Songmin Jia

Internet-Based Robotic System Using CORBA as Communication Architecture

In this paper, we propose the Internet-based robotic system that uses Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) to implement networking connections between a client and a remote robotic system. The client can transparently invoke a method on a server across the network without any need to know where the application servers are located, or what programming language and operating system are used. This lets the system overcome the shortcomings of the other typical Internet robotic system. To cope with time delays on the communication path, we have implemented the robot control server, which allows the user to control the telerobotic system at a task-level. We have also implemented the live image feedback server, which provides live image feedback for a remote user. The proposed system gives the users the ability to operate the remote robotic system to retrieve and manipulate the desired tableware or other things to support the aged and disabled over the Internet by using the intuitive user interface.

A rehabilitation walker with standing and walking assistance

This paper proposes a robotic walker system with standing and walking assistance function. Our system focuses on domestic use for aged person who needs nursing in their daily life. Our key ideas are two topics. The first topic is combination of standing assistance function and walking assistance function. In previous works, many assistance devices are specialized in only ldquostanding-up operationrdquo or ldquowalking operationrdquo. However, in their daily life, elderly person needs standing, walking and seating assistance continuously by a same device. Our developing assistance system can support both operations by a small sized mechanism with low cost for domestic use. The second topic is steady standing assistance operation using an assistance manipulator and an active walker. In order to use the remaining physical strength of the patient, it is required to maintain the patientpsilas body posture which enables him to use own strength easily. According to the patientpsilas posture during standing up, our proposed system selects more appropriate device and controller, and realizes the standing assistance with steady posture of the patient based on the nursing specialists. The performance of our proposed system is verified by experiments using our prototype.

Distributed telecare robotic systems using CORBA as a communication architecture

Because the elderly population is growing while the number of people to take care of them is declining, the aging problem is becoming an increasingly important social issue. Thus, developing an inexpensive support system for these elderly people staying alone at home or small-scale distributed facilities is becoming particularly important. The paper proposes a basic platform design of a network distributed telecare robotic systems using CORBA as communication architecture, which has high scaling and inter-operating ability that allows the different support groups to make their own independent computing decisions to develop their applications. It also has remote accessibility for caregivers, and the other helpers from any location where a Web browser is available. Using the developed platform, we implemented a task-level robot arm server, a mobile robot control server, and a live image feedback server, which realized some basic telecare services for the aged and disabled.

Localization of mobile robot based on ID tag and WEB camera

Localization is one of the most important fundament for mobile robot. A localization system with low cost, easy accomplishment, simplicity, effectiveness and robustness is the aim of researchers all the time. Here, we proposed a novel method for localization of mobile robot using ID tag and Web camera. In our method, the path map in an indoor environment is expressed with node tree, every node is represented with two landmarks: ID tag and card with the same colour. Pairs of two landmarks are affixed to ceiling of distinct locations, and the middle point of every pair of landmarks in a node indicates the absolute position or the node because of the unique ID of tag, the absolute position of mobile robot can be expressed with the absolute position of node and, position and orientation relative to this node. Localization is implemented with two steps: detecting ID tag in one node with RF communication and measuring position and orientation of mobile robot relative to this node with camera. In this paper, related works are summarized and the advantages of our method are introduced, the scheme of system is described in detail, a fast image processing algorithm for extracting landmarks from background and strategies for system robustness are discussed. Localization experiments show that with this method the errors or relative position and orientation are less than 2.5 cm and 2.5 degree. Navigation showed us that localization with ID tag and Web camera is feasible for navigation in indoor environment. At last, strategies for improving system are discussed.

Rehabilitation Walker System with Standing Assistance Device

This paper proposes a walker system with power assistance device for standing up motion. Our system focuses on family use for aged person who needs nursing in their daily life. Our key ideas are two topics. The first topic is new assistance manipulator mechanism with four parallel linkages. Our proposed manipulator mechanism requires only smaller actuators and realizes rigid structure with lighter linkages comparing with general manipulator. Thus, we can design our assistance system compactly with low-cost using our mechanism. The second topic is the combination of force and position control. According to the patients posture during standing up, our control system selects more appropriate control method from them. We use the reference of standing-up motion which is based on the typical standing up motion by nursing specialist for realizing the natural assistance. The performance of our proposed assistance system is verified by computer simulations using the model based on our prototype.

An Internet robotic system based common object request broker architecture

Because the elderly population is growing while the number of people to take care of them is declining, we propose an Internet telerobotic system to assist the aged or disabled in their homes when their caregivers are away. We analyze typical teleoperation robotic systems and design an Internet telerobotic system using CORBA . We detail the systems features, architecture, and implementation. The proposed system gives users the ability to control the robotic system remotely by an intuitive user interface. The client can transparently invoke methods on the application servers across the network without knowing where the application servers are located, what programming language the application is written in, or what operating system is being used. This is because, in developing and implementing the system, CORBA for the distributed, object-oriented applications was used.

A CORBA-based Internet robotic system

The elderly population is growing while the number of people to take care of them is declining. Here, we describe an Internet telerobotic system to assist the aged or disabled in their homes when their caregivers are away. In this paper we analyze typical teleoperation robotic systems and design an Internet telerobotic system using Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). We detail the systems features, architecture and implementation. The proposed system gives users the ability to control the robotic system remotely by an intuitive user interface. The client can transparently invoke methods on the application servers across the network and does not have to know where the application servers are located, what programming language the application is written in or what operating system is being used. This is because, in developing and implementing the system, CORBA for the distributed, object-oriented applications was selected.

Localization of Mobile Robot with RFID Technology and Stereo Vision

In this paper, a novel method of localization of mobile robot using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology and stereo vision is proposed as it is inexpensive, flexible and easy to use in practical environment. The proposed method is also helpful to improve dynamic obstacles recognition (such as person) and occlusion problem that are very difficult to solve. This is because the communication between ID reader and ID tags uses radio frequency. Because the radio frequency is not so stable, we can not know the accurate position of obstacle objects with ID even if tag reader detects the tag. In order to localize the ID tags, the Bayes rule was used to calculate probability where the ID tag exists after the tag reader detects a tag. This paper presents the proposed method and some experimental results

Distributed Telerobotics System Based on Common Object Request Broker Architecture

This paper proposes using CORBA as communication architecture to integrate network-distributed software and robotic systems in support systems for the aged or disabled. The proposed method keeps system costs low and expands availability. Its high scaling and inter-operating ability allows clients and server objects that are written in different languages, run in different operating systems, and connected to different networks to inter-operate. It also enables the system to be extended and integrated with other technologies and applications distributed over the Internet. Based on CORBA, we developed hardware base including a robot arm and an omnidirectional mobile robot and application servers including a task-level robot arm control server, live feedback image server, mobile robot control server and iGPS server. By remotely controlling mobile robot to cooperate with the robot arm, the caregivers or family member can use the developed system for some basic services to the aged or disabled.

Robot Localization in Indoor Environments Using Radio Frequency Identification Technology and Stereo Vision

In this paper, a novel method of obstacle recognition and localization for mobile robots using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and stereo vision is proposed. It is inexpensive, flexible and easy to use in practical environments. As information about the obstacles or environment can be written in ID tags, the proposed method can detect the obstacles easily and quickly compared with other methods. RF is not so stable, so the Bayes rule was introduced to calculate the probability where the ID tag exists in order to improve the accuracy of localizing obstacles with the ID tags. Then the stereo camera starts to process the image of the region of interest where the obstacle exists. The proposed method does not need to process all the image and easily gets some information about obstacles such as size, and color, and thus decreases the processing computation. Research on RFID technology integrating stereo vision to localize an indoor mobile robot has also been performed. This paper introduces the architecture of the proposed method and some experimental results.