Design and Implementation of Tripodal Schematic Control Architecture for Multi-Functional Service Robots

This paper describes the development of service robotic systems with the Tripodal schematic control architecture. We show practical advantages of the proposed architecture by giving examples of our experience. First, we explain how to add new task using Tripodal architecture approach. The Tripodal architecture provides some crucial organizing principles and core components that are used to build the basis for the system. Thus, the newly developed behaviors, motion algorithm, knowledge, and planning schemes are arranged so as to guarantee the efficiency of the performance of components. Second, we describe the reusability and scaleability of our architecture by introducing the implementation process of the guide robot Jinny. Most of modules developed for former robots like PSR-1 and PSR-2 systems are used directly to the Jinny system without significant modification. Experimental results clearly showed that the developed strategy is useful, even if the hardware configurations as well as software algorithms are more complex and more accumulating.