• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.226-236
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• 2008

In this paper, control software architecture is designed to enable a heterogeneous multiple humanoid robot demonstration executing tasks cooperating with each other. In the heterogeneous humanoid robot team, one large humanoid robot and two small humanoid robots are included. For the efficient and reliable information sharing between many software components for humanoid control, sensing and planning, CORBA based software framework is applied. The humanoid tasks are given in terms of finite state diagram based human-robot interface, which is interpreted into the XML based languages defining the details of the humanoid mission. A state transition is triggered based on the event which is described in terms of conditions on the sensor measurements such as robot locations and the external vision system. In the demonstration of the heterogeneous humanoid team, the task of multiple humanoid cleaning the table is given to the humanoid robots and successfully executed based on the given state diagram.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.963-968
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• 2005

For worm robots applied to pipe inspection and colonoscopy, earthworm-like robots that have a locomotion pattern in backward wave or green caterpillar-like robots that have a locomotion pattern in forward wave have been studied widely. Note however that a method using a single and fixed locomotion pattern is not desirable in the sense of mobility cost, if there are various changes in pipe diameter. In this paper, locomotion patterns are considered for a semi-looper-like robot, which adopts a locomotion pattern of green caterpillars as the basic motion and sometimes can realize a locomotion pattern of looper, whose motion approximately consists of two rhythms or relatively low rhythm.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.104.3-104
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• 2001

This paper develops a control approach to generic formation tasks of multiple mobile robots with inaccurate sensor information. Inaccurate sensor information means that all the robots have only local sensors which cannot accurately measure absolute distances and directions of objects. The control logic is developed considering generic situations in order to adapt to increasing number of robots which participate in the formation. Petri nets are used for modeling and design of the control logic, which can visualize the control models and make it easy to check the states of each robot. Physically homogenous mobile robots are designed and built to evaluate the developed logic. Each robot is equipped with eighteen infrared sensors and a UHF transceiver module. The developed control ...

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.429-434
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• 2013

This paper proposes a CPSO (Cooperative Particle Swarm Optimization)-based MPC (Model Predictive Control) scheme to deal with formation control problem of multiple nonholonomic mobile robots. In a distributed MPC framework, each robot needs to optimize control input sequence over a finite prediction horizon considering control inputs of the other robots where their cost functions are coupled by the state variables of the neighboring robots. In order to optimize the control input sequence, a CPSO algorithm is adopted and modified to fit into the formation control problem. Experiments are performed on a group of nonholonomic mobile robots to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed CPSO-based MPC for multi-robot formation.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.1047-1055
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• 2009

Since nuclear and chemical materials could damage people and disturb battlefield missions in a wide region, nuclear/chemical reconnaissance systems utilizing multiple mobile robots are highly desirable for rapid and safe reconnaissance. In this paper, we design a nuclear/chemical reconnaissance system including mobile robots. Also we propose time-efficient trajectory planning algorithms using grid coverage and contour finding methods for reconnaissance operation. For grid coverage, we performed in analysis on time consumption for various trajectory patterns generated by straight lines and arcs. We proposed BCF (Bounded Contour Finding) and BCFEP (Bounded Contour Finding with Ellipse Prediction) algorithms for contour finding. With these grid coverage and contour finding algorithms, we suggest trajectory planning algorithms for single, two or four mobile robots. Various simulations reveal that the proposed algorithms improve time-efficiency in nuclear/chemical reconnaissance missions in the given area. Also we conduct basic experiments using a commercial mobile robot and verify the time efficiency of the proposed contour finding algorithms.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1321-1330
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• 2012

This paper describes an advanced formation algorithm of clustered multiple robots for their navigation using flexible formation method for collision avoidance under static environment like narrow corridors. A group of clustered multiple robots finds the lowest path cost for navigation by changing its formation. The suggested flexible method of formation transforms the basic group of mobile robots into specific form when it is confronted by particular geographic feature. In addition, the proposed method suggests to choose a leader robot of the group for the obstacle avoidance and path planning. Firstly, the group of robots forms basic shapes such as triangle, square, pentagon and etc. depending on number of robots. Secondly, the closest to the target location robot is chosen as a leader robot. The chosen leader robot uses $A^*$ for reaching the goal location. The proposed approach improves autonomous formation characteristics and performance of all system.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2000

In this paper, we present a framework for modeling and control of multiple mobile robots which cowork within a bounded workspace and limited resources. To achieve this goal, we adopt a formalism of discrete event system and supervisory control theory based on Petri nets. We can divide our whole story into two parts: first, we search the shortest path using the distance vector algorithm, and then we construct the control scheme from which a number of mobile robots can work within a bounded workspace without any collision. The use of Petri net modeling allows us In synthesize a controller which achieves a control specification for the desired closed-loop behavior efficiently. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed Petri net formalism is illustrated by a simulation study.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1122-1131
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• 2012

This paper presents obstacle avoidance method for scout robot or industrial robot in unknown environment by using IR sensor and vision system. In the proposed method, robots share the information where the obstacles are located in real-time, thus the robots can choose the best path for obstacle avoidance. Using IR sensor and vision system, multiple robots efficiently evade the obstacles by the proposed cooperation method. No landmark is used at wall or floor in experiment environment. The obstacles don't have specific color or shape. To get the information of the obstacle, vision system extracts the obstacle coordinate by using an image labeling method. The information obtained by IR sensor is about the obstacle range and the locomotion direction to decide the optimal path for avoiding obstacle. The experiment was conducted in $7m{\times}7m$ indoor environment with two-wheeled mobile robots. It is shown that multiple robots efficiently move along the optimal path in cooperation with each other in the space where obstacles are located.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1990.10b
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• pp.1071-1076
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• 1990

This paper proposes a navigation strategy of multiple autonomous mobile robots with communication within a specified space. Assuming that each robot has complete detectability with finite range, simple navigation strategy is derived by introducing repulsive forces between robots and attractive force between a robot and its goal point analogous to those between electric charges. When a robot is close to its goal point, a pseudo-domain based on the distance between the closest point of the domain boundary and the goal point is proposed to enhance its convergence to the goal state. This paper concludes with the results of computer simulation studies on the dynamic behavior of multiple interacting robots with the proposed navigation strategy.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.466-479
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• 2006

This paper addresses a formation navigation issue for a group of mobile robots passing through an environment with either static or moving obstacles meanwhile keeping a fixed formation shape. Based on Lyapunov function and graph theory, a NN formation control is proposed, which guarantees to maintain a formation if the formation pattern is $C^k,\;k\geq1$. In the process of navigation, the leader can generate a proper trajectory to lead formation and avoid moving obstacles according to the obtained information. An evolutionary computational technique using particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed for motion planning so that the formation is kept as $C^1$ function. The simulation results demonstrate that this algorithm is effective and the experimental studies validate the formation ability of the multiple mobile robots system.