• 한국음향학회지
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.263-270
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• 2008

초음파 어레이 센서의 성능은 구성 불성과 많은 구소 변수들에 의해 결정된다. 본 연구에서는 유한 요소해석을 통하여 구조적인 변화에 따른 초음파 어레이 센서의 성능변화를 해석하였다. 해석 결과를 기초로 하여 초음파 어레이 센서가 주파수 대역폭, 중심 주파수 그리고 -20 dB pulse length와 같은 요구 사항을 모두 만족시키며 최대의 감도를 가지도록 구조를 최적화하였다. 최적화 방법으로는 초음파 어레이 센서의 성능을 목적 함수로 하는 SQP-PD 방법을 사용하였다. 최적화된 초음파 어레이 센서는 의료 영상 진단에 적용되기 위한 모든 요구 조건을 만족하였으며, 본 설계 기술은 유사한 형태의 다른 배열형 초음파 센서에 응용 가능하다

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2003년도 ICCAS
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• pp.2519-2523
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• 2003

Ultrasonic sensors are widely used in mobile robot applications to recognize external environments, because they are cheap, easy to use, and robust under varying lighting conditions. In most cases, a single ultrasonic sensor is used to measure the distance to an object based on time-of-flight (TOF) information, whereas multiple sensors are used to recognize the shape of an object, such as a corner, plane, or edge. However, the conventional sequential driving technique involves a long measurement time. This problem can be resolved by pulse coding ultrasonic signals, which allows multi-sensors to be fired simultaneously and adjacent objects to be distinguished. Accordingly, the current presents a new simultaneous coded driving system for an ultrasonic sensor array for object recognition in autonomous mobile robots. The proposed system is designed and implemented using a DSP and FPGA. A micro-controller board is made using a DSP, Polaroid 6500 ranging modules are modified for firing the coded signals, and a 5-channel coded signal generating board is made using a FPGA. To verify the proposed method, experiments were conducted in an environment with overlapping signals, and the flight distances for each sensor were obtained from the received overlapping signals using correlations and conversion to a bipolar PCM-NRZ signal.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2004년도 ICCAS
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• pp.582-587
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• 2004

Ultrasonic sensors are widely used in mobile robot applications to recognize external environments, because they are cheap, easy to use, and robust under varying lighting conditions. However, the recognition of objects using a ultrasonic sensor is not so easy due to its characteristics such as narrow beam width and no reflected signal from a inclined object. As one of the alternatives to resolve these problems, use of multiple sensors has been studied. A sequential driving system needs a long measurement time and does not take advantage of multiple sensors. Simultaneous and pulse coding driving system of ultrasonic sensor array cannot measure short distance as the length of the code becomes long. This problem can be resolved by multi-frequency driving of ultrasonic sensors, which allows multi-sensors to be fired simultaneously and adjacent objects to be distinguished. Accordingly, this paper presents a simultaneous and multi-frequency driving system for an ultrasonic sensor array for object recognition. The proposed system is designed and implemented using a DSP and FPGA. A micro-controller board is made using a DSP, Polaroid 6500 ranging modules are modified for firing the multi-frequency signals, and a 5-channel frequency modulated signal generating board is made using a FPGA. To verify the proposed method, experiments were conducted in an environment with overlapping signals, and the flight distances for each sensor were obtained from filtering of the received overlapping signals and calculation of the time-of-flights.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2008년도 추계학술대회논문집
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• pp.212-213
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• 2008

Ultrasonic fiber sensor is more cost-effective than optical fiber sensor using light. However, optical fiber lines are separately used for sensing. Thus, if it is applied for huge system, it is need many lines of the sensor systems. To overcome this point, novel ultrasonic sensor systems considering wave cancellation and modulation were newly developed. By using this schema, reference-free sensor system can be developed. By using ultrasonic waves of different excitation frequencies, multiple input-signal output sensor system was also developed by applying spectrum analyses. Using the array type sensor system, the leakage of liquid and its evaporation can be monitored successfully.

• 대한전자공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전자공학회 1998년도 하계종합학술대회논문집
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• pp.271-274
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• 1998

Ultrasonic sensors are becoming indispensable components in every sector of automation equipments due to many advantages. But the main purposes of the noncontact sensing device are rather narrowly confined within object detection and distance measurement. To widen the realm of the applications to object recognition, ultrasonic sensors need to improve the recognition resolution to a certain amount. To resolve the problem of spatial resolution restriction, an increased number of the sensors in the forms of a linear array or 2-dimensional array of the sensor has been used. Also better resolution has been obtained by shifting the array in several steps using mechanical actuators. For an object recognition using ultrasonic sensors, measurements of distance, shift, oblique angle in certain ranges should be obtained. But a little attention has been paid to the measurement of angles. In this paper we propose a practical method for an object angular value detection in addition to distance measurement in ultrasonic sensor array system with little additional hardware burden. Using the established measurement look-up table for the variations of distance, shift, angle and transmitter voltages for each sensor characteristics, a set of different return echo signals for adjacent receivers are processed to provide enhanced angular value reading for an object.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.215-220
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• 2012

Miniature ultrasonic and tactile sensors on Si substrate have been proposed, fabricated and characterized to detect objects for a dexterous robot. The ultrasonic sensor consists of piezoelectric PZT thin film on a Pt/Ti/$SiO_2$ and/or Si diaphragm fabricated using a micromachining technique; the ultrasonic sensor detects the piezoelectric voltage as an ultrasonic wave. The sensitivity has been enhanced by improving the device structure, and the resonant frequency in the array sensor has been equalized. Position detection has been carried out by using a sensor array with high sensitivity and uniform resonant frequency. The tactile sensor consists of four or three warped cantilevers which have NiCr or $Si:B^+$ piezoresistive layer for stress detection. Normal and shear stresses can be estimated by calculation using resistance changes of the piezoresitive layers on the cantilevers. Gripping state has been identified by using the tactile sensor which is installed on finger of a robot hand, and friction of objects has been measured by slipping the sensor.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 1996년도 Proceedings of the Korea Automatic Control Conference, 11th (KACC); Pohang, Korea; 24-26 Oct. 1996
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• pp.409-412
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• 1996

Ultrasonic sensors are widely used in various applications due to advantages of low cost, simplicity in construction, mechanical robustness, and little environmental restriction in usage. But the main purposes of the noncontact sensing are rather narrowly confined within object detection and distance measurement. For the application of object recognition, ultrasonic sensors exhibit several shortcomings of poor directionality which results in low spatial resolution of objects, and specularity which gives frequent erroneous range readings. To resolve these problems in object recognition, an array of the sensor has been used. To improve the spatial resolution, more number of sensors are used in essence throughout the various devices of the sensor arrays. Under the disguise of a fixed number of the sensors, the array can be shifted mechanically in several steps. In this paper we propose a practical sensor resolution enhancement method using an electronic circuit accompanying the sensor array. The circuit changes the transmitter output voltage in several steps. Using the known sensor characteristics, a set of different return echo signals provide enhanced spatial resolution. The improvement is obtained with neither the cost of the increased number of the sensors nor extra mechanical devices.

• 대한기계학회논문집
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• 제18권11호
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• pp.2902-2912
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• 1994

The ultrasonic array sensor system, consisting of one transmitter and fourreceivers instead of the traditional combination of a transmitter and a receiver is proposed in order to identify the location of objects. From the theoretical analysis and the experimental results, it is found that this new array sensor system could derive the information on the position of objects accurately, while the traditional sensor system could provide only the informatioin on the distance to objects. This sensor system is used to develop a sonar-based local mapping algorithm. The local map is used to find the existence of possible gates, through which the mobile robots can pass, and to select the suitable one in order for the robots to reach the goal safely in the presence of obstacles. The performance of the proposed local map algorithm is demonstrated experimentally in a small working area with several obstacles. It is found that the quality of the resulting local map is sufficient for the avoidance of collisions between the robots and obstacles and for the selection of the suitable gate leading to the goal. It is also shown that the global map of the working area could be obtained by integrating several local maps constructed from different locations and that it matches the actual layout of the working area well.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.67-72
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• 2005

In a park or street, we can see many people jogging or walking with their dogs that are chasing their masters. In this study, a pet robot that imitates dog's behavior is developed. The task of robot is to chase a person who is recognized as the master. The physical structure and the sensor system are designed for the task and environment. A three-wheel type locomotion system is designed as the robot's physical structure which can follow a person who is jogging in outdoor environment like a park. A sensor system, which can detect relative position of the master to the robot in highly dynamic and hazardous worlds, is developed. This sensor system consists of a signal transmitter which is held by the master and ultrasonic sensor array which are mounted on the robot. The transmitter emits RF (radio frequency) and ultrasonic signals simultaneously. The ultrasonic sensor array detects the signals and calculates direction and distance between the robot and the transmitter. The developed RF-ultrasonic sensor is evaluated through experiments. A purely reactive behavior-based control architecture is used for the robot. The behavior control performance of the robot is assessed in outdoor and indoor tests.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
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• 제10권11호
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• pp.1028-1036
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• 2004

Ultrasonic sensors are widely used in mobile robot applications to recognize external environments by virtue that they are cheap, easy to use, and robust under varying lighting conditions. In most cases, a single ultrasonic sensor is used to measure the distance to an object based on time-of-flight (TOF) information, whereas multiple sensors are used to recognize the shape of an object, such as a comer, plane, or edge. However, the conventional sequential driving technique involves a long measurement time. This problem can be resolved by pulse coding of ultrasonic signals, which allows multi-sensors to be emitted simultaneously and adjacent objects to be distinguished. Accordingly, this paper presents a new simultaneous coded driving system for an ultrasonic sensor array for object recognition in autonomous mobile robots. The proposed system is designed and implemented. A micro-controller unit is implemented using a DSP, Polaroid 6500 ranging modules are modified for firing the coded signals, and a 5-channel coded signal generating board is made using a FPGA. To verify the proposed method, experiments were conducted in an environment with overlapping signals, and the flight distances fur each sensor were obtained from the received overlapping signals using correlations and conversion to a bipolar PCM-NRZ signal.