Robotic control systems based on bioinspired multi-agent systems: application of the principles of neuroscience to robotics

Robotics is a field that presents a large number of problems because it depends on a large number of disciplines, devices, technologies and tasks. Its expansion from perfectly controlled industrial environments toward open and dynamic environment presents a many new challenges, such as robots household robots or professional robots. To facilitate the rapid development of robotic systems, low cost, reusability of code, its medium and long term maintainability and robustness are required novel approaches to provide generic models and software systems who develop paradigms capable of solving these problems. For this purpose, in this paper we propose a model based on multi-agent systems inspired by the human nervous system able to transfer the control characteristics of the biological system and able to take advantage of the best properties of distributed software systems.

Introducción al software UnityPro y a los PLCs M340 de Schneider

Manual de prácticas: Introducción al software UnityPro y a los PLCs M340 de Schneider.

System for robot control inspired by the functionality and organisation of the human nervous system

This paper presents a model of a control system for robot systems inspired by the functionality and organisation of human neuroregulatory system. Our model was specified using software agents within a formal framework and implemented through Web Services. This approach allows the implementation of the control logic of a robot system with relative ease, in an incremental way, using the addition of new control centres to the system as its behaviour is observed or needs to be detailed with greater precision, without the need to modify existing functionality. The tests performed verify that the proposed model has the general characteristics of biological systems together with the desirable features of software, such as robustness, flexibility, reuse and decoupling.

Multi-agent system for control of robots inspired on the distributed activity and hormonal regulation of humans

Robotics is an emerging field with great activity. Robotics is a field that presents several problems because it depends on a large number of disciplines, technologies, devices and tasks. Its expansion from perfectly controlled industrial environments toward open and dynamic environment presents a many new challenges. New uses are, for example, household robots or professional robots. To facilitate the low cost, rapid development of robotic systems, reusability of code, its medium and long term maintainability and robustness are required novel approaches to provide generic models and software systems who develop paradigms capable of solving these problems. For this purpose, in this paper we propose a model based on multi-agent systems inspired by the human nervous system able to transfer the control characteristics of the biological system and able to take advantage of the best properties of distributed software systems. Specifically, we model the decentralized activity and hormonal variation.

Selective SWIFT-R. A Flexible Software-Based Technique for Soft Error Mitigation in Low-Cost Embedded Systems

Commercial off-the-shelf microprocessors are the core of low-cost embedded systems due to their programmability and cost-effectiveness. Recent advances in electronic technologies have allowed remarkable improvements in their performance. However, they have also made microprocessors more susceptible to transient faults induced by radiation. These non-destructive events (soft errors), may cause a microprocessor to produce a wrong computation result or lose control of a system with catastrophic consequences. Therefore, soft error mitigation has become a compulsory requirement for an increasing number of applications, which operate from the space to the ground level. In this context, this paper uses the concept of selective hardening, which is aimed to design reduced-overhead and flexible mitigation techniques. Following this concept, a novel flexible version of the software-based fault recovery technique known as SWIFT-R is proposed. Our approach makes possible to select different registers subsets from the microprocessor register file to be protected on software. Thus, design space is enriched with a wide spectrum of new partially protected versions, which offer more flexibility to designers. This permits to find the best trade-offs between performance, code size, and fault coverage. Three case studies have been developed to show the applicability and flexibility of the proposal.

Efficient Mitigation of Data and Control Flow Errors in Microprocessors

The use of microprocessor-based systems is gaining importance in application domains where safety is a must. For this reason, there is a growing concern about the mitigation of SEU and SET effects. This paper presents a new hybrid technique aimed to protect both the data and the control-flow of embedded applications running on microprocessors. On one hand, the approach is based on software redundancy techniques for correcting errors produced in the data. On the other hand, control-flow errors can be detected by reusing the on-chip debug interface, existing in most modern microprocessors. Experimental results show an important increase in the system reliability even superior to two orders of magnitude, in terms of mitigation of both SEUs and SETs. Furthermore, the overheads incurred by our technique can be perfectly assumable in low-cost systems.

S-SETA: Selective Software-Only Error-Detection Technique Using Assertions

Software-based techniques offer several advantages to increase the reliability of processor-based systems at very low cost, but they cause performance degradation and an increase of the code size. To meet constraints in performance and memory, we propose SETA, a new control-flow software-only technique that uses assertions to detect errors affecting the program flow. SETA is an independent technique, but it was conceived to work together with previously proposed data-flow techniques that aim at reducing performance and memory overheads. Thus, SETA is combined with such data-flow techniques and submitted to a fault injection campaign. Simulation and neutron induced SEE tests show high fault coverage at performance and memory overheads inferior to the state-of-the-art.

Control and navigation of a rover for agricultural purposes

L’obiettivo di questa tesi è di descrivere e implementare via software un modello di rover autonomo per uso in ambito agricolo. La scelta di questo argomento deriva dal fatto che al laboratorio CASY dell’Università di Bologna è stato commissionato un robot che possa aiutare piccoli imprenditori agricoli a essere competitivi con i più grandi. Le funzionalità che il robot avrà, una volta ultimato, andranno dal tagliare l’erba allo spruzzare fertilizzante sugli alberi da frutto. Questa tesi si interessa del progetto del sistema di navigazione. Inizialmente viene introdotto il modello cinematico e in particolare la configurazione differential drive in cui il rover rientra. Successivamente viene elaborato un sistema di controllo basato sulla linearizzazione statica del feedback. Una volta completati il modello e il sistema di controllo si procede con la generazione di traiettoria: vengono analizzati e confrontati alcuni algoritmi per l’inseguimento di una traiettoria definita tramite waypoint. Infine è presentato un algoritmo per la navigazione all’interno di un campo di filari di alberi da frutto. Le uniche informazioni esterne disponibili in questo contesto sono le rilevazioni di sensori di distanza frontali e laterali, in quanto un GPS sarebbe troppo impreciso per gli scopi. Questa tesi costituisce la base per ulteriori sviluppi del progetto. In particolare la realizzazione di un programma di supervisione che stabilisca la modalità di moto da attuare e programmi specifici per le varie funzionalità agricole del rover.

UTCS - functional description - enhanced first generation software.

Federal Highway Administration, Implementation Division, Washington, D.C.

Electromagnetic modeling of conformal wideband and multi-band patch antennas by bridging a solid-object modeler with MoM software

The advantages of antennas that can resemble the shape of the body to which they are attached are obvious. However, electromagnetic modeling of such unusually shaped antennas can be difficult. In this paper, the commercially available software SolidWorks(TM) is used for accurately drawing complex shapes in conjunction with the electromagnetic software FEKO(TM) to model the EM behavior of conformal antennas. The application of SolidWorks and custom-written software allows all the required information that forms the analyzed structure to be automatically inserted into FEKO, and gives the user complete control over the antenna being modeled. This approach is illustrated by a number of simulation examples of single, wideband, multi-band planar and curved patch antennas.

Use of CLIMEX modelling to identify prospective areas for exploration to find new biological control agents for prickly acacia

Selection of biocontrol agents that are adapted to the climates in areas of intended release demands a thorough analysis of the climates of the source and release sites. We present a case study that demonstrates how use of the CLIMEX software can improve decision making in relation to the identification of prospective areas for exploration for agents to control the woody weed, prickly acacia Acacia nilotica ssp. indica in the arid areas of north Queensland.

Using machine vision classification to control access of animals to water

Invasive vertebrate pests together with overabundant native species cause significant economic and environmental damage in the Australian rangelands. Access to artificial watering points, created for the pastoral industry, has been a major factor in the spread and survival of these pests. Existing methods of controlling watering points are mechanical and cannot discriminate between target species. This paper describes an intelligent system of controlling watering points based on machine vision technology. Initial test results clearly demonstrate proof of concept for machine vision in this application. These initial experiments were carried out as part of a 3-year project using machine vision software to manage all large vertebrates in the Australian rangelands. Concurrent work is testing the use of automated gates and innovative laneway and enclosure design. The system will have application in any habitat throughout the world where a resource is limited and can be enclosed for the management of livestock or wildlife.

Flexible proof reuse for software verification

Proof reuse, or analogical reasoning, involves reusing the proof of a source theorem in the proof of a target conjecture. We have developed a method for proof reuse that is based on the generalisation replay paradigm described in the literature, in which a generalisation of the source proof is replayed to construct the target proof. In this paper, we describe the novel aspects of our method, which include a technique for producing more accurate source proof generalisations (using knowledge of the target goal), as well as a flexible replay strategy that allows the user to set various parameters to control the size and the shape of the search space. Finally, we report on the results of applying this method to a case study from the realm of software verification.

A reference architecture for instructional educational software

Our extensive research has indicated that high-school teachers are reluctant to make use of existing instructional educational software (Pollard, 2005). Even software developed in a partnership between a teacher and a software engineer is unlikely to be adopted by teachers outside the partnership (Pollard, 2005). In this paper we address these issues directly by adopting a reusable architectural design for instructional educational software which allows easy customisation of software to meet the specific needs of individual teachers. By doing this we will facilitate more teachers regularly using instructional technology within their classrooms. Our domain-specific software architecture, Interface-Activities-Model, was designed specifically to facilitate individual customisation by redefining and restructuring what constitutes an object so that they can be readily reused or extended as required. The key to this architecture is the way in which the software is broken into small generic encapsulated components with minimal domain specific behaviour. The domain specific behaviour is decoupled from the interface and encapsulated in objects which relate to the instructional material through tasks and activities. The domain model is also broken into two distinct models - Application State Model and Domainspecific Data Model. This decoupling and distribution of control gives the software designer enormous flexibility in modifying components without affecting other sections of the design. This paper sets the context of this architecture, describes it in detail, and applies it to an actual application developed to teach high-school mathematical concepts.