Managing a Fleet of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) using Cloud Robotics Platform

In this paper, we provide details of implementing a system for managing a fleet of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) operating in a factory or a warehouse premise. While the robots are themselves autonomous in its motion and obstacle avoidance capability, the target destination for each robot is provided by a global planner. The global planner and the ground vehicles (robots) constitute a multi agent system (MAS) which communicate with each other over a wireless network. Three different approaches are explored for implementation. The first two approaches make use of the distributed computing based Networked Robotics architecture and communication framework of Robot Operating System (ROS) itself while the third approach uses Rapyuta Cloud Robotics framework for this implementation. The comparative performance of these approaches are analyzed through simulation as well as real world experiment with actual robots. These analyses provide an in-depth understanding of the inner working of the Cloud Robotics Platform in contrast to the usual ROS framework. The insight gained through this exercise will be valuable for students as well as practicing engineers interested in implementing similar systems else where. In the process, we also identify few critical limitations of the current Rapyuta platform and provide suggestions to overcome them.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures, journal pape

Design of Power System Stabilizer

A power system stabilizer (PSS) installed in the excitation system of the synchronous generator improves the small-signal power system stability by damping out low frequency oscillations in the power system. It does that by providing supplementary perturbation signals in a feedback path to the alternator excitation system. In our project we review different conventional PSS design (CPSS) techniques along with modern adaptive neuro-fuzzy design techniques. We adapt a linearized single-machine infinite bus model for design and simulation of the CPSS and the voltage regulator (AVR). We use 3 different input signals in the feedback (PSS) path namely, speed variation(w), Electrical Power (Pe), and integral of accelerating power (Pe*w), and review the results in each case. For simulations, we use three different linear design techniques, namely, root-locus design, frequency-response design, and pole placement design; and the preferred non-linear design technique is the adaptive neuro-fuzzy based controller design. The MATLAB package with Control System Toolbox and SIMULINK is used for the design and simulations