Master's in Autonomous Systems: An Overview of the Robotics Curriculum and Outcomes at ISEP, Portugal

Robotics research in Portugal is increasing every year, but few students embrace it as one of their first choices for study. Until recently, job offers for engineers were plentiful, and those looking for a degree in science and technology would avoid areas considered to be demanding, like robotics. At the undergraduate level, robotics programs are still competing for a place in the classical engineering graduate curricula. Innovative and dynamic Master's programs may offer the solution to this gap. The Master's degree in autonomous systems at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Porto, Portugal, was designed to provide a solid training in robotics and has been showing interesting results, mainly due to differences in course structure and the context in which students are welcomed to study and work.

Neural control of an autonomous robot

This article aims to apply the concepts associated with artificial neural networks (ANN) in the control of an autonomous robot system that is intended to be used in competitions of robots. The robot was tested in several arbitrary paths in order to verify its effectiveness. The results show that the robot performed the tasks with success. Moreover, in the case of arbitrary paths the ANN control outperforms other methodologies, such as fuzzy logic control (FLC).

Energy Harvesting for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

In this study, energy production for autonomous underwater vehicles is investigated. This project is part of a bigger project called TURTLE. The autonomous vehicles perform oceanic researches at seabed for which they are intended to be kept operational underwater for several months. In order to ful l a long-term underwater condition, powerful batteries are combined with \micro- scale" energy production on the spot. This work tends to develop a system that generates power up to a maximum of 30 W. Latter energy harvesting structure consists basically of a turbine combined with a generator and low-power electronics to adjust the achieved voltage to a required battery charger voltage. Every component is examined separately hence an optimum can be de ned for all, and subsequently also an overall optimum. Di erent design parameters as e.g. number of blades, solidity ratio and cross-section area are compared for di erent turbines, in order to see what is the most feasible type. Further, a generator is chosen by studying how ux distributions might be adjusted to low velocities, and how cogging torque can be excluded by adapted designs. Low-power electronics are con gured in order to convert and stabilize heavily varying three-phase voltages to a constant, recti ed voltage which is usable for battery storage. Clearly, di erent component parameters as maximum power and torque are matched here to increase the overall power generation. Furthermore an overall maximum power is set up for achieving a maximum power ow at load side. Due to among others typical low velocities of about 0.1 to 0.5 m/s, and constructing limits of the prototype, the vast range of components is restricted to only a few that could be used. Hence, a helical turbine is combined in a direct drive mode to a coreless-stator axial- ux permanent-magnet generator, from which the output voltage is adjusted subsequently by a recti er, impedance matching unit, upconverter circuit and an overall control unit to regulate di erent component parameters. All these electronics are combined in a closed-loop design to involve positive feedback signals. Furthermore a theoretical con guration for the TURTLE vehicle is described in this work and a solution is proposed that might be implemented, for which several design tests are performable in a future study.

Water jet based autonomous surface vehicle for coastal waters operations

This paper presents the design of low cost, small autonomous surface vehicle for missions in the coastal waters and specifically for the challenging surf zone. The main objective of the vehicle design described in this paper is to address both the capability of operation at sea in relative challenging conditions and maintain a very low set of operational requirements (ease of deployment). This vehicle provides a first step towards being able to perform general purpose missions (such as data gathering or patrolling) and to at least in a relatively short distances to be able to be used in rescue operations (with very low handling requirements) such as carrying support to humans on the water. The USV is based on a commercially available fiber glass hull, it uses a directional waterjet powered by an electrical brushless motor for propulsion, thus without any protruding propeller reducing danger in rescue operations. Its small dimensions (1.5 m length) and weight allow versatility and ease of deployment. The vehicle design is described in this paper both from a hardware and software point of view. A characterization of the vehicle in terms of energy consumption and performance is provided both from test tank and operational scenario tests. An example application in search and rescue is also presented and discussed with the integration of this vehicle in the European ICARUS (7th framework) research project addressing the development and integration of robotic tools for large scale search and rescue operations.

Multi-agent simulation of competitive electricity markets: Autonomous systems cooperation for European market modeling

The electricity market restructuring, and its worldwide evolution into regional and even continental scales, along with the increasing necessity for an adequate integration of renewable energy sources, is resulting in a rising complexity in power systems operation. Several power system simulators have been developed in recent years with the purpose of helping operators, regulators, and involved players to understand and deal with this complex and constantly changing environment. The main contribution of this paper is given by the integration of several electricity market and power system models, respecting to the reality of different countries. This integration is done through the development of an upper ontology which integrates the essential concepts necessary to interpret all the available information. The continuous development of Multi-Agent System for Competitive Electricity Markets platform provides the means for the exemplification of the usefulness of this ontology. A case study using the proposed multi-agent platform is presented, considering a scenario based on real data that simulates the European Electricity Market environment, and comparing its performance using different market mechanisms. The main goal is to demonstrate the advantages that the integration of various market models and simulation platforms have for the study of the electricity markets��� evolution.

ezGo: A voice operated wheelchair with biosignal monitoring for home environments

In this paper we present ezGo, an electric powered wheelchair with a speech based interface and biosignal monitoring instrumentation. The user can use the voice, a natural communication method, for controlling the chair movement and obtain information about his health. Additionally a set of semi-autonomous modes with macro recording enable the execution of navigation tasks with little effort and improved precision. The main purpose of the system is to provide severely disabled persons with an assistive device that can improve their confidence and daily independence. The obtained results on usability tests showed that users consider ezGo a valuable help on their daily tasks and a very desirable addition to standard wheelchairs.

Desenvolvimento e Controlo de um Ve��culo Aut��nomo A��reo Quadrotor

A crescente necessidade de meios de inspec����o e recolha de informa����o de infraestruturas e do meio ambiente natural, origina o recurso a meios tecnol��gicos cada vez mais evolu��dos. Neste contexto, os rob��s m��veis aut��nomos a��reos surgem como uma ferramenta importante. Em particular, os ve��culos a��reos de asa m��vel, pela sua manobrabilidade e controlo podem-se utilizar eficazmente em meios complexos como cen��rios interiores onde o ambiente �� parcialmente controlado. A sua utiliza����o em coordena����o com outros ve��culos rob��ticos m��veis e em particular com a crescente autonomia de decis��o, permitem uma efici��ncia elevada, por exemplo, em tarefas de recolha autom��tica de informa����o, vigil��ncia, apoio a comunica����es, etc. A inexist��ncia de um ve��culo aut��nomo de asa m��vel no cen��rio multi-rob��tico desenvolvido pelo Laborat��rio de Sistemas Aut��nomos do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, aliada ��s suas aplica����es referidas, criou a necessidade do desenvolvimento de um ve��culo desta gama. Identificou-se, pois, o desenvolvimento de um ve��culo aut��nomo a��reo do tipo quadrotor com capacidade de v��o base estabilizado como o problema a resolver. Foi efectuado um levantamento de requisitos do sistema, a caracteriza����o de um ve��culo aut��nomo a��reo Vertical Take-off and Landing - VTOL, e efectuado um trabalho de pesquisa a fim de possibilitar o conhecimento das t��cnicas e tecnologias envolvidas. Tendo em vista o objectivo de controlo e estabiliza����o do ve��culo, foi efectuada a modeliza����o do sistema que serviu n��o s�� para a melhor compreens��o da sua din��mica mas tamb��m para o desenvolvimento de um simulador que possibilitou a valida����o de estrat��gias de controlo e avalia����o de comportamentos do ve��culo para diferentes cen��rios. A inexist��ncia de controladores de motores brushless adequada (frequ��ncia de controlo), originou o desenvolvimento de um controlador dedicado para motores brushless, motores esses utilizados para a propuls��o do ve��culo. Este controlador permite uma taxa de controlo a uma frequ��ncia de 20KHz, possui m��ltiplas interfaces de comunica����o (CAN, RS232, Ethernet, SPI e JTAG), �� de reduzido peso e dimens��es e modular, visto ter sido implementado em dois m��dulos, i.e., permite a sua utiliza����o com diferentes interfaces de pot��ncia. Projectou-se um ve��culo aut��nomo a��reo em termos f��sicos com a defini����o da sua arquitectura de hardware e software bem como o sistema de controlo de v��o. O sistema de estabiliza����o de v��o compreende o processamento de informa����o fornecida por um sistema de navega����o inercial, um sonar e o envio de refer��ncias de velocidade para cada um dos n��s de controlo ligados a um barramento CAN instalado no ve��culo. A implementa����o do ve��culo foi alcan��ada nas suas vertentes mec��nica, de hardware e software. O UAV foi equipado com um sistema computacional dotando-o de capacidades para o desempenho de tarefas previamente analisadas. No presente trabalho, s��o tamb��m tiradas algumas conclus��es sobre o desenvolvimento do sistema e sua implementa����o bem como perspectivada a sua evolu����o futura no contexto de miss��es coordenadas de m��ltiplos ve��culos rob��ticos.

Relational navigation and archiving of multimedia information for contemporary dance

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Inform��tica

Planeamento de Trajet��ria para Opera����es de Busca e Salvamento com UAVs

Os sistemas aut��nomos trazem como mais valia aos cen��rios de busca e salvamento a possibilidade de minimizar a presen��a de Humanos em situa����es de perigo e a capacidade de aceder a locais de dif��cil acesso. Na disserta����o prop��e-se endere��ar novos m��todos para perce����o e navega����o de ve��culos a��reos n��o tripulados (UAV), tendo como foco principal o planeamento de trajet��rias e dete����o de obst��culos. No que respeita �� perce����o foi desenvolvido um m��todo para gerar clusters tendo por base os voxels gerados pelo Octomap. Na ��rea de navega����o, foram desenvolvidos dois novos m��todos de planeamento de trajet��rias, GPRM (Grid Probabilistic Roadmap) e PPRM (Particle Probabilistic Roadmap), que tem como m��todo base para o seu desenvolvimento o PRM. O primeiro m��todo desenvolvido, GPRM, espalha as part��culas numa grid pr��-definida, construindo posteriormente o roadmap na ��rea determinada pela grid e com isto estima o trajeto mais curto at�� ao ponto destino. O segundo m��todo desenvolvido, PPRM, espalha as part��culas pelo cen��rio de aplica����o, gera o roadmap considerando o mapa total e atribui uma probabilidade que ir�� permitir definir a trajet��ria otimizada. Para analisar a performance de cada m��todo em compara����o com o PRM, efetua-se a sua avalia����o em tr��s cen��rios distintos com recurso ao simulador MORSE.

UJI Navigation Network, Development of a pedestrian spatial network within the University Jaume I of Castell��n (Spain)

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

Robots and humans as co-workers? The human-centred perspective of work with autonomous systems

The design of work organisation systems with automated equipment is facing new challenges and the emergence of new concepts. The social aspects that are related with new concepts on the complex work environments (CWE) are becoming more relevant for that design. The work with autonomous systems implies options in the design of workplaces. Especially that happens in such complex environments. The concepts of ���agents���, ���co-working��� or ���human-centred technical systems��� reveal new dimensions related to human-computer interaction (HCI). With an increase in the number and complexity of those human-technology interfaces, the capacities of human intervention can become limited, originating further problems. The case of robotics is used to exemplify the issues related with automation in working environments and the emergence of new HCI approaches that would include social implications. We conclude that studies on technology assessment of industrial robotics and autonomous agents on manufacturing environment should also focus on the human involvement strategies in organisations. A needed participatory strategy implies a new approach to workplaces design. This means that the research focus must be on the relation between technology and social dimensions not as separate entities, but integrated in the design of an interaction system.

Study on the development of an autonomous mobile robot

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Eletrot��cnica e de Computadores

Haptic robot-environment interaction for self-supervised learning in ground mobility

Disserta����o para obten����o do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Eletrot��cnica e de Computadores

A volumetric hybrid representation for obstacle detection in all-terrain robots

This dissertation presents an approach aimed at three-dimensional perception���s obstacle detection on all-terrain robots. Given the huge amount of acquired information, the adversities such environments present to an autonomous system and the swiftness, thus required, from each of its navigation decisions, it becomes imperative that the 3-D perceptional system to be able to map obstacles and passageways in the most swift and detailed manner. In this document, a hybrid approach is presented bringing the best of several methods together, combining the lightness of lesser meticulous analyses with the detail brought by more thorough ones. Realizing the former, a terrain���s slope mapping system upon a low resolute volumetric representation of the surrounding occupancy. For the latter���s detailed evaluation, two novel metrics were conceived to discriminate the little depth discrepancies found in between range scanner���s beam distance measurements. The hybrid solution resulting from the conjunction of these two representations provides a reliable answer to traversability mapping and a robust discrimination of penetrable vegetation from that constituting real obstructions. Two distinct robotic platforms offered the possibility to test the hybrid approach on very different applications: a boat, under an European project, the ECHORD Riverwatch, and a terrestrial four-wheeled robot for a national project, the Introsys Robot.