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1 – 10 of 104Yimei Chen, Yixin Wang, Baoquan Li and Tohru Kamiya
The purpose of this paper is to propose a new velocity prediction navigation algorithm to develop a conflict-free path for robots in dynamic crowded environments. The algorithm…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a new velocity prediction navigation algorithm to develop a conflict-free path for robots in dynamic crowded environments. The algorithm BP-prediction and reciprocal velocity obstacle (PRVO) combines the BP neural network for velocity PRVO to accomplish dynamic collision avoidance.
Design/methodology/approach
This presented method exhibits innovation by anticipating ahead velocities using BP neural networks to reconstruct the velocity obstacle region; determining the optimized velocity corresponding to the robot’s scalable radius range from the error generated by the non-holonomic robot tracking the desired trajectory; and considering acceleration constraints, determining the set of multi-step reachable velocities of non-holonomic robot in the space of velocity variations.
Findings
The method is validated using three commonly used metrics of collision rate, travel time and average distance in a comparison between simulation experiments including multiple differential drive robots and physical experiments using the Turtkebot3 robot. The experimental results show that our method outperforms other RVO extension methods on the three metrics.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors propose navigation algorithms capable of adaptively selecting the optimal speed for a multi-robot system to avoid robot collisions during dynamic crowded interactions.
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The aim of this study is to create a robust and simple collision avoidance approach based on quaternion algebra for vision-based pick and place applications in manufacturing…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to create a robust and simple collision avoidance approach based on quaternion algebra for vision-based pick and place applications in manufacturing industries, specifically for use with industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots).
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, an approach based on quaternion algebra is developed to prevent any collision or breakdown during the movements of industrial robots or cobots in vision system included pick and place applications. The algorithm, integrated into the control system, checks for collisions before the robot moves its end effector to the target position during the process flow. In addition, a hand–eye calibration method is presented to easily calibrate the camera and define the geometric relationships between the camera and the robot coordinate systems.
Findings
This approach, specifically designed for vision-based robot/cobot applications, can be used by developers and robot integrator companies to significantly reduce application costs and the project timeline of the pick and place robotics system installation. Furthermore, the approach ensures a safe, robust and highly efficient application for robotics vision applications across all industries, making it an ideal solution for various industries.
Originality/value
The algorithm for this approach, which can be operated in a robot controller or a programmable logic controller, has been tested as real-time in vision-based robotics applications. It can be applied to both existing and new vision-based pick and place projects with industrial robots or collaborative robots with minimal effort, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for various industries.
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Radha Subramanyam, Y. Adline Jancy and P. Nagabushanam
Cross-layer approach in media access control (MAC) layer will address interference and jamming problems. Hybrid distributed MAC can be used for simultaneous voice, data…
Abstract
Purpose
Cross-layer approach in media access control (MAC) layer will address interference and jamming problems. Hybrid distributed MAC can be used for simultaneous voice, data transmissions in wireless sensor network (WSN) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Choosing the correct objective function in Nash equilibrium for game theory will address fairness index and resource allocation to the nodes. Game theory optimization for distributed may increase the network performance. The purpose of this study is to survey the various operations that can be carried out using distributive and adaptive MAC protocol. Hill climbing distributed MAC does not need a central coordination system and location-based transmission with neighbor awareness reduces transmission power.
Design/methodology/approach
Distributed MAC in wireless networks is used to address the challenges like network lifetime, reduced energy consumption and for improving delay performance. In this paper, a survey is made on various cooperative communications in MAC protocols, optimization techniques used to improve MAC performance in various applications and mathematical approaches involved in game theory optimization for MAC protocol.
Findings
Spatial reuse of channel improved by 3%–29%, and multichannel improves throughput by 8% using distributed MAC protocol. Nash equilibrium is found to perform well, which focuses on energy utility in the network by individual players. Fuzzy logic improves channel selection by 17% and secondary users’ involvement by 8%. Cross-layer approach in MAC layer will address interference and jamming problems. Hybrid distributed MAC can be used for simultaneous voice, data transmissions in WSN and IoT applications. Cross-layer and cooperative communication give energy savings of 27% and reduces hop distance by 4.7%. Choosing the correct objective function in Nash equilibrium for game theory will address fairness index and resource allocation to the nodes.
Research limitations/implications
Other optimization techniques can be applied for WSN to analyze the performance.
Practical implications
Game theory optimization for distributed may increase the network performance. Optimal cuckoo search improves throughput by 90% and reduces delay by 91%. Stochastic approaches detect 80% attacks even in 90% malicious nodes.
Social implications
Channel allocations in centralized or static manner must be based on traffic demands whether dynamic traffic or fluctuated traffic. Usage of multimedia devices also increased which in turn increased the demand for high throughput. Cochannel interference keep on changing or mitigations occur which can be handled by proper resource allocations. Network survival is by efficient usage of valid patis in the network by avoiding transmission failures and time slots’ effective usage.
Originality/value
Literature survey is carried out to find the methods which give better performance.
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Yi Wu, Xiaohui Jia, Tiejun Li, Chao Xu and Jinyue Liu
This paper aims to use redundant manipulators to solve the challenge of collision avoidance in construction operations such as welding and painting.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to use redundant manipulators to solve the challenge of collision avoidance in construction operations such as welding and painting.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a null-space-based task-priority adjustment approach is developed to avoid collisions. The method establishes the relative position of the obstacle and the robot arm by defining the “link space,” and then the priority of the collision avoidance task and the end-effector task is adjusted according to the relative position by introducing the null space task conversion factors.
Findings
Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed method can realize collision-free maneuvers for redundant manipulators and guarantee the tracking precision of the end-effector task. The experimental results show that the method can avoid dynamic obstacles in redundant manipulator welding tasks.
Originality/value
A new formula for task priority adjustment for collision avoidance of redundant manipulators is proposed, and the original task tracking accuracy is guaranteed under the premise of safety.
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Xiaohui Jia, Chunrui Tang, Xiangbo Zhang and Jinyue Liu
This study aims to propose an efficient dual-robot task collaboration strategy to address the issue of low work efficiency and inability to meet the production needs of a single…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose an efficient dual-robot task collaboration strategy to address the issue of low work efficiency and inability to meet the production needs of a single robot during construction operations.
Design/methodology/approach
A hybrid task allocation method based on integer programming and auction algorithms, with the aim of achieving a balanced workload between two robots has been proposed. In addition, while ensuring reasonable workload allocation between the two robots, an improved dual ant colony algorithm was used to solve the dual traveling salesman problem, and the global path planning of the two robots was determined, resulting in an efficient and collision-free path for the dual robots to operate. Meanwhile, an improved fast Random tree rapidly-exploring random tree algorithm is introduced as a local obstacle avoidance strategy.
Findings
The proposed method combines randomization and iteration techniques to achieve an efficient task allocation strategy for two robots, ensuring the relative optimal global path of the two robots in cooperation and solving complex local obstacle avoidance problems.
Originality/value
This method is applied to the scene of steel bar tying in construction work, with the workload allocation and collaborative work between two robots as evaluation indicators. The experimental results show that this method can efficiently complete the steel bar banding operation, effectively reduce the interference between the two robots and minimize the interference of obstacles in the environment.
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Li He, Shuai Zhang, Heng Zhang and Liang Yuan
The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem that mobile robots are still based on reactive collision avoidance in unknown dynamic environments leading to a lack of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem that mobile robots are still based on reactive collision avoidance in unknown dynamic environments leading to a lack of interaction with obstacles and limiting the comprehensive performance of mobile robots. A dynamic window approach with multiple interaction strategies (DWA-MIS) is proposed to solve this problem.
Design/methodology/approach
The algorithm firstly classifies the moving obstacle movement intention, based on which a rule function is designed to incorporate positive incentives to motivate the robot to make correct avoidance actions. Then, the evaluation mechanism is improved by considering the time cost and future information of the environment to increase the motion states. Finally, the optimal objective function is designed based on genetic algorithm to adapt to different environments with time-varying multiparameter optimization.
Findings
Faced with obstacles in different states, the mobile robot can choose a suitable interaction strategy, which solves the limitations of the original DWA evaluation function and avoids the defects of reactive collision avoidance. Simulation results show that the algorithm can efficiently adapt to unknown dynamic environments, has less path length and iterations and has a high comprehensive performance.
Originality/value
A DWA-MIS is proposed, which increases the interaction capability between mobile robots and obstacles by improving the evaluation function mechanism and broadens the navigation strategy of DWA at a lower computational cost. After real machine verification, the algorithm has a high comprehensive performance based on real environment and provides a new idea for local path planning methods.
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Baitao Zhu and Yimin Deng
The purpose of this paper is to propose a distributed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm control method to ensure safety and obstacle avoidance during swarm flight and realize…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a distributed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm control method to ensure safety and obstacle avoidance during swarm flight and realize effective guidance.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a distributed UAV swarm control framework with limited interaction. UAVs in the swarm realize the selection of limited interactive neighbors according to the random line of sight and limited field of view. The designed interaction force and obstacle avoidance mechanism are combined to ensure the safety of UAVs and avoid collisions and obstacles. Informed UAVs are deployed to guide the swarm to move in the desired direction.
Findings
The proposed distributed swarm control framework achieves high safety of swarm motion and the participation of informed UAVs is conducive to the guidance of the UAV swarm. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Practical implications
The UAV swarm control method developed in this paper can be applied to the practice of UAV swarm control.
Originality/value
A distributed UAV swarm control method is proposed to ensure the effective control of the consistency and safety of swarm motion.
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Keywords
Antonio Bacciaglia and Alessandro Ceruti
Timing constraints affect the manufacturing of traditional large-scale components through the material extrusion technique. Thus, researchers are exploring using many independent…
Abstract
Purpose
Timing constraints affect the manufacturing of traditional large-scale components through the material extrusion technique. Thus, researchers are exploring using many independent and collaborative heads that may work on the same part simultaneously while still producing an appealing final product. The purpose of this paper is to propose a simple and repeatable approach for toolpath planning for gantry-based n independent extrusion heads with effective collision avoidance management.
Design/methodology/approach
This research presents an original toolpath planner based on existing slicing software and the traditional structure of G-code files. While the computationally demanding component subdivision task is assigned to computer-aided design and slicing software to build a standard G-code, the proposed algorithm scans the conventional toolpath data file, quickly isolates the instructions of a single extruder and inserts brief pauses between the instructions if the non-priority extruder conflicts with the priority one.
Findings
The methodology is validated on two real-life industrial large-scale components using architectures with two and four extruders. The case studies demonstrate the method's effectiveness, reducing printing time considerably without affecting the part quality. A static priority strategy is implemented, where one extruder gets priority over the other using a cascade process. The results of this paper demonstrate that different priority strategies reflect on the printing efficiency by a factor equal to the number of extrusion heads.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to produce an original methodology to efficiently plan the extrusion heads' trajectories for a collaborative material extrusion architecture.
Details
Keywords
Yuze Shang, Fei Liu, Ping Qin, Zhizhong Guo and Zhe Li
The goal of this research is to develop a dynamic step path planning algorithm based on the rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm that combines Q-learning with the…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this research is to develop a dynamic step path planning algorithm based on the rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm that combines Q-learning with the Gaussian distribution of obstacles. A route for autonomous vehicles may be swiftly created using this algorithm.
Design/methodology/approach
The path planning issue is divided into three key steps by the authors. First, the tree expansion is sped up by the dynamic step size using a combination of Q-learning and the Gaussian distribution of obstacles. The invalid nodes are then removed from the initially created pathways using bidirectional pruning. B-splines are then employed to smooth the predicted pathways.
Findings
The algorithm is validated using simulations on straight and curved highways, respectively. The results show that the approach can provide a smooth, safe route that complies with vehicle motion laws.
Originality/value
An improved RRT algorithm based on Q-learning and obstacle Gaussian distribution (QGD-RRT) is proposed for the path planning of self-driving vehicles. Unlike previous methods, the authors use Q-learning to steer the tree's development direction. After that, the step size is dynamically altered following the density of the obstacle distribution to produce the initial path rapidly and cut down on planning time even further. In the aim to provide a smooth and secure path that complies with the vehicle kinematic and dynamical restrictions, the path is lastly optimized using an enhanced bidirectional pruning technique.
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Qing Zhou, Yuanqing Liu, Xiaofeng Liu and Guoping Cai
In the post-capture stage, the tumbling target rotates the combined spacecraft system, and the detumbling operation performed by the space robot is required. To save the costly…
Abstract
Purpose
In the post-capture stage, the tumbling target rotates the combined spacecraft system, and the detumbling operation performed by the space robot is required. To save the costly onboard fuel of the space robot, this paper aims to present a novel post-capture detumbling strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
Actuated by the joint rotations of the manipulator, the combined system is driven from three-axis tumbling state to uniaxial rotation about its maximum principal axis. Only unidirectional thrust perpendicular to the axis is needed to slow down the uniaxial rotation, thus saving the thruster fuel. The optimization problem of the collision-free detumbling trajectory of the space robot is described, and it is optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm.
Findings
The numerical simulation results show that along the trajectory planned by the detumbling strategy, the maneuver of the manipulator can precisely drive the combined system to rotate around its maximum principal axis, and the final kinetic energy of the combined system is smaller than the initial. The unidirectional thrust and the lower kinetic energy can ensure the fuel-saving in the subsequent detumbling stage.
Originality/value
This paper presents a post-capture detumbling strategy to drive the combined system from three-axis tumbling state to uniaxial rotation about its maximum principal axis by redistributing the angular momentum of the parts of the combined system. The strategy reduces the thrust torque for detumbling to effectively save the thruster fuel.
Details