Sensor Based Robots Algorithms And Architectures

Most industrial robots today have little or no sensory capability. Feedback is limited to information about joint positions, combined with a few interlock and timing signals. These robots can function only in an environment where the objects to be manipulated are precisely located in the proper position for the robot to grasp (i. e. , in a structured environment). For many present industrial applications, this level of performance has been adequate. With the increasing demand for high performance sensor-based robot manipulators in assembly tasks, meeting this demand and challenge can only be achieved through the consideration of: 1) efficient acquisition and processing of intemaVextemal sensory information, 2) utilization and integration of sensory information from various sensors (tactile, force, and vision) to acquire knowledge in a changing environment, 3) exploitation of inherent robotic parallel algorithms and efficient VLSI architectures for robotic computations, and finally 4) system integration into a working and functioning robotic system. This is the intent of the Workshop on Sensor-Based Robots: Algorithms and Architectures - to study the fundamental research issues and problems associated with sensor-based robot manipulators and to propose approaches and solutions from various viewpoints in improving present day robot manipula tors in the areas of sensor fusion and integration, sensory information processing, and parallel algorithms and architectures for robotic computations.

This edited and reviewed volume consists of papers that were originally presented at a workshop in the Scientific Center at Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany. It gives an overview of the field and presents the latest developments in the areas of modeling and planning for sensor based robots. The particular topics addressed include active vision, sensor fusion, environment modeling, motion planning, robot navigation, distributed control architectures, reactive behavior, and others. Contents:Dynamic Environmental Modeling by the C-Tree (K Verbarg & H Noltemeier)Competitive Strategies for Autonomous Systems (C Icking & R Kelin)Boundary Extraction for Rasterized Motion Planning (H Mueller)Collision Detection: A Geometric Approach (P Jimenez & C Torras)Planning with Uncertainty of Vision (Y Shirai)Applications of Fractal Image Encoding (P Levi et al.)Model-Based Multisensory Robot Vision (H Bunke et al.)Local Environment Modeling Through Integrated Stereo & Motion Analysis (R C Bolles et al.)Localisation, Environmental Modelling and Path Planning for Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation (R Jarvis)Hierarchical Control for Navigation Using Heterogeneous Models (P Pirjanian & H I Christensen)PRIAMOS: An Advanced Moblie System for Service, Inspection, and Surveillance Tasks (R Dillmann et al.)A Distributed Control Architecture for Autonomous Robot Systems (T Laengle et al.)Bio-Based Control for Intelligent Autonomous Systems (T C Henderson & A A Efros)Image-Guided Robotic Radiosurgery (J R Adler et al.)A Nonlinear Circuit Theory for Physically Understanding Dextrous Robot (Human) Motions (S Arimoto)and other papers Readership: Researchers in computer science, robotics, applied mathematics & engineering and electronics. keywords:Path Planning;Motion Planning;Navigation;Localization;Pose Tracking;Vision;Shape Recognition;Object Recognition;Distributed Systems;Multiple Robot Interaction;Human Robot Interaction;Telerobotics

This volume contains a series of papers originally presented at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) entitled Kinematic and Dynamic Issues in Sensor Based Control. The workshop, one of a series concerned with topics in sensory robotics, took place at II Ciocco, Castelvecchio di Pascoli, Italy in October 1987. Attendance was by invitation only and the majority of participants are recognised leaders in their field- some from the robotics community, others with a more general control background. The main topics of interest were grouped into eight sessions represented by the eight main sections of the book: 1: Modelling Techniques: General Kinematic and Dynamic Issues 2: Sensor Signal Processing 3: Force Control 4: Further Control Topics 5: Vision Based Control 6: Further Kinematic and Dynamic Issues 7: Computational Issues 8: Learning from Sensor Input Also included are brief reports of the roundtable discussions which sought to determine important future directions of research in this area. My thanks to all those who made the workshop possible: The NATO Scientific Affairs Division and the panel on Sensory Systems for Robotic Control who provided most of the financial support; the workshop committee, Dr. B. Espiau, Dr. P. Coiffet, Dr. P.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Languages for Sensor-Based Control in Robotics held in Il Ciocco, Castelvecchio Pascoli/Italy, September 1-5, 1986

This book constitutes the thorougly refereed post-proceedings of an international workshop on sensor based Intelligent Robot held in Dagstuhl Castle, Germany in September/October 1998. The 17 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed for inclusion in the book. Among the topics addressed are robot navigation, motion planning, autonomous mobile robots, wheelchair robots, interactive robots, car navigation systems, visual tracking, sensor based navigation, distributed algorithms, computer vision, intelligent agents, robot control, and computational geometry.

This book is the result of a NATO sponsored workshop entitled "Student Modelling: The Key to Individualized Knowledge-Based Instruction" which was held May 4-8, 1991 at Ste. Adele, Quebec, Canada. The workshop was co-directed by Gordon McCalla and Jim Greer of the ARIES Laboratory at the University of Saskatchewan. The workshop focused on the problem of student modelling in intelligent tutoring systems. An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) is a computer program that is aimed at providing knowledgeable, individualized instruction in a one-on-one interaction with a learner. In order to individualize this interaction, the ITS must keep track of many aspects of the leamer: how much and what he or she has leamed to date; what leaming styles seem to be successful for the student and what seem to be less successful; what deeper mental models the student may have; motivational and affective dimensions impacting the leamer; and so ono Student modelling is the problem of keeping track of alI of these aspects of a leamer's leaming.

The present volume contains a large number of the papers contributed to the Advanced Study Institute on the Psychological and Educational Foundations of Technology-Based Learning Environments, which took place in Crete in the summer of 1992. The purpose of the Advanced Study Institute was to bring together a small number of senior lecturers and advanced graduate students to investigate and discuss the psychological and educational foundations of technology-based learning environments and to draw the implications of recent research findings in the area of cognitive science for the development of educational technology. As is apparent from the diverse nature of the contributions included in this volume, the participants at the ASI came from different backgrounds and looked at the construction of technology -based learning environments from rather diverse points of view. Despite the diversity, a surprising degree of overlap and agreement was achieved. Most of the contributors agreed that the kinds of technology-supported learning environments we should construct should stimulate students to be active and constructive in their knowledge-building efforts, embed learning in meaningful and authentic activities, encourage collaboration and social interaction, and take into consideration students' prior knowledge and beliefs.

Microcomputer-based labs, the use of real-time data capture and display in teaching, give the learner new ways to explore and understand the world. As this book shows, the international effort over a quarter-century to develop and understand microcomputer-based labs (MBL) has resulted in a rich array of innovative implementations and some convincing evidence for the value of computers for learning. The book is a sampler of MBL work by an outstanding international group of scientists and educators, based on papers they presented at a seminar held as part of the NATO Special Programme on Advanced Educational Technology. The story they tell of the development of MBL offers valuable policy lessons on how to promote educational innovation. The book will be of interest to a wide range of educators and to policy makers.