Mobile robot control

The robot used is usually a Differential Drive Mobile Robot (DDMR). An example of robot used in our research is the Adept-Omron Pionner LX, which is shematized in figure bellow.

Modeling

This type of robot is modeled with dynamical model where controlled inputs are the velocities of the two wheels and outputs are position components in 2D and the rotation around the vertical axis. Hence, the whole process of kinematic and dynamic modeling are investigated.

Parameters estimation

These research activities addresses the estimation of dynamical parameter of the robot. Therefore, we investigated different methods of parameters estimation, where we compared between the common Least-Squares Technique and the Instrumental Variable Method.

For that, a certain number of steps were needed: designing the exciting trajectory, parameter identification and cross-validation. This was aplied in simualtion and on a real robot.

Control strategies

Few control techniques and startegies were explored based mainely on a reactive behavior of the mobile robot to avoid obstacles and to reach specific objectives.

Vision-based following

In these use case, the mobile robot is controlled to follow a human with a predefined distance, while avoiding obstacles around. A vision system used to estimate and track the human position is 3D depth camera (MS Kinect). The person to be followed is defined at the beginning using a protocole and a defined gesture, if the robot is "free" (i.e. is not following another person).