This paper demonstrates the iTaSC approach to a force-sensorless and bimanual human-robot comanipulation task on a tree-structured robot, comprising (i) co-manipulation of an object with a person, (ii) dynamic and static obstacle avoidance with its base, (iii) maintaining visual contact with the operator, and (iv) unnatural pose prevention. The task is implemented in a structured way in a reusa...

Existing maritime navigation and reconnaissance systems require man-in-the-loop situation awareness for obstacle avoidance, area survey analysis, threat assessment, and mission re-planning. We have developed a boat with fully autonomous navigation, surveillance, and reactive behaviors. Autonomous water navigation is achieved with no prior maps or other data – the water surface, riverbanks obsta...

The work of a simulated neuroendocrine controller with ultrastable neurons and glands is sketched and tested in terms of stability and adaptability. The artificial neurons connect to each other and to motors, while hormones produced by behaviour-related glands regulate their output. The ultrastable nature of the cells allows them to maintain their homeostasis by random reconfiguration of their ...

This study characterized the design and implementation of a low-cost autonomous robot capable of performing obstacle avoidance using neural networks trained with simulated sensor data. The only sensor used for detecting the environment was an infrared distance sensor attached to a hobby servo, allowing for 180° of sensor visibility. In order to train the neural networks, simulated sensor data w...

This paper presents ROCI, a framework for developing applications for multi-robot teams. In ROCI, each robot is considered a node which contains several modules and may export different types of services and capabilities to other nodes. Each node runs a kernel that mediates the interactions of the robots in a team. This kernel keeps an updated database of all nodes and the functionalities that ...

Hyper-redundant robots have a large or infinite number of degrees of freedom. Such robots are analogous to snakes or tentacles and are useful for operation in highly constrained environments and novel forms of locomotion. This paper reviews newly developed methods for the kinematic analysis of hyper-redundant manipulators. These methods can be applied to a wide variety of hyper-redundant morpho...

This paper proposes a new obstacle avoidance algorithm for the CONTROLAB AGV which uses a similar strategy adopted by a blind person to avoid obstacles while walking. The AGV moves within an office environment with a known floorplan and uses an "electronic stick" consisting of infrared sensors to detect unknown obstacles. Initially a global potential field function is defined for each floorplan...

This paper is concerned with an application of the use of extra freedom in the coordinates transformation for exact linearizaion. We apply this technique to obstacle avoidance of a manipulator in the master-slave control. We show how to use the freedom for such an object and give the way to construct the linearizing coordinates transformation and feedback. Furthermore we evaluate the e ectivene...

52 Abstract— This paper deals with a low cost solution to obstacle avoidance for a mobile robot. This paper also presents a dynamic steering algorithm which ensures that the robot doesn't have to stop in front of an obstacle which allows robot to navigate smoothly in an unknown environment, avoiding collisions. The obstacle avoidance strategy has been described. Obstacle avoidance strategy and ...

This paper describes updated results from a partnership between the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and the Georgia Institute of Technology to develop, improve, and flight test a sensor, guidance, navigation, control, and real-time flight path optimization system to support high performance Nap-of-the-Earth (NOE) helicopter flight. The emphasis here is on optimization for a combination of low hei...