Introduction to Networked Robotics

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Introduction to Networked Robotics

• CS 643 Seminar on Advanced Robotics
• Wenzhe Li , Graduate Student
• Texas AM University

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Outline

• Introduction
• Features
• Examples
• Challenges
• Some research Issues
• Summary

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What is Networked Robotics ?
A networked robot is a robotic device connected
to a communications network such as the Internet
or local area network (LAN) (From IEEE technical
committee)
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Subclasses of networked robots

• Teleoperated
• Human supervisors send commands and
  receive feedback via the network
• Autonomous
• Robots and sensors exchange data via the
  network

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RoboMotes Gaurav S. Sukhatme, USC
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• Introduction
• Features
• Examples
• Challenges
• Some research Issues
• Summary

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Some Features
Perform tasks that a single robot (or module)
cannot perform or a special-purpose larger robot
to perform
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Some Features

• Improved Efficiency
• React to information sensed by other mobile
  robots
• Fault tolerance
• Provide great synergy

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• Introduction
• Features
• Examples
• Challenges
• Some research Issues
• Summary

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Networked Robotics VS Biology

• Studies of wasps shows that
• Centralized Coordination in small colony sizes,
  
• Distributed, Decentralized coordination in
  larger colonies

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Examples

• Manufacturing industry
• --Multiple robots,
• --Numerous sensors controllers
• --Automated guided vehicles
• --One or two human operators

• Welding, Machining

• Working Cell

Mostly in Structured Environment
So, what about for less structured Environment
. Mining Robots, human operators play a more
important role.
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Examples

• Health Care industry
• Home Appliance

• Remotely controlled by mobile phone
• Consists of telephone camera, timer
• remote control,surveillance equipment
• Interact with other sensors,actuators in
• the home

Maron Robot, Tokyo, October 7, 2002, Fujitsu
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Examples

• Environmental monitoring key application !

• Aquatic Monitoring
• --Aquatic Microbial Observing System by
  USC
• --RiverNet project, RPI
• Terrestral Monitoring
• Subsoil monitoring
• Forest Monitoring..
• Infomechanical system project,
  UCLA,USC,UCR
• http//rsn.cs.umn.edu/index.php/Environmental_Moni
  toring

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Examples

• Defense industry

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• Introduction
• Features
• Examples
• Challenges
• Some research Issues
• Summary

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Research Challenge

• Who should talk to who ?
• What information should be conveyed?
• and How?
• How does each unit move ?
• How should member acquire information?
• How to aggregate information ?
• .

Robot moves ? Network Topology Dynamic, Behavior
change
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• Introduction
• Features
• Examples
• Challenges
• Some research Issues
• Summary

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Model for Control of a NS

• Robots must be able to use information to derive
  local estimate,
• reason about the spatial network, choose
  appropriate control.

(1)
(2)
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Some research issues

• Communication for Control

• At the lowest level, allows agents to exchange
  Information.
• At the higher level, agents can share
  information for planning
• and for control.

Communication for Perception
The challenge is to exploit communication
for perception, presence of the delays, limited
bandwidth, and disruption.
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Some research issues

• Control for Perception

• Where to place the node ?
• Maximize the Quality ( or satisfaction)

Related Problems Art Gallery problem, Watchman
route problem,Zoo-keeper route problem,FSP.
Definition of WRP problem
For workspace W, find the shortest path p in W
such that every point on the boundary dW can be
seen by a point on path p
Control for Communication
Robots moves.. affects the network and data
transmission in the network Arise many
challenges..
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• Introduction
• Features
• Examples
• Challenges
• Some research Issues
• Summary

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Summary

• Critical to such tasks, environmental
  monitoring, surveillance and reconnaissance, and
  security for civilian or defense purposes
• Main overarching challenges

• Technical challenges to scalability
• Performing physical tasks in the real world
• Human interaction for network-centric control
  and monitoring
• Create robot networks can anticipate our needs
  and command
• rather than reacting (with delays) to human
  commands

Tremendous potential, but a long way to go..
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Summary

• Thanks !