Control methods for autonomous mobile robots: unmanned missions in hazardous, inaccessible environments

自主移动机器人的控制方法：危险、难以进入的环境中的无人任务

• 批准号: 386684-2011
• 负责人: Spinello, Davide
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=573010
• 关键词: Control; methods; autonomous; mobile; robots

A longstanding goal of robotics has been to introduce intelligent machines into environments dangerous or generally inaccessible to humans. Autonomous robots equipped with computing, wireless communication, mobility and embedded sensors are becoming economically feasible and therefore available to perform a variety of tasks such including environmental sensing and monitoring; coverage control; surveillance, search and rescue, and exploration; target localization and tracking. This research program is concerned with control methods for Autonomous Robotic Systems suitable for unmanned missions in hazardous environments and/or inaccessible to humans. Given the intrinsic operational limitations in many applications involving autonomous robots, there is a need for distributed coordination algorithms that are both theoretically justified and implementable in real systems. The attribute "autonomous" refers to the capability of making decision without (or with minimum) human intervention, which makes the associated system suitable for operations that minimize harm to humans, or that cannot possibly be done by operators. Within a general robotic framework proposed by the applicant we will (i) develop method for coordination of cooperating groups of robots operating autonomously in hazardous missions such as demining and search and rescue in hostile environments; (ii) develop algorithms for the next generation of the robot Explorer II, a robotic platform maintained by a Canadian company that performs non-destructive inspection and damage detection of gas pipelines; (iii) develop and implement motion control for mobile lenses mounted on a microscope that will be used in biomechanical experiments; (iv) develop tracking and data association tools for infrared camera detecting the body temperature of humans transiting in critical/hazardous areas. Several graduate students will be involved in the program, with the possibility of being engaged in research projects that span analytical, computational, and experimental topics.

机器人技术的一个长期目标是将智能机器引入危险或人类通常无法进入的环境中。配备计算、无线通信、移动性和嵌入式传感器的自主机器人在经济上变得可行，因此可用于执行各种任务，例如环境传感和监测；覆盖范围控制；监视、搜救和勘探；目标定位和跟踪。 该研究计划涉及适用于危险环境和/或人类无法进入的无人任务的自主机器人系统的控制方法。考虑到许多涉及自主机器人的应用中固有的操作限制，需要一种既在理论上合理又在实际系统中可实现的分布式协调算法。 “自主”属性是指在没有（或最少）人为干预的情况下做出决策的能力，这使得相关系统适合于对人类伤害最小化或操作员不可能完成的操作。 在申请人提出的通用机器人框架内，我们将（i）开发用于协调在危险任务中自主操作的协作机器人组的方法，例如在敌对环境中进行排雷和搜救； (ii) 为下一代机器人 Explorer II 开发算法，该机器人平台由一家加拿大公司维护，可对天然气管道进行无损检查和损坏检测； (iii) 开发并实施安装在显微镜上的移动镜头的运动控制，用于生物力学实验； (iv) 开发用于红外摄像机的跟踪和数据关联工具，用于检测在关键/危险区域过境的人员的体温。 几名研究生将参与该计划，并有可能参与涵盖分析、计算和实验主题的研究项目。