Carlos F. Marques

Omni-directional catadioptric vision for soccer robots

Abstract This paper describes the design of a multi-part mirror catadioptric vision system and its use for self-localization and detection of relevant objects in soccer robots. The mirror and associated algorithms have been used in robots participating in the middle-size league of RoboCup — The World Cup of Soccer Robots.

A Localization Method for a Soccer Robot Using a Vision-Based Omni-Directional Sensor

In this paper, a method for robot self-localization based on a catadioptric omni-directional sensor is introduced. The method was designed to be applied to fully autonomous soccer robots participating in the middle-size league of RoboCup competitions. It uses natural landmarks of the soccer field, such as field lines and goals, as well as a priori knowledge of the field geometry, to determine the robot position and orientation with respect to a coordinate system whose location is known. The landmarks are processed from an image taken by an omni-directional vision system, based on a camera plus a convex mirror designed to obtain (by hardware) the ground plane birds eye view, thus preserving field geometry in the image. Results concerning the methods accuracy are presented.

Vision-based self-localization for soccer robots

In this paper, a method for robot self-localization based on a catadioptric omni-directional sensor is introduced. The method uses natural geometric landmarks of the environment. It is assumed that the robot moves on flat surfaces and straight lines can be identified in the surrounding environment image acquired by the catadioptric system. This omni-directional vision system is based on a camera plus a convex mirror designed to obtain (by hardware) the ground plane birds eye view. Results from the application to a real robot moving on RoboCup soccer field and concerning the methods accuracy are presented.

RAPOSA: Semi-Autonomous Robot for Rescue Operations

This work describes a semi-autonomous robot for rescue operations, nicknamed RAPOSA (FOX in English). The robot was designed and built to operate in outdoor environments hostile to the human presence, such as debris resulting from the collapse of built structures, and is targeted to the tele-operated detection of potential survivors using a set of specific sensors whose information is transmitted to a remote human operator. RAPOSAs mechanical structure is composed of a main body and a front body, whose locomotion is supported on tracked wheels, allowing motion even when the robot is upside down. The front body has variable tilting capabilities, providing means to overcome edges higher than the robot main body (e.g., when climbing a stair) and is also useful to grab the lower ground when only the main body has ground contact. This front body has one thermal camera and two web cameras installed. Additional sensors include gas, temperature and humidity sensors, Web cams, light diodes, microphone and loudspeaker. The robot uses wireless communications, with an option for tethered operation. The tether carries both power and communications, with an access point on its end, and can also be used to suspend the robot inside a deep hole. Docking and undocking the robot to the tether is accomplished remotely by the operator with the help of a camera located inside the robot, and represents the most innovative feature of RAPOSA

A search and rescue robot with tele‐operated tether docking system

Purpose – To describe a robot designed and built to operate in outdoor environments hostile to the human presence, such as debris resulting from the collapse of built structures, and targeted to the tele‐operated detection of potential survivors using a set of specific sensors whose information is transmitted to a remote human operator.Design/methodology/approach – RAPOSAs mechanical structure is composed of a main body and a front body, whose locomotion is supported on tracked wheels, allowing motion even when the robot is upside down. The front body has variable tilting capabilities, providing means to overcome edges higher than the robot main body (e.g. when climbing a stair) and is also useful to grab the lower ground when only the main body has ground contact. This front body has one thermal camera and two webcameras installed. Additional sensors include gas, temperature and humidity sensors, web cams, light diodes, microphone and loudspeaker. The robot uses wireless communications, with an option f...

A robotic platform for edutainment activities in a pediatric hospital

Social Robotics is a rapidly expanding field of research, but long-term results in real-world environments have been limited. The MOnarCH project has the goal of studying the long-term social dynamics of networked robot systems in human environments. In this paper, we present the MOnarCH robotic platform to the research community. We discuss the constraints involved in the design and operation of our social robots, and describe in detail the platform that has been built to accomodate the project goals while satisfying those restrictions. We also present some preliminary results of the navigation methodologies that are used to control the MOnarCH robotic platforms.

Avoiding obstacles - multisensor navigation for nonholonomic robots in cluttered environments

This article introduces a navigation method for nonholonomic (differential drive) vehicles, based on odometry, regularly reset by a vision-based self-localization algorithm, and endowed with a sonar-based obstacle avoidance and guidance control algorithm that does not rely on path planning. The guidance controller is used in the soccer robots of the RoboCup middle-size league (MSL) ISocRob team, fully integrated in the state machine that coordinates task execution. The algorithm can be generally applied to structured indoor environments, provided that visual features can be observed by the self-localization method and that the visual information is not ambiguous.

Multi-sensor Navigation for Soccer Robots

This work introduces a method for robot navigation in structured indoors environments, based on the information of multiple sensors. Guidance control is based on odometry, reset at some time instants by a vision-based self-localization algorithm introduced in previous work. Sonar data is used to avoid and go around obstacles. Results from the application of the complete navigation system to a real robot moving on a RoboCup soccer field are presented.

ISocRob - Intelligent Society of Robots

The SocRob project was born as a challenge for multidisciplinary research on broad and generic approaches for the design of a cooperative robot society, involving Control, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence researchers. In this paper the basic aspects of last year implementation as well as the improvements made meanwhile are briefly recalled and presented. Naturally, a special emphasis is given here to the novel solutions proposed for this year implementation, the results obtained and the expected future developments.

Optical track detection for mobile robots based on real time fuzzy decision-making

In this paper a method for optical track detection based on fuzzy decision-making is introduced. The method is robust to nonhomogeneous lighting conditions, changing background pattern, flash lights and other spurious disturbances, and was designed for real time implementation as part of the guidance system of an autonomous mobile robot.