellos al mismo tiempo. Para gestionar todo esto se ha desarrollado una arquitectura de control basada en comportamientos. Dado que los módulos no pueden tener un procesador de grandes capacidades, se incluye en la arquitectura un control central para proporcionar control de alto nivel. El control central tiene una parte basada en modelos y otra parte basada en comportamientos. El control integrado en los módulos está totalmente basado en compor-tamientos. Entre los dos hay un agente heterogéneo (o capa) que permite que el control central trate a todos los módulos de la misma manera, ya que la capa heterogénea traduce sus órdenes a comandos específicos del módulo. Esta arquitectura basada en comportamientos ha sido elegida porque es especialmente adecuada para el diseño y control de robots inspirados en sistemas biológicos, ha demostrado ser adecuada para sistemas mod-ulares e integra muy bien niveles altos y bajos de control. Con el fin de comunicar a todos los actores (los comportamientos, los módulos y el control central), se ha desarrollado un protocolo de comunicación basado en I2C. Este protocolo permite enviar mensajes del operador al control central, desde el control central a los módulos y entre comportamientos. Dentro de la arquitectura también se ha desarrollado un “Lenguaje de Descripción de Módulos”(MDL por sus siglas en inglés “Module Description Language”), un lenguaje que permite a los módulos transmitir sus capacidades al control central, para que pueda procesar esta información y elegir la mejor configuración y los parámetros del microrobot. Dentro de la arquitectura de control se ha desarrollado un algoritmo genético con el fin de: primero, determinar los módulos a utilizar para tener una configuración óptima para una tarea específica (petición de configuración), y segundo, determinar los parámetros óptimos para el mejor funcionamiento de un módulo dada una configuración (optimización de parámetros). Como resumen, las principales contribuciones que se pueden encontrar en esta tesis son: el diseño y la construcción de un microrobot modular heterogéneo multiconfigurable de tipo cadena capaz de llevar a cabo diferentes sistemas de locomoción (de tipo serpiente, gusano, helicoidal y combinación de los anteriores), el diseño de un interfaz común para los módulos, una arquitectura de control basada en comportamientos para robots modulares heterogéneos de tipo cadena, un simulador de la física y la dinámica (incluyendo el diseño de un modelo de servo), electrónica, comunicaciones y rutinas embebidas de software de los módulos y finalmente, la mejora del sistema de “ego-positioning”.

Offline GA-based optimisation for heterogeneous modular multi-configurable chained micro-robots

This paper presents a GA-based optimization procedure for bioinspired heterogeneous modular multiconfigurable chained microrobots. When constructing heterogeneous chained modular robots that are composed of several different drive modules, one must select the type and position of the modules that form the chain. One must also develop new locomotion gaits that combine the different drive modules. These are two new features of heterogeneous modular robots that they do not share with homogeneous modular robots. This paper presents an offline control system that allows the development of new configuration schemes and locomotion gaits for these heterogeneous modular multiconfigurable chained microrobots. The offline control system is based on a simulator that is specifically designed for chained modular robots and allows them to develop and learn new locomotion patterns.This work has been supported by the CAM Project S2009/DPI-1559/ROBOCITY2030 II, developed by the research team RoboticsLab at the University Carlos III of Madrid

Integration of low-cost supervisory mobile robots in domestic wireless sensor networks

This paper presents a communication interface between supervisory low-cost mobile robots and domestic Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) based on the Zig Bee protocol from different manufacturers. The communication interface allows control and communication with other network devices using the same protocol. The robot can receive information from sensor devices (temperature, humidity, luminosity) and send commands to actuator devices (lights, shutters, thermostats) from different manufacturers. The architecture of the system, the interfaces and devices needed to establish the communication are described in the paper

A simulation environment for bio-inspired heterogeneous chained modular robots

This paper presents a new simulation environment aimed at heterogeneous chained modular robots. This simulator allows testing the feasibility of the design, checking how modules are going to perform in the field and verifying hardware, electronics and communication designs before the prototype is built, saving time and resources. The paper shows how the simulator is built and how it can be set up to adapt to new designs. It also gives some examples of its use showing different heterogeneous modular robots running in different environments

A behaviour-based control architecture for heterogeneous modular, multi-configurable, chained micro-robots

This article presents a new control architecture designed for heterogeneous modular, multi-configurable, chained micro-robots. This architecture attempts to fill the gap that exists in heterogeneous modular robotics research, in which little work has been conducted compared to that in homogeneous modular robotics studies. The architecture proposes a three-layer structure with a behaviour-based, low-level embedded layer, a half-deliberative half-behaviour-based high layer for the central control, and a heterogeneous middle layer acting as a bridge between these two layers. This middle layer is very important because it allows the central control to treat all modules in the same manner, facilitating the control of the robot. A communication protocol and a module description language were also developed for the control architecture to facilitate communication and information flow between the heterogeneous modules and the central control. Owing to the heterogeneous behaviour of the architecture, the system can automatically reconfigure its actions to adapt to unpredicted events (such as actuator failure). Several behaviours (at low and high levels) are also presented here.The research leading to these results has received funding from RoboCity2030-II-CM (S2009/DPI-1559), funded by Programas de Actividades I+D en la Comunidad de Madrid and cofunded by Structural Funds os the EUPublicad

Hammer: an Android based application for end-user industrial robot programming

This paper presents a novel tablet based end-user interface for industrial robot programming (called Hammer). This application makes easier to program tasks for industrial robots like polishing, milling or grinding. It is based on the Scratch programming language, but specifically design and created for Android OS. It is a visual programming concept that allows non-skilled programmer operators to create programs. The application also allows to monitor the tasks while it is being executed by overlapping real time information through augmented reality. The application includes a teach pendant screen that can be customized according to the operator needs at every moment

La domótica al servicio de los enfermos de Alzheimer y sus cuidadores

El cuidado de los enfermos de Alzheimer que viven en su casa se realiza a menudo por cuidadores no profesionales (familiares principalmente) que tienen que compatibilizar sus actividades personales y laborales con el cuidado de sus familiares enfermos. Esta es una tarea que lleva demasiado tiempo, pero que puede ser facilitada por las nuevas tecnologías (especialmente domóticas) que han surgido en los últimos años. El grupo de trabajo DomAlz (que toma su nombre de Domótica y Alzheimer) se ha creado para estudiar el gran abanico de soluciones que existen en el mercado y que se están desarrollando, y proponer nuevas soluciones

TREATMENT OF UNCERTAINTIES IN THE EXISTENCE OF FREE BERTHS WITH RISK ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES IN PORT OF CADIZ (SPAIN)

[EN] his research discusses the challenges involved in the treatment of uncertainties in the existence of free berths during the arrival of cruise ships at seaports. Pursuing this goal, a three-step methodology is adopted: 1) Identifying risk sources and critical risk variables and how they are related; 2) Fitting the Probability Distribution Functions that best represent the behaviour of each critical risk variable; and 3) Simulating the probability of a ship having to wait because there are no free berths using a technique that combines statistical concepts (random sampling) with the ability of computers to generate pseudo-random numbers and automate estimations of the values of the set of critical risk variables. The innovative use of risk analysis techniques in this field allows the establishment of policies to improve the planning and management of port infrastructure, for example, deciding when it is necessary to work to increase the number of berths. As a case of study, we applied this methodology to study whether the enlargement of the wharf in the port of Cadiz (Spain) is necessary right now considering the number of cruise ships that have arrived at the port in the past three years, their date and hour of arrival, their length and draught, the duration of their stay in port and their waiting time before being able to enter the port. This action would require moving logistics activities to a new terminal, but would bring to the city the opportunity to rethink the seafront, introducing new cruiser links with the city centre and developing a better seaport-city integration.Awad Núñez, S.; Camarero Orive, A.; Romero Sánchez-Brunete, M.; Camarero Orive, A.; González Cancelas, N. (2016). TREATMENT OF UNCERTAINTIES IN THE EXISTENCE OF FREE BERTHS WITH RISK ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES IN PORT OF CADIZ (SPAIN). En XII Congreso de ingeniería del transporte. 7, 8 y 9 de Junio, Valencia (España). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1418-1429. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2016.3721OCS1418142

A dynamic-booster and attendance-tracking app for classroom teaching

This paper presents an app whose main aim is to improve the user experience in face-to-face classes, both for lecturers and students. This app allows the lecturer to have more control over the class, registering and visualizing the student attendance and performance, and allows the students to participate more actively during the sessions through live questions. After installing a QR code on the classroom tables, the student is able to check-in with the app when arriving to class. A map of the class is created automatically for the lecturer with names, photos and the location of each student. The lecturer uses this map (running in a tablet or computer) to know the names of the students, to pose questions, to see their statistics and attendance, and to interact on a more personal level (especially relevant for large classes over 100 students). The app allows the lecturer to propose questions, tests and exercises that the students respond individually and confidentially through the same app. This allows the lecturer to have feedback in real time of the degree of attention and understanding of the students. Student answers could be used to make rankings, and therefore award prizes according to each student performance (gamification techniques)

Hammer: robot programming interface for common people

This video shows the main features of Hammer, a tablet-based end-user interface for industrial robot programming, in a real environment: a robotic cell created for the Hephestos European project. Hammer is an Android application that makes easier to program tasks for industrial robots like polishing, milling or grinding. It is based on the Scratch programming language, but specifically design and created for Android OS. It is a visual programming concept that allows non-skilled operators to create programs. The application allows to monitor the tasks while it is being executed by overlapping real time information through augmented reality. The application includes a teach pendant screen that can be customized according to the operator needs at every moment. The application is designed for online programming and reprogramming; easy use of learn-by-demonstration methods; easy connection with the robot control and sensors systems; and safety-system integration. It aims to be intuitive, easy to use, and simple. The application has four main parts: customized teach pendant, robot programming IDE and simulator, manual-guidance interface and augmented-reality-based-monitoring system