Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics IX: Selected Contributions of the Ninth International Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics

441 Pages·2011·9.44 MB·English

by  Takeo Igarashi

Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics
Volume 68
Editors:BrunoSiciliano·OussamaKhatib·FransGroen
David Hsu, Volkan Isler, Jean-Claude Latombe,
Ming C. Lin (Eds.)
Algorithmic Foundations of
Robotics IX
Selected Contributions of the Ninth
International Workshop on the Algorithmic
Foundations of Robotics
ABC
ProfessorBrunoSiciliano,DipartimentodiInformaticaeSistemistica,UniversitàdiNapoliFedericoII,
ViaClaudio21,80125Napoli,Italy,E-mail:[email protected]
ProfessorOussamaKhatib,ArtificialIntelligenceLaboratory,DepartmentofComputerScience,
StanfordUniversity,Stanford,CA94305-9010,USA,E-mail:[email protected]
ProfessorFransGroen,DepartmentofComputerScience,UniversiteitvanAmsterdam,Kruislaan403,
1098SJAmsterdam,TheNetherlands,E-mail:[email protected]
Editors
Dr.DavidHsu Dr.Jean-ClaudeLatombe
NationalUniversityofSingapore StanfordUniversity
SchoolofComputing ComputerScienceDepartment
13ComputingDrive Stanford,CA94305-9010,USA
Singapore117417 [email protected]
[email protected] http://robotics.stanford.edu/∼latombe/
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/∼dyhsu
Dr.MingC.Lin
Dr.VolkanIsler UniversityofNorthCarolina,ChapelHill
UniversityofMinnesota DepartmentofComputerScience
DepartmentofComputerScience 254BrooksBuilding
200UnionStreetSE ChapelHill,NC27599,USA
Minneapolis,MN55455,USA [email protected]
[email protected] http://www.cs.unc.edu/∼lin/
http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/∼isler/
ISBN978-3-642-17451-3 e-ISBN978-3-642-17452-0
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-17452-0
SpringerTractsinAdvancedRobotics ISSN1610-7438
(cid:2)c 2010Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.Allrightsarereserved,whetherthewholeorpartofthematerialis
concerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,broadcasting,
reproductiononmicrofilmorinanyotherway,andstorageindatabanks.Duplicationofthispublication
orpartsthereofispermittedonlyundertheprovisionsoftheGermanCopyrightLawofSeptember 9,
1965,initscurrentversion,andpermissionforusemustalwaysbeobtainedfromSpringer.Violations
areliableforprosecutionundertheGermanCopyrightLaw.
Theuseofgeneral descriptive names,registered names,trademarks, etc. inthis publication does not
imply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevantprotective
lawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
Typeset&CoverDesign:ScientificPublishingServicesPvt.Ltd.,Chennai,India.
Printedonacid-freepaper
543210
springer.com
EditorialAdvisoryBoard
OliverBrock,TUBerlin,Germany
HermanBruyninckx,KULeuven,Belgium
RajaChatila,LAAS,France
HenrikChristensen,GeorgiaTech,USA
PeterCorke,QueenslandUniv.Technology,Australia
PaoloDario,ScuolaS.AnnaPisa,Italy
RüdigerDillmann,Univ.Karlsruhe,Germany
KenGoldberg,UCBerkeley,USA
JohnHollerbach,Univ.Utah,USA
MakotoKaneko,OsakaUniv.,Japan
LydiaKavraki,RiceUniv.,USA
VijayKumar,Univ.Pennsylvania,USA
SukhanLee,SungkyunkwanUniv.,Korea
FrankPark,SeoulNationalUniv.,Korea
TimSalcudean,Univ.BritishColumbia,Canada
RolandSiegwart,ETHZurich,Switzerland
GauravSukhatme,Univ.SouthernCalifornia,USA
SebastianThrun,StanfordUniv.,USA
YangshengXu,ChineseUniv.HongKong,PRC
Shin’ichiYuta,TsukubaUniv.,Japan
N
SdeTrAtRhe(aSupsrpinicgeesrTofraEcUtsRinOANd(vEaunrcoepdeRanobRootbicost)ichsasRbeeseeanrpcrhoNmeottwedorukn)- RERuersoOepaeracBnhROO************TICS
NetworkU
E

Foreword
By the dawn of the new millennium, robotics has undergone a major transforma-
tion in scope and dimensions. This expansion has been brought about by the ma-
turity of the field and the advances in its related technologies. From a largely
dominant industrial focus, robotics has been rapidly expanding into the challenges
of the human world (human-centered and life-like robotics). The new generation
of robots is expected to safely and dependably interact and work with humans in
homes, workplaces, and communities providing support in services, entertainment,
education, exploration, healthcare, manufacturing, and assistance.
Beyond its impact on physical robots, the body of knowledge that robotics has
produced is revealing a much wider range of applications reaching across diverse
research areas and scientific disciplines, such as: biomechanics, haptics, neurosci-
ences, and virtual simulation, animation, surgery, and sensor networks among oth-
ers. In return, the challenges of the new emerging areas are proving an abundant
source of stimulation and insights for the field of robotics. It is indeed at the inter-
section of disciplines where the most striking advances happen.
The Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics (STAR) is devoted to bringing to
the research community the latest advances in the robotics field on the basis of
their significance and quality. Through a wide and timely dissemination of critical
research developments in robotics, our objective with this series is to promote
more exchanges and collaborations among the researchers in the community and
contribute to further advancements in this rapidly growing field.
Since its inception in 1994, the biennial Workshop Algorithmic Foundations of
Robotics (WAFR) has established some of the field's most fundamental and lasting
contributions. Since the launching of STAR, WAFR and several other thematic
symposia in robotics find an important platform for closer links and extended
reach within the robotics community.
This volume is the outcome of the WAFR ninth edition and is edited by D. Hsu,
V. Isler, J.-C. Latombe and M.C. Lin. The book offers a collection of a wide range
of topics in advanced robotics, including motion planning, multiagents, modular and
reconfigurable robots, localization and mapping, grasping, and sensing.
The contents of the twenty-four contributions represent a cross-section of the
current state of research from one particular aspect: algorithms, and how they are
inspired by classical disciplines, such as discrete and computational geometry,
differential geometry, mechanics, optimization, operations research, computer
VIII Foreword
science, probability and statistics, and information theory. Validation of algo-
rithms, design concepts, or techniques is the common thread running through this
focused collection.
Rich by topics and authoritative contributors, WAFR culminates with this
unique reference on the current developments and new directions in the field of
algorithmic foundations. A very fine addition to the series!
Naples, Italy Bruno Siciliano
October 2010 STAR Editor
Preface
Robot algorithms are a fundamental build block of robotic systems. They enable
robots to perceive, plan, control, and learn, in order to achieve greater autonomy.
Today, the design and analysis of robot algorithms are more crucial than ever for
at least two reasons:
• Robotics is undergoing major transformation. Originally focused on indus-
trial manufacturing, it is now rapidly expanding into new domains, such as
homes and offices, elderly care, medical surgery, entertainment, ocean and
space exploration, and search-and-rescue missions. In these new domains,
tasks are less repetitive, environments are less structured, events are more
unpredictable, and greater autonomy is required over long periods of time.
It is often impossible to anticipate all events explicitly and to program the
robots specifically to handle them. New algorithms that are adaptive to
environment uncertainties and changes are needed to conquer these
challenges.
• Robot algorithms are finding new applications beyond robotics, for exam-
ple, in designing mechanical assemblies, modeling molecular motion, creat-
ing digital characters for video games and computer-generated movies, ar-
chitectural simulation, and ergonomic studies. These non-traditional
applications of robot algorithms pose new challenges: hundreds or thou-
sands of degrees of freedom, large crowds of characters, complex physical
constraints, and natural-looking motions. The resulting new algorithms may
in turn benefit future robots.
Robot algorithms are also rapidly evolving as a result of new technologies, e.g.,
low-cost parallel computers, cheaper and more diverse sensors, and new interac-
tion technologies ranging from haptic to neuroprosthetic devices.
Unlike traditional computer algorithms, robot algorithms interact with the
physical world. They must operate safely, reliably, and efficiently under tight time
constraints in imperfectly known environments. So, it is not surprising that the de-
sign and analysis of robot algorithms raise unique combinations of fundamental
questions in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and
mathematics. For example, minimalist robotics studies the minimal sensing and
actuation capabilities required for robots to complete a given task. It addresses not
only computational complexity issues, but also “physical” complexity issues.
Probabilistic methods are widely used as a modeling tool to handle uncertainties
due to sensing and actuation noise, but they are also used as a computational tool