Joong-Jae Lee

MAHRU-M: A mobile humanoid robot platform based on a dual-network control system and coordinated task execution

This paper introduces a mobile humanoid robot platform able to execute various services for humans in their everyday environments. For service in more intelligent and varied environments, the control system of a robot must operate efficiently to ensure a coordinated robot system. We enhanced the efficiency of the control system by developing a dual-network control system. The network system consists of two communication protocols: high-speed IEEE 1394, and a highly stable Controller Area Network (CAN). A service framework is also introduced for the coordinated task execution by a humanoid robot. To execute given tasks, various sub-systems of the robot were coordinated effectively by this system. Performance assessments of the presented framework and the proposed control system are experimentally conducted. MAHRU-M, as a platform for a mobile humanoid robot, recognizes the designated object. The objects pose is calculated by performing model-based object tracking using a particle filter with back projection-based sampling. A unique approach is used to solve the human-like arm inverse kinematics, allowing the control system to generate smooth trajectories for each joint of the humanoid robot. A mean-shift algorithm using bilateral filtering is also used for real-time and robust object tracking. The results of the experiment show that a robot can execute its services efficiently in human workspaces such as an office or a home.

Robot Head-Eye calibration using the Minimum Variance method

This paper presents a calibration method for a robot Head-Eye system which can be used in a humanoid robot vision system. This method estimates the transformation between the robot coordinate and the camera coordinate. The calibration procedure uses visual measurements and kinematic information as the inputs of nonlinear optimization. For this calibration method, an objective function for the optimization, that uses the Minimum Variance method is defined. The procedure of this method is very simple and intuitive. Besides, the result of this method is considerably precise and robust against the noisy environment. The performance is compared with earlier approaches and the results of simulation and actual experiment are followed.

Tangible Tele-Meeting in Tangible Space Initiative

Tangible Space Initiative (TSI) is a new framework that can provide a more natural and intuitive Human Computer Interface for users. This is composed of three cooperative components: a Tangible Interface, Responsive Cyber Space, and Tangible Agent. In this paper we present a Tangible Tele-Meeting system in TSI, which allows people to communicate with each other without any spatial limitation. In addition, we introduce a method for registering a Tangible Avatar with a Tangible Agent. The suggested method is based on relative pose estimation between the user and the Tangible Agent. Experimental results show that the user can experience an interaction environment that is more natural and intelligent than that provided by conventional tele-meeting systems.

Multiple humanoid cooperative control system for heterogeneous humanoid team

This paper presents a multiple humanoid cooperative control system(MHCCS) developed for the demonstration of heterogeneous humanoid collaborating to complete a mission consists of multiple humanoid tasks. MHCCS consists of CORBA based framework, humanoid control software, multiple humanoid cooperative control software, sensing software. Multiple humanoid cooperative control software consists of 3 layers: mission layer, task layer, action layer. User can design a task for humanoid by drawing a state diagram using developed graphical user interface, or edit XML-based command script directly. We defined action primitives suitable to abstract humanoid tasks by using state diagram, which is stored in a knowledge database for the future use. The developed MHCCS is successfully tested through the demonstration of a heterogeneous humanoid team cleaning the tables without confliction.

SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE AND TASK DEFINITION OF A MULTIPLE HUMANOID COOPERATIVE CONTROL SYSTEM

This paper presents a cooperative control software architecture that coordinates a team of multiple humanoid to complete a mission by collaborating with each other. The mission of the humanoid team is decomposed into tasks and distributed to each humanoid to be executed. Each task is described by the proposed humanoid action primitives, which are designed to abstract broad classes of humanoid tasks appropriately. In particular, missions and tasks for the humanoid team are designed by using a finite state machine with a developed user interface. The multiple humanoid cooperative control software consists of 3 layers: the mission layer, task layer, and action layer. The software architecture has scalability to the number of humanoids and the number of assigned missions with its framework based on the CORBA middleware, which integrates many different functionalities of the humanoid. The feasibility and robustness of the implemented software architecture are verified through successful completion of the mission assigned to the humanoid team while each humanoid performs its given task sequentially.

Robust Face Tracking Using Bilateral Filtering

This paper introduces a method for face tracking in a video sequence in real time. In this method the profile of color distribution characterizes targets feature. It is invariant for rotation and scale changes. Its also robust to non-rigidity and partial occlusion of the target. We employ the mean-shift algorithm to track the target face and to reduce the computational cost. However, face tracking using color distribution is failed by noises as occlusion including some objects with similar color distribution and with exactly difference color distribution. Thus failures are critical problems. To solve these problems, we employ a bilateral filter which uses the color and range information. We have applied the proposed bilateral filter to track the real time face tracking. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of this algorithm. Its performance has been proven superior to the original mean shift tracking algorithm.

Balloon burster: A CORBA-based visual servoing for humanoid robot in a distributed environment

This paper proposes CORBA-based visual servoing system of humanoid robot. To effectively control the humanoid robot which is connected to network, it needs to define necessary services for visual servoing as distribution object, and realize them in the middleware. For realizing it following services should be addressed. Naming service for searching a necessary service with unique name assigned to each object, image service for supplying image obtained from stereo camera. In the experiment, we show the result of balloon tracking and bursting that the robot tracks balloons as target objects in the real time, and if a balloon stop for a certain time, then the robot bursts the balloon.

Coexistent Space : Collaborative Interaction in Shared 3D Space

It has long been a desire of human beings to coexist in the same space together with people in remote locations, and interact with them in a natural way. There have been proposed various concepts to connect the real world with the remote world in 3D space [1, 2]. In this paper, the concept of Coexistent Space for collaborative interaction in shared 3D virtual space is proposed. Coexistent Space provides not only the feeling of coexistence as the sense of being with others, but also a shared virtual workspace for collaboration. The main feature is that the users can share a virtual whiteboard for writing interaction and manipulate shared virtual objects with the bare hand touch interaction.

Be closer as you being there: HMD-based social interaction system

The proposed system dose not only provides an immersive live 360 degree experience through the HMD-controlled remote stereoscopic cameras but also enables the users to perform social activities with an interactive virtual messenger. This system was originally developed to control a mobile robot/vehicle with monitoring purpose which is similar to DORA (Dexterous Observational Roving Automation) platform [ACKERMAN 2015]. However we duplicated and placed the system in a geographically dispersed location and connected between two systems over the real-time network. To enhance social interactivity, we implemented an interactive virtual messenger. As the result the system provides the feeling of social presence and the fun with an immersive experience.

A service framework of humanoid in daily life

This paper presents a service framework of a humanoid robot for the coordinated task execution. To execute given tasks, various sub-systems of the robot need to be coordinated effectively. The goal of our paper is to develop the service framework which makes it possible to execute various tasks in daily life environments. A script is used as a tool for describing tasks to easily regulate actions of the sub-systems while the robot is performing the task. The performance of the presented framework is experimentally demonstrated as follows: A humanoid robot, as the platform of the task execution, recognizes the designated object. The object pose is calculated by performing model-based object tracking using a particle filter with back projection-based sampling. An approach proposed by Kim et al. [1] is used to solve a human-like arm inverse kinematics and then the control system generates smooth trajectories for each joint of the humanoid robot. The results of our implementation show the robot can execute the task efficiently in human workspaces, such as an office or home.