Vicente Matellán Olivera

WiFi localization methods for autonomous robots

This paper compares two methods to estimate the position of a mobile robot in an indoor environment using only odometric calculus and the WiFi energy received from the wireless communication infrastructure. In both cases we use a well-known probabilistic method based on the Bayes rule to accumulate localization probability as the robot moves on with an experimental WiFi map, and with a theoretically built WiFi map. We will show several experiments made in our university building to compare both methods using a Pioneer robot. The two major contributions of the presented work are that the self-localization error achieved with WiFi energy is bounded, and that no significant degradation is observed when the expected WiFi energy at each point is taken from radio propagation model, instead of an a priori experimental intensity map of the environment.

Primate Drum Kit: A System for Studying Acoustic Pattern Production by Non-Human Primates Using Acceleration and Strain Sensors

The possibility of achieving experimentally controlled, non-vocal acoustic production in non-human primates is a key step to enable the testing of a number of hypotheses on primate behavior and cognition. However, no device or solution is currently available, with the use of sensors in non-human animals being almost exclusively devoted to applications in food industry and animal surveillance. Specifically, no device exists which simultaneously allows: (i) spontaneous production of sound or music by non-human animals via object manipulation, (ii) systematical recording of data sensed from these movements, (iii) the possibility to alter the acoustic feedback properties of the object using remote control. We present two prototypes we developed for application with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) which, while fulfilling the aforementioned requirements, allow to arbitrarily associate sounds to physical object movements. The prototypes differ in sensing technology, costs, intended use and construction requirements. One prototype uses four piezoelectric elements embedded between layers of Plexiglas and foam. Strain data is sent to a computer running Python through an Arduino board. A second prototype consists in a modified Wii Remote contained in a gum toy. Acceleration data is sent via Bluetooth to a computer running Max/MSP. We successfully pilot tested the first device with a group of chimpanzees. We foresee using these devices for a range of cognitive experiments.

Abbreviated Dynamic Source Routing: Source Routing with Non-Unique Network Identifiers

Current ad-hoc network protocols are designed for hosts similar to the ones that are used in fixed networks. These protocols are not suitable for some applications of ad-hoc networks, where resources are very scarce. One point is the size of the network addresses, which may be a critical issue, specially with the use of IPv6 in the DSR protocol. This is because this protocol uses source routing, and, therefore, each datagram must carry the addresses of all the machines in its path. In this paper a new protocol named ADSR is proposed to solve this problem. This new protocol is a modified version of DSR based on the use of abbreviated addresses. The abbreviation procedure can lead to two different nodes having the same address, which we will term collision. ADSR allows rather than averts collisions, as analysed in this paper. Some results on the performance of this new protocol are shown. These results have been obtained by simulations implemented on an ns-2 network simulator.

MYRABot+: A feasible robotic system for interaction challenges

This paper describes the development of a low cost robotic platform named MYRABot+, which is able to make the required tasks in order to assist a human in a domestic environment. We also believe that the best way to measure its performance and validate its behavior is taking part in a robotic challenge. This robotic platform explicitly uses low cost components, making it an accessible platform in monetary terms. In addition, we have designed a component-oriented software architecture that allows an easy implementation of simple HRI tasks. We demonstrate the feasibility of this proposal by taking part in the competition RoCKIn@home. There we show the basic abilities needed to work in a house environment, such as selflocalization, navigation, human dialog, and object manipulation. Our goal is to be able to evaluate and to compare it with other robotic platforms.

Integrating Behaviors for Mobile Robots: an Ethological Approach

Robots available nowadays in the everyday markets can be divided into two major groups. First, those that are oriented to a single task, as vacuum cleaners (roomba1, robocleaner2, ...), lawn mowers (automower3, robomower4, ...), etc; and second, those oriented to various tasks, as robotic pets (Aibo5, Necoro6,... ), museum guiders, or research platforms (Pioneer, Koala, etc.). In order to get service robots or personal assistants we need to improve the abilities of the second ones. These abilities have to do with their ability to smartly combine their basic skills to obtain behaviors that are more complex. The generation of autonomous behavior is a very complex issue. Within a multi-goal system, like service robots, the focus is more on the integration than on the control of perception algorithms. The organization becomes the critical issue; robustness and flexibility are key features. As animals can do it, we can see no compelling reason why robots could not, but more research on robot architectures is needed to reach an acceptable performance. Several paradigms have been historically proposed for behaviour generation in robots. These paradigms are also known as architectures. Dynamic and uncertain environments forced the evolution from symbolic AI (Nilsson 1984) to reactive and behavior based systems (Brooks 1986; Arkin 1989). The behaviors based systems adapt smoothly. They have no anticipation and no state, but they have shown poor scalability for complex systems. Hybrid architectures have been predominant since mid 90s (Simmons 1994; Konolige 1998; Bonasso 1997), mainly those three-tiered ones that add two layers to behavior based ones, usually a sequencer, and a deliberator. Several architectures have been explored after the hybrid three-tiered architectures became the de facto standard. In particular, many reviews of the hierarchy principle have been proposed in last years (Arkin 2003, Saffiotti 2003, Nicolescu 2002, Behnke 2001, Bryson 2001), trying to overcome subsumption limitations. Our contribution in this area is a novel hierarchical approach named JDE. This new hierarchical approach, ethologically inspired, is based on the selective activation of

Libre software environment for robot programming

When facing the problem of teaching the basis of robot control programming to computer science students, apart from the syllabus of the course, some other requirements have to be considered, such as which is the most appropriate robot and which are the right tools for learning how to control it. In this paper, we describe the tools we have chosen for teaching robotics, focusing on an environment that supports practical assignments. We also analyze the reasons that made us choose each tool, giving special emphasis to the Libre software requirement that we have imposed on every tool we are using. Finally, we present the results and opinions we have obtained from our students and the lessons we have learned by using this Libre software approach.

Analysis and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Robotic Arm for @Home Competitions

This paper reviews the design design, construction and performance of an affordable robotic arm of four degrees of freedom based on an Arduino controller in a home-like environment. This paper describes the kinematic design of our 4 DOF arm and the physical restrictions that this design imposes. We have also proposed two types of end-effectors to address two types of manipulation tasks: to grasp objects and to push different light switches. The arm was on board of the MYRABot platform and both were evaluated in the RoCKIn competition. This competition involves grasping and manipulation tasks that are described in the paper as well. Comments on the results of the competition and their implication in further improvement of the robot are also described in the paper.

Atmospheric physics group open data (GFA open data): meteorological data and tools for learning analytics

1. Meteorological data is mainly obtained from forecasting and observation. Forecasting models provide information on the state of the atmosphere in the future, which has to be validated using data from observation systems. These include weather station networks, hail sensors, disdrometers, radiosondes, radar and satellites. The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the data obtained means that it is very difficult to use it together in research projects. 2. Currently, there are no data repositories available to the scientific community that attempt to combine all of this information. Having all of this data in a single, accessible repository would represent a great step forward that would make it easier to develop tools for meteorological risk detection in real time, data assimilation and the real time validation of forecasting models, or simply for providing weather information to the general public. 3. The Atmospheric Physics Group from the University of León aims to develop a data repository with information from as many sources as possible that is available to anyone without restriction. At present, there are no repositories of this kind in Castile-León.

Design an evaluation of RoboCup humanoid goalie

In this article we describe the ethological inspired architecture we have developed and how it has been used to implement a humanoid goalkeeper according to the regulations of the two-legged Standard Platform League of the RoboCup Federation. We present relevant concepts borrowed from ethology that we have successfully used for generating autonomous behaviours in mobile robotics, such as the use of ethograms in robotic pets or the ideas of schemata, or the use of fixed actions patterns to implement reactivity. Then we discuss the implementation of this architecture on the Nao biped robot. Finally, we propose a method for its evaluation and validation and analyse the results obtained during RoboCup real competition, which allowed us to test first hand how it worked in a real environment.