Douglas W. Gage

From Laboratory to Warehouse: Security Robots Meet the Real World

The Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System robotic security program has successfully demonstrated simultaneous control of multiple robots navigating autonomously within an operational warehouse environment. This real-world warehouse installation required adapting a navigational paradigm designed for highly structured environments such as office corridors (with smooth walls and regularly spaced doorways) to a semistructured warehouse environment (with no exposed walls and within which odd-shaped objects unpredictably move about from day to day). A number of challenges, some expected and others unexpected, were encountered during the transfer of the system first to a beta-test/demonstration site and then to an operational warehouse. This paper examines these problems (and others previously encountered) in a historical context of the evolution of navigation and other needed technologies, and the transition of these technologies from the research lab to an operational warehouse environment. A key lesson is that system robustness can only be ensured by exhaustively exercising the system’s operational capabilities in a number of diverse environments. This approach helps to uncover latent system hardware deficiencies and software implementation errors not manifested in the initial system hardware or initial development environment, and to identify sensor modes or processing algorithms tuned too tightly to the specific characteristics of the initial development environment.

Real-world issues in warehouse navigation

The MDARS security robotics program has successfully demonstrated the simultaneous control of multiple robots autonomously navigating within an industrial warehouse environment. This real-world warehouse system installation required adapting a navigational paradigm designed for highly structured environments such as office corridors (with smooth walls and regularly spaced doorways) to a semi-structured warehouse environment (with few walls and within which odd-shaped objects unpredictably move about from day to day). A number of challenges, some expected and others unexpected, were encountered during this transfer of the system to the test/demonstration site. This paper examines these problems (and others previously encountered) in the historical context of the ongoing development of the navigation and other technologies needed to support the operations of a security robotic system, and the evolution of these technologies from the research lab to an operational warehouse environment. A key lesson is that a systems robustness can only be ensured by exercising its capabilities in a number of diverse operating environments, in order to (1) uncover latent system hardware deficiencies and software implementation errors not manifested in the initial system hardware or initial development environment; and (2) identify sensor modes or processing algorithms tuned too tightly to the specific characteristics of the initial development environment.

The DARPA LANdroids program

The goal of the DARPA LANdroids program is to enhance tactical communications in urban environments by developing inexpensive pocket-sized intelligent autonomous robotic radio relay nodes. LANdroids will move to establish and maintain mesh networks that support voice and data traffic between dismounted warfighters and higher command. Through autonomous movement and intelligent control algorithms, LANdroids will mitigate the serious communications problems inherent in urban settings, e.g., relaying signals into shadows and making small adjustments to reduce multi-path effects. This presentation presents an overview of the LANdroids program and describes the progress made during Phase I, including the results of the early 2009 end-of-Phase testing program.

Man-Portable Networked Sensor System

The Man-Portable Networked Sensor System (MPNSS), with its baseline sensor suite of a pan/tilt unit with video and FLIR cameras and laser rangefinder, functions in a distributed network of remote sensing packages and control stations designed to provide a rapidly deployable, extended-range surveillance capability for a wide variety of security operations and other tactical missions. While first developed as a man-portable prototype, these sensor packages can also be deployed on UGVs and UAVs, and a copy of this package been demonstrated flying on the Sikorsky Cypher VTOL UAV in counterdrug and MOUNT scenarios. The system makes maximum use of COTS components for sensing, processing, and communications, and of both established and emerging standard communications networking protocols and system integration techniques. This paper will discuss the technical issues involved in: (1) system integration using COTS components and emerging bus standards, (2) flexible networking for a scalable system, and (3) the human interface designed to maximize information presentation to the warfighter in battle situations.

Third-generation security robot

ROBART III is an advanced demonstration platform for non- lethal security response measures, incorporating reflexive teleoperated control concepts developed on the earlier ROBART II system. The addition of threat-response capability to the detection and assessment features developed on previous systems has been motivated by increased military interest in Law Enforcement and Operations Other Than War. Like the MDARS robotic security system being developed at NCCOSC RDTE DIV, ROBART III will be capable of autonomously navigating in semi-structured environments such as office buildings and warehouses. Reflexive teleoperation mode employs the vehicles extensive onboard sensor suite to prevent collisions with obstacles when the human operator assumes control and remotely drives the vehicle to investigate a situation of interest. The non-lethal-response weapon incorporated in the ROBART III system is a pneumatically-powered dart gun capable of firing a variety of 3/16-inch-diameter projectiles, including tranquilizer darts. A Gatling-gun style rotating barrel arrangement allows size shots with minimal mechanical complexity. All six darts can be fired individually or in rapid succession, and a visible-red laser sight is provided to facilitate manual operation under joystick control using video relayed to the operator from the robots head-mounted camera. This paper presents a general description of the overall ROBART III system, with focus on sensor-assisted reflexive teleoperation of both navigation and weapon firing, and various issues related to non-lethal response capabilities.

Robotic communications and surveillance - the DARPA LANdroids program

The principal goal of the LANdroids program (2007-2010) was to validate the concept that mobile tactical radio relay platforms can provide improved communications connectivity in non-line-of-sight communications environments such as urban terrain. The first phase of the program demonstrated that intelligent mobile relays can provide improved system performance in network configuration, optimization, and self-healing, and the second phase added additional capabilities including intruder detection and situational awareness, and included a real-world demonstration to potential users.

Navigational referencing techniques for real-world environments

The most significant challenge encountered in the implementation of the MDARS Interior security robot system has involved navigational referencing -- the ongoing process of determining a mobile robots position relative to a specified global frame of reference. Sensors and processing used in local navigation (determining position relative to objects in the environment and not colliding with them en route) can also support global navigation in a mapped environment. The task involves not only detecting and localizing features in the robots environment, but also establishing with some confidence that these features are in fact specific features that appear in the world model. This perceptual function is one that humans do easily and instinctively, while robotic capabilities in this regard are rudimentary at best. This paper discusses a number of candidate approaches to navigational referencing applicable to indoor operating environments in terms of relevant evaluation criteria (including performance, cost, and generality of applicability), and describes how the experience of phased testing in real-world environments has driven the evolution of the MDARS system design.

Front Matter: Volume 7332

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