• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2011

This paper presents the optimal design of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring for high resolution obstacle detection of an autonomous mobile robot. It is assumed that a set of low directivity ultrasonic sensors of the same type are arranged along a circle of nonzero radius at a regular spacing with their beams overlapped. First, taking into account the dead angle region, the entire range of obstacle detection is determined with reference to the center of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring. Second, the optimal design index of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring is defined as the area closeness of three sensing subzones resulting from beam overlap. Third, the lower and upper bounds on the number of ultrasonic sensors are derived, which can guarantee minimal beam overlap and also avoid excessive beam overlap among adjacent ultrasonic sensors. Fourth, employing a commercial low directivity ultrasonic sensor, an optimal design example of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring is given along with the ultrasonic sensor ring prototype mounted on top of a mobile robot. Finally, some experimental results using our prototype ultrasonic sensor ring are given to demonstrate the validity and performance of an optimally overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring for high resolution obstacle detection.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2010

This paper presents the optimal design method of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring for reduced positional uncertainty, and its application to the obstacle detection with improved resolution. Basically, it is assumed that a set of ultrasonic sensors are installed to form a circle at regular intervals with their beams overlapped. First, exploiting the overlapped beam pattern, the positional uncertainty inherent to an ultrasonic sensor is shown to be significantly reduced. Second, for an ideal ultrasonic sensor ring of zero radius, the effective beam width is defined to represent the positional uncertainty, and the optimal number of ultrasonic sensors required for minimal effective beam width is obtained. Third, for an actual ultrasonic sensor ring of nonzero radius, the design index is defined to represent the degree of positional uncertainty, and an optimal design of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring consisting of commercial ultrasonic sensors with low directivity is given. Fourth, given measured distances from ultrasonic sensors, the geometric method is described to compute the obstacle position with reference to the center of a mobile robot. Finally, through experiments using our overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring prototype, the validity and performance of the proposed method is demonstrated.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2011

This paper presents the systematic optimal design of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring for high performance obstacle detection using effective beam overlap. Basically, a set of low directivity ultrasonic sensors of the same type are arranged in a circle at regular intervals with their beams overlapped. First, both real and simplified beam patterns of an ultrasonic sensor and several sensor models for obstacle position estimation within its beam pattern are introduced. Second, the obstacle detection range of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring and its simple sensor model for obstacle position estimation are described. Third, for both conic and non-conic shaped beam pattern, the design indices of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring for minimal positional uncertainty in obstacle detection are defined. Fourth, the constraints imposed on the structural parameters of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring to guarantee non empty beam overlap and to avoid excessive beam overlap are derived. Fifth, the optimal number of ultrasonic sensors for a given radius of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring and the optimal radius of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring are determined. Throughout this paper, the MA40B8 from Murata Inc. is taken as a representative commercial low directivity ultrasonic sensor.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.341-347
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• 2011

This paper presents the performance evaluation. optimal design. and complex obstacle detection of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring by introducing a new concept of effective beam width. It is assumed that a set of ultrasonic sensors of the same type are arranged along a circle of nonzero radius at regular spacings with their beams overlapped. First, the global positional uncertainty of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring is expressed by the average value of local positional uncertainty over the entire obstacle detection range. The effective beam width of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring is assessed as the beam width of a single ultrasonic sensor having the same amount of global positional uncertainty, from which a normalized obstacle detection performance index is defined. Second. using the defined index, the design parameters of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring are optimized for minimal positional uncertainty in obstacle detection. For a given number of ultrasonic sensors, the optimal radius of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring is determined, and for a given radius of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring, the optimal number of ultrasonic sensors is determined. Third, the decision rules of positional uncertainty zone for multiple obstacle detection are provided based on the inequality relationships among obstacle distances by three adjacent ultrasonic sensors. Using the provided rules, the obstacle outline detection is performed in a rather complex environment consisting of several obstacles of different shapes.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.321-327
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• 2012

This paper presents a comparative analysis on three different types of performance indices of obstacle detection for an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring. Due to beam overlap, the entire sensing zone of each ultrasonic sensor can be divided into three smaller sensing subzones, which leads to significant reduction of positional uncertainty in obstacle detection. First, the positional uncertainty in obstacle detection is expressed in terms of the area of a sensing subzone, and type 1 performance index is then defined as the area ratio of side and center sensing subzones. Second, based on the area of a sensing subzone, type 2 performance index is defined taking into account the size of the entire range of obstacle detection as well as the degree of the positional uncertainty in obstacle detection. Third, the positional uncertainty in obstacle detection is now expressed in terms of the length of the uncertainty arc spanning a sensing subzone, and type 3 performance index is then defined as the average value of the uncertainty arc lengths over the entire range of obstacle detection. Fourth, using a commercial low directivity ultrasonic sensor, the changes of three different performance indices depending on the parameter of an overlapped ultrasonic sensor ring are examined and compared.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.198-206
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• 2009

This paper presents the reduction of the positional uncertainty of an ultrasonic sensor ring with overlapped beam pattern for the efficient obstacle detection of a mobile robot. Basically, it is assumed that a relatively small number of inexpensive low directivity ultrasonic sensors are installed at regular spacings along the side of a circular mobile robot with their beams overlapped. First, for both single and double obstacles, we show that the positional uncertainty inherent to an ultrasonic sensor can be reduced using the overlapped beam pattern, and also quantify the relative improvement in positional uncertainty. Second, given measured distance data from one or two ultrasonic sensors, we devise the geometric method to determine the position of an obstacle with respect to the center of a mobile robot. Third, we examine and compare existing ultrasonic sensor models, including Gaussian distribution, parabolic distribution, uniform distribution, and impulse, and then build the sensor model of overlapped ultrasonic sensors, adequate for obstacle detection in terms of positional uncertainty and computational requirement. Finally, through experiments using our prototype ultrasonic sensor ring, the validity of overlapped beam pattern for reduced positional uncertainty and efficient obstacle detection is demonstrated.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-61
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• 2005

A ring-shaped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoceramic sensor has been integrated with the Langevin-type piezoceramic driver of an ultrasonic wire-bonding transducer to form a smart transducer for in-situ measurement of three essential bonding parameters: namely, impact force, ultrasonic amplitude and bond time. This sensor has an inner diameter, an outer diameter and a thickness of 12.7 mm, 5.1 mm and 0.6 mm, respectively. It has a specifically designed electrode pattern on the two major surfaces perpendicular to its thickness along which polarization is induced. The process-test results have indicated that the sensor not only is sensitive to excessive impact forces exerted on the devices to be bonded but also can track changes in the ultrasonic amplitude proficiently during bonding. Good correlation between the sensor outputs and the bond quality has been established. This smart transducer has good potential to be used in automatic process-control systems for ultrasonic wire bonding.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.934-939
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• 2012

This paper proposes a new algorithm for ultrasonic sensors arranged on ring frame to identify obstacles surrounding itself by TOFs (time of flight). The ring frame has multiple channels consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. When the transmitter of a selected channel transmits ultrasonic signal, the TOFs of reflected signals from obstacles are acquired by the receiver of the channel. The process continues for all channels consecutively. Then, by using parabolic curve fitting of TOFs of all channel, the proposed algorithm not only calculates distances from multiple obstacles, but also identifies if the shape of obstacles are point or plane by the coefficients of the curve. By the experiment using 16 ultrasonic transceivers on the ring frame in the environment of two poles and two planes, we show the feasibility of the proposed scheme.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1991.10a
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• pp.658-662
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• 1991

In this paper, a real-time obstacle avoidance for mobile robot based on the readings of the ultrasonic sensors is presented. The twenty eight ultrasonic sensors are arranged in ring and controlled by microprocessor. The readings of the ultrasonic sensor is converted into the virtual forces called repulsive forces, which are the elastic and damping forces. Then, the direction and speed of mobile robot in the cluttered environment are determined by the virtual forces. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified from a series of simulation studies.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.361-365
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• 2012

A bolt-clamped ultrasonic viscometer was designed and fabricated using a pair of ring-shaped piezoelectric ceramic resonators. For its compactness and low operation frequencies, simulation of piezoelectric resonators was carried out using an ATILA program. Ring-shaped resonators using $0.05Pb(Mn_{1/3}Sb_{2/3})O_3-0.95Pb(Zr_{0.475}Ti_{0.525})O_3$ ceramics were prepared by a conventional ceramic processing, which were then clamped with a pair of metal caps. The fabricated sensor module with a small volume of less than 1 $cm^3$ and an operation frequency as low as 26.5 kHz showed a good relationship between its quality factor and the viscosity of oil.