• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2011

A precise embedded ultrasonic localization system is developed for autonomous mobile robots in indoor environments, which is essential for autonomous navigation of mobile robots with various tasks. Although ultrasonic sensors are more cost-effective than other sensors such as LRF (Laser Range Finder) and vision, they suffer inaccuracy and directional ambiguity. First, we apply the matched filter to measure the distance precisely. For resolving the computational complexity of the matched filter for embedded systems, we propose a new matched filter algorithm with fast computation in three points of view. Second, we propose an accurate ultrasonic localization system which consists of three ultrasonic receivers on the mobile robot and two or more transmitters on the ceiling. Last, we add an extended Kalman filter to estimate position and orientation. Various simulations and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed system.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Multimedia Society Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.890-895
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• 2001

In this paper, we address on the problem of automatic scheduling and motion generation of multiple mobile robots fur collecting material parts. We propose a model and so]union algorithm for the system. The formulated problem is divided into two kinds of problems; assignment problem and planning problem of robot motion. In this paper, several approaches to solution methods are presented and compared through computer simulation.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.385-389
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• 2013

This paper proposes the leader-follower based formation control method for multiple mobile robots. The controller is designed using the measurements of the follower robot such as the relative distance and angle between the leader and the follower. This means that the follower robot does not require the information of the leader robot while keeping the desired formation. Therefore, the proposed control method can reduce the communication loss and the cost for hardware. From Lyapunov stability theory, it is shown that all error signals in the closed-loop system are uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system.

• 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.

• International Journal of Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Systems
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.280-285
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• 2011

Recently, with the development of service robots and the concept of ubiquitous, the position estimation of mobile objects has received great interest. Some of the localization schemes are introduced, which provide the relative location of the moving objects subjected to accumulated errors. To implement a real time localization system, a new absolute position estimation method for a mobile robot in indoor environment is proposed. Design and implementation of the localization system comes from the usage of active beacon systems (based upon RFID technology). The active beacon system is composed of an RFID receiver and an ultra-sonic transmitter. The RFID receiver gets the synchronization signal from the mobile robot and the ultra-sonic transmitter sends out the traveling signal to be used for measuring the distance. Position of a mobile robot in a three dimensional space can be calculated basically from the distance information from three beacons and the absolute position information of the beacons themselves. In some case, the mobile robot can acquire the ultrasonic signals from only one or two beacons, due to the obstacles located along the moving path. In this paper, a position estimation scheme using fewer than three sensors is developed. Also, the extended Kalman filter algorithm is applied for the improvement of position estimation accuracy of the mobile robot.

• Journal of Computing Science and Engineering
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.321-338
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• 2008

This paper presents a Modified Multiple Depth First Search algorithm for the exploration of the indoor environments occupied with obstacles in random distribution. The proposed algorithm was designed and implemented to employ one or a team of Khepera II mini robots for the exploration process. In case of multi-robots, the BlueCore2 External Bluetooth module was used to establish wireless networks with one master robot and one up to three slaves. Messages are sent and received via the module's Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) interface. Real exploration experiments were performed using locally developed teleworkbench with various autonomy features. In addition, computer simulation tool was also developed to simulate the exploration experiments with one master robot and one up to ten slaves. Computer simulations were in good agreement with the real experiments for the considered cases of one to one up to three networks. Results of the MMDFS for single robot exhibited 46% reduction in the needed number of steps for exploring environments with obstacles in comparison with other algorithms, namely the Ants algorithm and the original MDFS algorithm. This reduction reaches 71% whenever exploring open areas. Finally, results performed using multi-robots exhibited more reduction in the needed number of exploration steps.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.07d
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• pp.2411-2413
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• 2004

In this paer, we propose a method to apply a decentralized control algorithm for passive velocity field control using virtual flywheel system to cooperative mobile robots. The considered system convey a common rigid object in a horizontal plain. The effectiveness of proposed control algorithm is examined by numerical simulation for cooperative tasks.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2002.07b
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• pp.790-793
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• 2002

In this paper, dynamic path planning of two mobile robots using a modified Hopfield neural network is studied. An area which excludes obstacles and allows gradually changing of activation level of neurons is derived in each step. Next moving step can be determined by searching the next highest activated neuron. By learning repeatedly, the steps will be generated from starting to goal points. A path will be constructed from these steps. Simulation showed the constructed paths of two mobile robots, which are moving across each other to their goals.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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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.