Title: Integrated Exploration of Enviroments by means of Cooperative Robots in order to build 3D Visual and Topological Maps intended for 6 DOF Navigation

Funded by: CICYT Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

Duration: 01/01/2011 al 31/12/2013

Description: While a group of mobile robots carry out a task, they need to find their location within the environment. In consequence a precise map of a general and undetermined environment has to be known by the robots. During the last decade a series of methods have been developed that allow the construction of the map by a mobile robot. These algorithms consider the case in which the vehicle moves along the environment, constructs the map while, simultaneously, computes its location within the map. As a result, this problem has been named Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). This research project focusses thus on the construction of visual maps in 3D general unknown environments by using a team of mobile robots equipped with vision sensors. In this sense, we propose to undertake, among others, the following lines: 6 DOF cooperative visual SLAM, in which the robots move following general trajectories in the environment (with 6 degrees of freedom) instead of the classical trajectories in which it is assumed that the robots navigates on a two-dimensional plane; integrated exploration, where the exploration paths of the robots consider to maximize the knowledge of the environment and, at the same time, take into account the uncertainty in the maps created by the robot(s); map alginment and map fusion of local maps created by different robots; and finally, the creation of maps using the information based in the visual appearance that allows the construction of high-level topological maps.

Keywords: Robotics, Visual SLAM, Cooperative Exploration

Head Researcher: O. Reinoso

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Title: Cooperative Mobile Visual Perception Systems as support for tasks performed by means Robot Networks

Funded by: CICYT Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

Duration: 1/10/2007 - 30/09/2010

Description: Performing tasks in a coordinated manner by means of a team of robots is a topic of great interest and allows to improve the results compared to the single-robot case. The current research project focuses on this particular field and proposes the need to use different vision systems distributed along the mobile agent network that gather a precise and complete description of the environment. To cope with the proposed goals it will be necessary to tackle with different research lines, in consequence, we are working on the following subjects: Cooperative map building and localization using particle filters, Visual landmark modelling: Improving data association in visual SLAM, development of cooperative exploration strategies using the information provided by each robot, cooperative reconstruction of environments using appearance based methods.

Keywords: Robots Cooperativos, SLAM visual, Exploración cooperativa, Reconstrucción basada en apariencia

Head Researcher: O. Reinoso

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Title: AutomatL@bs: remote laboratory network for education in Control Theory

Funded by: Red E-Automatica CICYT

Duration: 2007 - 2009

Description: The AutomatL@bs project is a network of virtual and remote laboratories for teaching and learning of control engineering. It is based on the integration of the hardware/software/human resources provided for the university groups taking part into this project. Shortly, AutomatL@bs provides to students two elements: web-based tools for booking time-slots in order to carry on the practical experiences and a working environment purposefully designed to ease the learning process. However, the network of remote laboratories in control engineering, AutomatL@bs, is not only the sum of its parts but it must be appreciated as a laboratory with a uniform structure regardless where the location of the physical processes is. To work in AutomatL@bs, all that a student needs is a Java-enabled browser and to be registered into the system. So, AutomatL@bs must not be considered just the simple juxtaposition of the different remote laboratories of each university taking part into the project. All the laboratories share a common working scheme and the learning materials have been carefully designed to allow students make the practical experiences in an autonomous way at their own pace. The project is coordinated by Professor Sebastian Dormido Bencomo of the Department of Computer Science and Automatic Control of the Spanish University of Distance Learning (UNED).

Keywords: Remote Laboratories, Control Systems, Education on Automation

Head Researcher: O. Reinoso

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