A robot system being built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will help robots autonomously navigate a constantly changing environment by making three-dimensional maps that they continuously update.
MIT's system, a project of its Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), is built to navigate entirely on land. The system uses a low-cost camera such as the one in Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensing input device, originally built for the Xbox 360 game platform.
MIT researchers used a Willow Garage PR2 robot with Microsoft's Kinect sensor to test a 3D mapping system that can be continuously updated with new information to help the robot navigate unknown environments. (Source: Hordur Johannsson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
The researchers are developing the navigation system for robots that will be able to move through a constantly changing and new environment with little or no input from humans. Robots with this ability could be used for exploring unknown environments, such as for the military. Or they could help blind people move through public places, such as shopping malls and hospitals, without human aid, said Seth Teller, head of CSAIL's Robotics, Vision, and Sensor Networks group and principal investigator of the human-portable mapping project, in a press release.
Military applications could include mapping a bunker or cave network to enable a quick exit or re-entry. "Or a hazmat team could enter a biological or chemical weapons site and quickly map it on foot, while marking any hazardous spots or objects for handling by a remediation team coming later," said Teller.
The research team is developing algorithms based on Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), said Maurice Fallon, CSAIL research scientist, in the press release. The SLAM-based technique will let robots constantly update maps of their environment and keep track of their own location in it as they learn new information.
It is interesting that this robot uses the Kinect camera system rather than the complex sensors used in the past. It seems that as we continuously develop vision processing that it becomes more useful. It is also often less expensive. Sometimes it is very inexpensive. I have an older BlackBerry Curve. It uses a trackball. I have replaced the trackball. It cost about $2.50. Newer models use a low resolution camera in place of the trackball. It only has to sense the direction of movement, not any other details. So, it works fine and is longer lived than the trackball. It is also simpler to build and probably cheaper to install. Any software cost is amortized over all the devices sold, so that is near zero. This is the same with the robot.
I have seen the robots with multiple laser sensors and sonar or radar. These were fantastically expensive and still not as good as a human operator. Humans use vision. Perhaps the MIT researchers are on to something here.
naperlou, I was also interested to see the Kinect motion sensing camera/system used in aiding with 3D mapmaking. To me, when I read this it was one of those "of course" moments. The team also used laser scanners in a previous rev of this project.
I've been hearing a lot about the Kinect motion system in simulation and other types of 3D apps as well. It seems like another one of those instances where consumer technology is influencing the development of commercial/business applications, which is interesting.
What's been happening for several years is all kinds of apps and industries leveraging the high volumes--and therefore relatively low prices--of off-the-shelf consumer and commercial hardware and software.This has certainly operated in the military for awhile now, and has begun influencing machine vision, and to some extent now automation & control, more recently. The pace has really picked up recently with the convergence of multiple technologies at the chip and board levels--witness Kinect--and with multi-core processors.
Beth, I agree, I've also seen mentions of the Kinect motion sensor device all over. Combined with a tiny camera and software, it's revolutionizing input devices and user interfaces in a lot of apps.
In the ethics of software column earlier this month, the subject of unintended consequences was discussed, and how no one could predict their creation would be mis-used.
I am constantly amazed how many different ways the Kinect interface (and the Wii interface) have been implemented, demonstrating how versatile a creation can be in a good way.
TJ, I agree with you about the unexpected uses of technology innovations. In the case of the Kinect camera/sensor system for this robot app, note that the team also implemented their approach with the Kinect system in a robotic wheelchair and a portable sensor suit, in addition to the PR2 platform.
What I'm getting from your recent spate of apps stories, Ann, is that robotics apps are extending their arms, so to speak, well beyond the straight industrial arena in which I already assumed they were in heavy use. But there seem to be numerous medical, mil, and other apps of which I'd been unaware. Very interesting.
Thanks, Alex. Yes, I was intrigued to discover that robots are all over the place: they're not just for industry anymore, although that's their largest area of concentration. They are in medicine and healthcare, outer space, used by the military in the air and on the ground, and are learning to do all kinds of new things like navigate autonomously in a novel environment, fly in formation in swarms, build structures and even play in concert:
Chuck, that video went viral in about a week after it was posted. Although I think much of that is due to the cute and/or novelty factor, I also think much of the engineering appeal will be wondering how they are synchronized in yet another form of swarming behavior.
This is interesting TJ, the ethics question came to me also, although I was thinking more during war time. I think we have all seen videos of enemy soldiers trying to surrender to drones - before they get blown up.
The influx of robots in war raises a unique moral question about surrendering to a mechanical entity that a human is monitoring.
ChasChas, that's an interesting question you pose. But some of these newer robots will be functioning autonomously, like this one, i.e., not under direct human control. So if these are designed as soldiers, not as merely explorers, the ethical situation changes somewhat.
Ann, A similar industrial application is mobile robots designed to integrate into warehouse management , scheduling and inventory control systems. The robots are designed to do sophisticated, autonomous behaviors, navigation and localization without having a robot assist or programmer involved by using natural, features-based autonomous navigation and localization to eliminate the need to install lines or beacons used with other AGV solutions. The robots learn their location in a facility based on natural features, learning the facility layout by looking at walls, parts of the factory or the ceiling in a dynamic space like a warehouse. Because they don't require beacons or lines in the floor, it reduces the upfront cost of the system. I believe the systems are used to transport finished auto tires in large warehouse facilities. Definitely lots of innovations in robotics that go beyond traditional applications.
was my first encounter with what are called autonomous robots, and the one in this story is my second. Both made me wonder where else that idea is being used, and what different technologies make them possible, in particular, the navigation and map-making abilities. The industrial environment is certainly an obvious choice.
Ann, The key technology with the mobile robots I've seen is software enhancements and intelligent algorithms. Enhancements in vision systems, for example, provides the mechanism to visualize and ultimately "map" the factory environment but in the end the most difficult task is the mass of intelligent software required. It ranges from becoming an expert system (gathering information to make more informed decisions) to advanced databases for storing information. Lots of software
One additional area of software innovation for mobile robots is algorithms for obstacle avoidance. Especially in systems where the mobile robot will encounter humans, such as the tire warehousing application, where the robot is "delivering" a completed tire to a storage/retrieval system, the mobile robot can encounter workers during that delivery process. The software to control those interactions are interesting and also critical to the success of the application.
Al, I agree that obstacle-avoidance and mapmaking software is a big deal. Specifically, the map-making/obstacle avoidance algorithms based on Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques mentioned here, which may also be what's behind the tiny swarming robots' mapmaking ability:
Ann, Used as a tool to aid in developing mobile robots, the Kinect sensor provides a unique type of feedback which can be used in conjunction with flexible I/O, software algorithms and real-time controllers to quickly and easily prototype, test and deploy robotic applications. The development tools already available make it great for prototyping. But while the Kinect is useful for common robot tasks such as obstacle avoidance, like most sensors it also has limitations. For example, the Kinect cannot detect obstacles that are closer than two feet and does not work well in the sunlight. Still great technology at a mind boggling cost.
Al, thanks for those additional details on the Kinect sensor's limitations. The fact that it doesn't detect objects less than two feet away should not be a deterrence to its use in checking out a new environment for military tasks, such as in advance of first responders. But I'm surprised that it doesn't work well in sunlight--that seems like a major limitation for these applications, and for helping the elderly or disabled, both of which were two applications the MIT team mentions and which occur at least partly in sunlight. I would not be surprised if this research team is working on methods for overcoming that problem, also.
I'm sure that work is ongoing given the success of the Kinect. Heard those limitations from one of the suppliers developing robotic tools to use with the Kinect.
Thanks, Al, for that input. I would think that both problems must be not too difficult to fix, and that the fixes would be primarily a matter of tweaking sensors.
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
The government wants to study your brain, and DARPA wants to use similar information to give robots true autonomy beyond any artificial intelligence developed to date. Sound like science fiction? It's not.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
