Innovations in Robot Mobility and Control

313 Pages·2006·3.096 MB·English

by  Srikanta Patnaik, Lakhmi C. Jain, Spyros G. Tzafestas, Germano Resconi, Amit Konar

SrikantaPatnaik,LakhmiC.Jain,SpyrosG.Tzafestas,GermanoResconi,
AmitKonar(Eds.)
InnovationsinRobotMobilityandControl
StudiesinComputational Intelligence,Volume 8
Editor-in-chief
Prof.JanuszKacprzyk
SystemsResearchInstitute
PolishAcademyofSciences
ul.Newelska6
01-447Warsaw
Poland
E-mail:[email protected]
Furthervolumesofthisseries Vol.7.BrunoApolloni,AshishGhosh,Ferda
canbefoundonourhomepage: Alpaslan,LakhmiC.Jain,SrikantaPatnaik
(Eds.)
springeronline.com
MachineLearningandRobotPerception,
2005
Vol.1.TetsuyaHoya ISBN3-540-26549-X
ArtificialMindSystem–KernelMemory
Vol.8.SrikantaPatnaik,LakhmiC.Jain,
Approach,2005
SpyrosG.Tzafestas,GermanoResconi,
ISBN3-540-26072-2
AmitKonar(Eds.)
Vol.2.SamanK.Halgamuge,LipoWang InnovationsinRobotMobilityandControl,
(Eds.) 2005
ComputationalIntelligenceforModelling ISBN3-540-26892-8
andPrediction,2005
ISBN3-540-26071-4
Vol.3.Boz˙enaKostek
Perception-BasedDataProcessingin
Acoustics,2005
ISBN3-540-25729-2
Vol.4.SamanHalgamuge,LipoWang(Eds.)
ClassificationandClusteringforKnowledge
Discovery,2005
ISBN3-540-26073-0
Vol.5.DaRuan,GuoqingChen,EtienneE.
Kerre,GeertWets(Eds.)
IntelligentDataMining,2005
ISBN3-540-26256-3
Vol.6.TsauYoungLin,SetsuoOhsuga,
Churn-JungLiau,XiaohuaHu,Shusaku
Tsumoto(Eds.)
FoundationsofDataMiningandKnowledge
Discovery,2005
ISBN3-540-26257-1
Srikanta Patnaik
Lakhmi C. Jain
Spyros G. Tzafestas
Germano Resconi
Amit Konar
(Eds.)
Innovations in Robot
Mobility and Control
ABC
ProfessorSrikantaPatnaik ProfessorGermanoResconi
DepartmentofInformation DepartmentofMathematicsandPhysics
andCommunicationTechnology CatholicUniversity
F.M.University ViaTrieste17,25100Brescia
VyasaVihar Italy
Balasore-756019 E-mail:[email protected]
Orissa,India
E-mail:[email protected]
ProfessorDr.AmitKonar
ProfessorLakhmiC.Jain
DepartmentofElectronicsand
SchoolofElectrical&InfoEngineering TelecommunicationEngineering
UniversityofSouthAustralia ArtificialIntelligenceLab.
Knowledge-BasedIntelligentEngineering JadavpurUniversity
5095Adelaide 700032Calcutta
Australia India
E-mail:[email protected] E-mail:[email protected]
ProfessorDr.SpyrosG.Tzafestas
DepartmentofElectricalEngineering
DivisionofComputerScience
NationalTechnicalUniversity
Zographou,15773Athens
Greece
E-mail:[email protected]
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2005929886
ISSNprintedition:1860-949X
ISSNelectronicedition:1860-9503
ISBN-10 3-540-26892-8SpringerBerlinHeidelbergNewYork
ISBN-13 978-3-540-26892-5SpringerBerlinHeidelbergNewYork
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Preface
A robot is a controlled manipulator capable of performing complex
tasks and decision-making like the human beings. Mobility is an
important consideration for modern robots. The book provides a
clear exposition to the control and mobility aspects of modern
robots.

There are good many books on mobile robots. Most of these books
cover fundamental principles on motion control and path-planning
using ultrasonic/ laser transducers. This book attempts to develop
interesting models for vision-based map building in both indoor and
outdoor environments, precise motion control, navigation in
dynamic environment, and above all multi-agent cooperation of
robots. The most important aspects of this book is that the principles
and models introduced in the text are all field tested, and thus can
readily be used in solving real world problems, such as factory
automation, disposal of nuclear wastes, landmine clearing and
computerized surgery.

The book consists of eight chapters. Chapter 1 provides a
comprehensive presentation on multi-agent robotics. It begins with
an introduction, emphasizing the importance of multi-agent robotics
in autonomous sensor networks, building surveillance,
transportation, underwater pollution monitoring and in rescue
operation after large-scale disaster. Next the authors highlight some
open-ended research problems in multi-agent robotics, including
uncertainty management in distributed sensing, distributed
reasoning, learning, task allocation and control, and communication
overhead because of limited bandwidth of the communication
channels. The design of multi-agent robotic system can be
performed by both top-down and bottom-up approach. In this
chapter, the authors employ the bottom-up approach that takes care
of designing individual robots first, and then integrate the behavior
of two or more robots to make the system amenable for real-world
applications.
vi Preface
Chapter 1 encompasses functional architecture of the proposed
multi-agent robots with special reference to information sharing,
communication, synchronization and task sharing & execution by
the agents. The fusion of multi-sensory data received by different
agents to cooperatively use the fused information is then narrated in
detail. The problems of cooperative navigation are then undertaken,
and two possible approaches to solve this problem are presented.

The first approach is based on finite state automata, whereas the
second approach attempts to formalize a biologically inspired model
in a stochastic framework. In the latter model, the authors aim at
optimizing the probability of a group of robots, starting at a given
location and terminating at a given target region within a stipulated
time.

The later part of the chapter presents several principles of
cooperative decision-making. The principles include hybrid
decision-making involving a logic-based planner and a reactive
system that together can provide both short-term and long-term
decisions. An alternative method concerning distributed path-
planning and coordination in a multi-agent system is also presented.
Examples of application in simulated rescue problem and game
playing between two teams of robotic agents have also been
undertaken.

The chapter ends with a discussion on emotion-based architectures
of robotic agents with an ultimate aim to socialize the behavior of
the agents.

Chapter 2 presents a scheme for vision-based autonomous
navigation by a mobile robot. The central idea in this scheme is to
recognize landmarks in the surrounding environment of the robot.
Thus landmark serves as a navigational aid for the robot. After a
landmark is successfully recognized, the robot approximates its
current position, and derives an optimal path reaching the goal.

The chapter introduces a Selective Visual Attention Landmark
Recognition (SVALR) architecture, which uses the concept of
Preface vii
selective attention from physiological study as a means for 2-D
shape landmarks recognition.

After giving a brief overview of monocular vision-based robots, the
chapter emphasizes the need for two different neural networks, such
as Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) and Selective Attention
Adaptive Resonance Theory (SAART) neural networks for shape
recognition of objects in a given robot’s world. Because of the
dynamic nature of SAART, it involves massive computations for
shape recognition. So, the main concept of SAART is re-engineered,
and is re-named Memory Feedback Modulation (MFM) mechanism.
The MFM system in association with standard image processing
architecture leads to the development of SVALR architecture.

Given a topological map for self-localization, the laboratory model
of the robot can autonomously navigate the environment through
recognition of visual landmarks. It has also been observed that the 2-
D landmark recognition scheme is free from variations in lighting
conditions and background noise.

Chapter 3 presents vision-based techniques for solving some of the
problems of micromanipulation. Manipulation and assembling at
micro-scale is a critical issue in many engineering and biomedical
applications. Unfortunately, many problems and uncertainty are
encountered for design and manipulation at micro-scale. This
chapter aims at characterizing the uncertainty that appears in the
design of vision-based micromanipulators. In a micromanipulation
system, the controlled movement of entities lies in the range of 1
micrometer to 1 millimeter.

To reduce the uncertainties in micromanipulation, the following
methods are usually adopted. The environmental parameters such as
humidity and temperature are to be controlled. Secondly, the
precision mechanism for tools and fixtures that needs to be
reconfigured for different applications should be increased. The
important aspect in micromanipulation is the man-machine interface
(MMI). The success of MMI depends on the understanding of the
uncertainties in the complete system. The chapter addresses three
viii Preface
major issues to reduce the scope of uncertainty in micromanipulation
through appropriate visualization tools, automated visual servoing
and automatic determination of system parameters.

The chapter introduces vision-based approaches to provide
maximum assistance to human operators. To enhance resolution for
precision, multiple views consisting of micro projective images and
microscopic images together are used. These images together can
provide global information about objects irrespective of limited field
of view of the camera. A scheme for multiple view multiple scale
visual servo is developed. The main emphasis in visual servo design
is given on feature selection, correspondence finding and correction
and motion estimation from images.

Chapter 4 provides an evolutionary approach to the well-known
path-planning problem of mobile robots in a dynamic environment.
It considers automatic sailing of a ship amidst static obstacles, such
as lands and canals, and dynamic obstacles, such as other sailing
ships. Like classical navigation problem, here too the authors
consider a starting point and a given goal (destination) point of the
ship, and the trajectory planning is performed on-line. The path-
planning problem here has been formulated as a multi-criteria
optimization problem that takes into account both safety of sailing
(i.e. avoidance of collision) and economy of ship-motion. The
overall path constructed is a sequence of linear paths, linked with
each other at the turning points.

In the evolutionary planning algorithm introduced in this chapter,
chromosomes are defined as a collection of genes representing the
starting point, intermediate turning points and the destination point
of the ship. The algorithm begins with a initialization of randomly
selected paths (chromosomes), and then each path is evaluated to
determine whether it is safe and economic for sailing, taking into
consideration of both static and dynamic obstacles. The evaluation is
done by a judiciously selected fitness function, which determines the
total cost of the trajectory to maintain safe conditions and economic
conditions (such as total length of sailing). Eight genetic operators
have been used in the evolutionary algorithm for trajectory planning.
Preface ix
These are mutation (velocity selection), soft mutation (such as
velocity HIGH or LOW), adding a gene, swapping gene locations,
crossing, smoothing, deleting genes and individual repair.
Simulation results presented at the end of the chapter demonstrate
the correctness and elegance of the proposed technique.

Grippers are integral parts of a robot. Low cost robots too have
grippers, but no sensors are attached to the grippers of these robots
to prevent slippage. Chapter 5 provides a new direction in gripper
design by attaching a slip sensor and a force sensor with the robotic
gripper. A two-fingered gripper model and a simulation system is
presented to demonstrate the design for complex grippers. The
control of the end-effector in a two-fingered gripper system has been
accomplished using a personal computer with a high-speed analogue
input/output card. The simulation model for a complex gripper
capable of handling load disturbances has been realized with a
neuro-fuzzy controller. The main challenge of this work lies in
augmentation of the neuro-fuzzy learning algorithm by
reinforcement learning. It is indeed important to note that the
reinforcement learning works on the basis of punishment/reward
paradigm, and the employment of this algorithm has shown marked
improvement in the overall performance of the gripping function. It
is a well-known phenomenon that with large external (disturbing)
forces acting on the object under consideration, the effector also
produces high acceleration leading to slippage of the grasped object.
The present work, however, has considerably eliminated the
possibility of such slippage even under significant load variations.

Chapter 6 provides a new approach to model outdoor environment
for navigation. While the robot is moving, the sensors attached with
it acquire the information about its world. The information perceived
by the sensors is subsequently used for localization, manipulation
and path-planning. Sensors capable of obtaining depth information,
such as scanner laser, sonars or digital cameras are generally
employed for modeling traversable regions. Various techniques for
modeling regions from outdoor scenes are prevalent. Some of these
are digital elevation maps, geometric models, topological models
and hybrid topo-geometric models. This chapter attempts to develop
x Preface
a topo-geometric type model, represented by a Voronoi diagram,
based on the sensory information received from a 3-D scanner laser.
The environment is thus divided into regions, clearly identifying
which of these regions can be traversed by the robot.

The regions that can be traversed by the robot are defined as
traversable regions. The “traversability characteristics” have been
defined based on the robot and the terrain characteristics.
Experimental results reveal that the proposed topo-geometric
representation is good enough to model the outdoor environment in
real time. A geographical positioning system (GPS), mounted on the
robot can be used to integrate local models so as to augment the
environmental database of a global map.

Chapter 7 addresses the problem of localization by a mobile robot in
an indoor environment using only visual sensory information.
Instead of attempting to build highly reliable geometric maps,
emphasis is given on the construction of topological maps for their
lack of sensitivity to poor odometry estimates and position errors. A
method to incrementally build topological maps by a robot having a
handheld panoramic camera to grab images has been developed. The
robot takes snaps at various locations along its path, and augments
the already developed map using the new features of the grabbed
images. The methodology outlined in this chapter is very general,
and does not impose any restriction on the environmental features
for handling the localization problem. The feature-based localization
strategies presented here are analyzed, and experimentally verified.

Precision engineering is steadily gaining momentum for increasing
demands in high performance, high reliability, longer life, lower cost
and miniaturization. This chapter takes into account precision
motion system using Permanent Magnet Linear Motors (PMLM).
The main advantage of PMLM lies in its high force density, low
thermal losses, and high precision and accuracy of the system.

To improve reliability of PMLM control systems, the measurement
system should yield a good resolution. Currently, laser
interferometers are readily used to yield measurement resolution of 1