Computer Engineering Commons^™

Optimal Control Of Dc Motors Using Pso Algorithm For Tuning Pid Controller, Arnisa Myrtellari, Petrika Marango, Margarita Gjonaj

UBT International Conference

The DC motors are widely used in the mechanisms that require control of speed. Different speed can be obtained by changing the field voltage and the armature voltage. The classic PID controllers are widely used in industrial process for speed control. But they aren’t suitable for high performance cases, because of the low robustness of PID controller. So many researchers have been studying various new control techniques in order to improve the system performance and tuning PID controllers. This paper presents particle swarm optimization (PSO) method for determining the optimal PID controller parameters to find the optimal parameters of DC …

Database For Online Accreditation Process In Directorate For Accreditation Of Kosovo (Dak-Mis), Ibush Luzha

UBT International Conference

Directorate for Accreditation of Kosovo (DAK) is only National Accreditation Body in Republic of Kosovo, recognized by Government, which in accordance with international standards, assesses technical competences of the Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB)s that deal with activities such as: testing, calibration, certification and inspection both in public and private sector. Till now application for accreditation and all other procedures for accreditation of CABs are carried out so that all the documents of the application and the receipt of the certificate of accreditation are conducted in the offices of DAK. By Management Information System (MIS), database of DAK (DAK-MIS), customers will …

Noise Reduction In Quadcopter Accelerometer And Gyroscope Measurements Based On Kalman Filter, Bertan Karahoda, Xhemajl Mehmeti, Uran Cabra

UBT International Conference

The Accelerometer and Gyroscope modules used for measuring the orientation of the quadcopter usually generate noisy signals which directly affect the control strategies. The high speed motors used in quadcopters cause high noise levels which makes the real time control almost impossible. In this work the Kalman filter is applied to the noisy measurements obtained from accelerometer and gyroscope modules. The measurements are conducted for two cases: Motors stopped, and Motors activated at high speed. The Kalman filtering is applied separately for each measurement and the obtained results show noticeable improvement in noise level for two cases. The joint implementation …

“New” Subjects In Mechatronics Management Education, Peter Kopacek

UBT International Conference

Process – and manufacturing automation as well as robotics are currently one of the fast growing fields in automation. Advanced process control, cyber-physical systems, industry 4.0 and “advanced robots” are no longer a headline. They are in realization. As a consequence of these developments new social, ethical and human questions appear. Therefore this contribution is a first report about the continuous “modernization” of the Mechatronics Management BSc and MSc programs which are successful running at UBT. Both programs were developed in the framework of two TEMPUS projects from an international consortium from 2006 to 2009. Since that time new “buzzwords” …

Planning, Development And Application Of Mechatronics Systems As Students Work, Muzafer Shala, Valmir Hoxha

UBT International Conference

In Kosovo universities in general there is a lack of students practical work, this fact is one of the reasons why in Kosovo are no sufficient number of professionals to fill the market needs. The aim of this work is to go through the steps of conceptualisation, development and application of a Mechatronics Systems with students. Also in this project students work on all the phases of the work which we consider to be of great benefit. The work was organised as it would be on a real life company, students were split on groups and the groups worked in …

Real-Time Topic And Sentiment Analysis In Human-Robot Conversation, Elise Russell

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Socially interactive robots, especially those designed for entertainment and companionship, must be able to hold conversations with users that feel natural and engaging for humans. Two important components of such conversations include adherence to the topic of conversation and inclusion of affective expressions. Most previous approaches have concentrated on topic detection or sentiment analysis alone, and approaches that attempt to address both are limited by domain and by type of reply. This thesis presents a new approach, implemented on a humanoid robot interface, that detects the topic and sentiment of a user’s utterances from text-transcribed speech. It also generates domain-independent, …

Using Eye And Head Movements As A Control Mechanism For Tele-Operating A Ground-Based Robot And Its Payload, Kathryn C. Hicks

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

To date, eye and head tracking has been used to indicate users' attention patterns while performing a task or as an aid for disabled persons, to allow hands-free interaction with a computer. The increasing accuracy and the reduced cost of eye- and head-tracking equipment make utilizing this technology feasible for explicit control tasks, especially in cases where there is confluence between the visual task and control.

The goal of this research was to investigate the use of eye-tracking as a more natural interface for the control of a camera-equipped, remotely operated robot in tasks that require the operator to simultaneously …

3d Scene Reconstruction With Micro-Aerial Vehicles And Mobile Devices, Ivan Dryanovski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Scene reconstruction is the process of building an accurate geometric model of one's environment from sensor data. We explore the problem of real-time, large-scale 3D scene reconstruction in indoor environments using small laser range-finders and low-cost RGB-D (color plus depth) cameras. We focus on computationally-constrained platforms such as micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) and mobile devices. These platforms present a set of fundamental challenges - estimating the state and trajectory of the device as it moves within its environment and utilizing lightweight, dynamic data structures to hold the representation of the reconstructed scene. The system needs to be computationally and memory-efficient, so …

Dual 7-Degree-Of-Freedom Robotic Arm Remote Teleoperation Using Haptic Devices, Yu-Cheng Wang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A teleoperated system of dual redundant manipulator will be controlled in this thesis. The robot used with the dual redundant manipulator in this thesis is Baxter. Baxter’s redundant robot arms are 7-degree-of-freedom arms. The problem that will be solved in this thesis is optimization of the 7-degree-of-freedom robot arms. The control algorithm of the 7-degree-of-freedom robot arms will be discussed and built. A simulation program will be built to test the control algorithm. Based on the control algorithm, a teleoperation system will be created for Baxter. The controller used is Omni, which is a six-joint haptic device. Omni will also …

The Design And Implementation Of An Adaptive Chess Game, Mehdi Peiravi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In recent years, computer games have become a common form of entertainment. Fast advancement in computer technology and internet speed have helped entertainment software developers to create graphical games that keep a variety of players’ interest. The emergence of artificial intelligence systems has evolved computer gaming technology in new and profound ways. Artificial intelligence provides the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of NPCs (Non-Playable-Characters). NPCs are able to use the increased CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage and other bandwidth related capabilities, resulting in very difficult game play for the end user. In many cases, computer abilities must be toned down …

Novelty Wins, “Straight Toward Objective” Loses! Or Book Review: Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth Of The Objective, By Kenneth O. Stanley And Joel Lehman, Reuben Hersh

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Experiments in evolutionary artificial intelligence demonstrate that progress toward an important, difficult goal is not best achieved by attempting to go directly toward that goal, but rather, by rewarding novelty.

Roborodentia Robot, Jordan Dykstra, Anibal Hernandez, Robert Prosser

Computer Engineering

This report provides details on the design and implementation of a robot for the Spring 2015 Roborodentia competition. The system is described from a software perspective, a hardware perspective, and a mechanical design perspective.

Printed Circuit Board For Introductory Animatronics Course, Preston Brown

Computer Engineering

For many years, freshmen Computer Engineering students at California Polytechnic State University have taken a course that introduces them to the “processes of electronics manufacturing. They are lectured on concepts such as CAD/CAM design, Design for Manufacture (DFM), documentation requirements, prototyping and production planning”. The laboratory portion of the course allows students to “use hands-on techniques to solidify knowledge of project planning, soldering, automation, hand tool usage and production methods” by manufacturing their own power supply, starting with aluminum sheets, a bag of components, and and an unassembled printed circuit board (PCB).

While the project is popular among students, department …

Roborodentia Robot 2015, Travis Stuever

Computer Engineering

The Roborodentia 2015 competition was a ring based challenge that had participants move PVC rings from one side of a course to another all within 3 minutes. In order to succeed in this competition there needs to be a good robotic design, thought out use cases, and good solid software.

Universal Uav Payload Interface, Nolan Reker, David Troy Jr, Drew Troxell

Computer Engineering

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology is becoming increasingly accessible for civilian use. Both open-source and commercial-purpose UAVs can be obtained affordably or even built. However, the platforms available are very segmented in their customization to a specific application (i.e. land surveying, payload delivery). This project aims to create a Universal Payload Interface (UPI) mounted to the underside of multi-rotors or other UAVs to enable the attachment of customizable sensor payloads. These payloads allow a single UAV to be rapidly reconfigured to perform a multitude of tasks.

The Universal Payload Interface facilitates communication between the payload, onboard flight controller, and operator …

Pl-X (Roborodentia), Kelly Leung, William Luo, Jeffrey Tang

Computer Engineering

Pl-x is the name of the robot that will be competing in Roborodentia, an annual autonomous robot competition. This year the competition involves moving rings from one end of a course to the opposite end of the course.

Innovative Connectivity Ensuring Education (I.-C.E.E.), Luke Cole, Andrew Ma, Nicholas Ross, Daniel Williams

Electrical Engineering

This is the critical design review for the Telepresence/Telerobotic Technology for Children with Disabilities Project by team I.- C.E.E. (Innovative Connectivity Ensuring Education). This report details our telepresence system design for our client (Nathan Stilts) including design choices/justification, testing verification and procedures, and chosen components for implementation. There are seven chapters in total starting with introductory/background information followed by hardware and software design, verification, and testing and concludes with the current status of the project and what future work may need to be included.

Telepresence: Design, Implementation And Study Of An Hmd-Controlled Avatar With A Mechatronic Approach, Darren Michael Chan

Master's Theses

Telepresence describes technologies that allow users to remotely experience the sensation of being present at an event without being physically present. An avatar exists to represent the user whilst in a remote location and is tasked to collect stimuli from its immediate surroundings to be delivered to the user for consumption. With the advent of recent developments in Virtual Reality technology, viz., head-mounted displays (HMDs), new possibilities have been enabled in the field of Telepresence. The main focus of this thesis is to develop a solution for visual Telepresence, where an HMD is used to control the direction of a …

Motion In The Field: A Study Of Movement In Computer Science, Catherine Martin

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In this project, I use a system that combines the use of a motion controller to obtain information about physical motion of a user with the transmission of outputs to a quadcopter that interacts with the physical environment. In the manual mode, the user sends commands to the quadcopter using hand controls. I utilized an existing system but increased usability to prevent accidental flight and created commands that are more intuitive for the user. In the automatic mode, the user gives a single command to the motion controller and it runs the A* path planning algorithm over a representation of …

Object Tracking Through The Use Of Color Hue Image Processing, Zachary R. Sabey

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many industrial and commercial applications today are beginning to use autonomous systems to increase productivity and cut costs in production and manpower. Most of these applications are only semi autonomous; they still need assistance from a human to either start up or receive continual instructions. With the improvement of image processing techniques, camera processing capabilities and more efficient vehicles, a new wave of fully autonomous vehicles can be implemented. A simple system that uses a dedicated image processor connected to an RC vehicle can be developed to provide an example for the new techniques currently available. The Pixycam, a dedicated …

Formal Specification And Refinement Of The Navigation Tasks Of Autonomous Robots, Eman Rabiah

Theses

Autonomous robots are hybrid systems whose role in our daily life is becoming increasingly critical. They are tasked with various activities requiring reliability, safety, and correctness of their software-controlled behavior. Formal methods have been proved effective in addressing development issues associated with these software qualities. However, even though autonomous robot navigation is a primordial function, there is no research dealing with enhancing reliability of the navigation algorithms. Thus, our focus is to investigate this type of algorithms, and specifically path planning, a fundamental and critical functionality supporting autonomy. We formally address the issue of enhancing reliability of the widely-used A* …

Linear Matrix Inequality-Based Nonlinear Adaptive Robust Control With Application To Unmanned Aircraft Systems, David William Kun

Open Access Theses

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are gaining popularity in civil and commercial applications as their lightweight on-board computers become more powerful and affordable, their power storage devices improve, and the Federal Aviation Administration addresses the legal and safety concerns of integrating UASs in the national airspace. Consequently, many researchers are pursuing novel methods to control UASs in order to improve their capabilities, dependability, and safety assurance. The nonlinear control approach is a common choice as it offers several benefits for these highly nonlinear aerospace systems (e.g., the quadrotor). First, the controller design is physically intuitive and is derived from well known …

Hybrid Power System For Micro Air Vehicles, Bakytgul Khaday

Open Access Theses

Today Micro Air Vehicles are in need of a good power source that would enable them longer flight time and various functionalities. This work is focused on to this problem. A possible solution that is offered in this study is implementing a hybrid power system consisting of battery and supercapacitor (SCAP). The proposed hybrid power system was tested on an existing MAV platform (Cheerson CX-10). A separate hybrid power printed circuit board (PCB) was designed and manufactured. For experimental and system verification purposes, the PCB was not sized for on-board flight. The hybrid power PCB was connected to MAV through …

Characterization Of A Robotic Manipulator For Dynamic Wind Tunnel Applications, James C. Lancaster

Theses and Dissertations

The newly acquired 6-DOF Motion Test Apparatus (MTA) was installed to perform dynamic wind tunnel testing in the AFIT Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Several complex motions revealed that the overall performance of the test rig needed improvement especially during small motions. The motions exposed that further enhancements would need to be performed individually for each joint. This research effort focused on the improvement of the MTA wrist roll motor and controller using a pitch oscillation. The controller software was improved using position feedback because the MTA wrist roll motor and controller exhibited reduced signal bias and amplitude attenuation. The enhanced …

Dynamic Modeling, Parameter Estimation And Control Of A Leg Prosthesis Test Robot, Hanz Richter, Daniel J. Simon, William A. Smith, Sergey Samorezov

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Robotic testing can facilitate the development of new concepts, designs and control systems for prosthetic limbs. Human subject test clearances, safety and the lack of repeatability associated with human trials can be reduced or eliminated with automated testing, and test modalities are possible which are dangerous or inconvenient to attempt with patients. This paper describes the development, modeling, parameter estimation and control of a robot capable of reproducing two degree-of-freedom hip motion in the sagittal plane. Hip vertical displacement and thigh angle motion profiles are applied to a transfemoral prosthesis attached to the robot. A treadmill is used as walking …

Thorough Exploration Of Complex Environments With A Space-Based Potential Field, Kenealy Alina, Nicholas Primiano, Alex Keyes, Lyons Damian

Faculty Publications

Robotic exploration, for the purposes of search and rescue or explosive device detection, can be improved by using a team of multiple robots. Potential field navigation methods offer natural and efficient distributed exploration algorithms in which team members are mutually repelled to spread out and cover the area efficiently. However, they also suffer from field minima issues. Liu and Lyons proposed a Space-Based Potential Field (SBPF) algorithm that disperses robots efficiently and also ensures they are driven in a distributed fashion to cover complex geometry. In this paper, the approach is modified to handle two problems with the original SBPF …

Homing With Stereovision, Paramesh Nirmal, Damian Lyons

Faculty Publications

Visual Homing is a navigation method based on comparing a stored image of a goal location to the current image to determine how to navigate to the goal location. It is theorized that insects such as ants and bees employ visual homing techniques to return to their nest or hive, and inspired by this, several researchers have developed elegant robot visual homing algorithms. Depth information, from visual scale, or other modality such as laser ranging, can improve the quality of homing. While insects are not well equipped for stereovision, stereovision is an effective robot sensor. We describe the challenges involved …

Evaluation Of Parallel Reduction Strategies For Fusion Of Sensory Information From A Robot Team., Damian M. Lyons, Joseph Leroy

Faculty Publications

The advantage of using a team of robots to search or to map an area is that by navigating the robots to different parts of the area, searching or mapping can be completed more quickly. A crucial aspect of the problem is the combination, or fusion, of data from team members to generate an integrated model of the search/mapping area. In prior work we looked at the issue of removing mutual robots views from an integrated point cloud model built from laser and stereo sensors, leading to a cleaner and more accurate model. This paper addresses a further challenge: Even …

Leveraging Area Bounds Information For Autonomous Decentralized Multi-Robot Exploration, Tsungming Liu, Damian Lyons

Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a simple and uniform, decentralized approach to the problem of dispersing a team of robots to explore an area quickly. The Decentralized Space-Based Potential Field (D-SBPF) algorithm is a potential field approach that leverages knowledge of the overall bounds of the area to be explored. It includes a monotonic coverage factor in the potential field to avoid minima, realistic sensor bounds, and a distributed map exchange protocol. The D-SBPF approach yields a simple potential field control strategy for all robots but nonetheless has good dispersion and overlap performance in exploring areas with convex geometry while avoiding potential …

Performance Verification For Behavior-Based Robot Missions, Damian M. Lyons, Ron Arkin, Shu Jiang, Tsungming Liu, Paramesh Nirmal

Faculty Publications

Certain robot missions need to perform predictably in a physical environment that may have significant uncertainty. One approach is to leverage automatic software verification techniques to establish a performance guarantee. The addition of an environment model and uncertainty in both program and environment, however, means the state-space of a model-checking solution to the problem can be prohibitively large. An approach based on behavior-based controllers in a process-algebra framework that avoids state-space combinatorics is presented here. In this approach, verification of the robot program in the uncertain environment is reduced to a filtering problem for a Bayesian Network. Validation results are …