Advanced Sensors Technologies Applied in Mobile Robot.

This special issue focuses on mobile robotic systems, where we are seeing a widespread increase in current applications as well as promising future applications enabled by the latest technologies in sensor development [...

Minimum-Time Trajectory Generation for Wheeled Mobile Systems Using Bézier Curves with Constraints on Velocity, Acceleration and Jerk.

This paper considers the problem of minimum-time smooth trajectory planning for wheeled mobile robots. The smooth path is defined by several Bézier curves and the calculated velocity profiles on individual segments are minimum-time with continuous velocity and acceleration in the joints. We describe a novel solution for the construction of a 5th order Bézier curve that enables a simple and intuitive parameterization.

Robot Navigation Based on Potential Field and Gradient Obtained by Bilinear Interpolation and a Grid-Based Search.

The original concept of the artificial potential field in robot path planning has spawned a variety of extensions to address its main weakness, namely the formation of local minima in which the robot may be trapped. In this paper, a smooth navigation function combining the Dijkstra-based discrete static potential field evaluation with bilinear interpolation is proposed. The necessary modifications of the bilinear interpolation method are developed to make it applicable to the path-planning application.

Coordinated Multi-Robotic Vehicles Navigation and Control in Shop Floor Automation.

In this paper, we propose a global navigation function applied to model predictive control (MPC) for autonomous mobile robots, with application to warehouse automation. The approach considers static and dynamic obstacles and generates smooth, collision-free trajectories. The navigation function is based on a potential field derived from an E* graph search algorithm on a discrete occupancy grid and by bicubic interpolation.

Fast and Reliable Alternative to Encoder-Based Measurements of Multiple 2-DOF Rotary-Linear Transformable Objects Using a Network of Image Sensors with Application to Table Football.

Simultaneous determination of linear and angular positions of rotating objects is a challenging task for traditional sensor applications and a very limited set of solutions is available. The paper presents a novel approach of replacing a set of traditional linear and rotational sensors by a small set of image sensors. While the camera's angle of view can be a limiting factor in the tracking of multiple objects, the presented approach allows for a network of image sensors to extend the covered area.

Using a LRF sensor in the Kalman-filtering-based localization of a mobile robot.

This paper deals with the problem of estimating the output-noise covariance matrix that is involved in the localization of a mobile robot. The extended Kalman filter (EKF) is used to localize the mobile robot with a laser range finder (LRF) sensor in an environment described with line segments. The covariances of the observed environment lines, which compose the output-noise covariance matrix in the correction step of the EKF, are the result of the noise arising from a range-sensor's (e.

Robust and efficient vision system for group of cooperating mobile robots with application to soccer robots.

In this paper a global vision scheme for estimation of positions and orientations of mobile robots is presented. It is applied to robot soccer application which is a fast dynamic game and therefore needs an efficient and robust vision system implemented. General applicability of the vision system can be found in other robot applications such as mobile transport robots in production, warehouses, attendant robots, fast vision tracking of targets of interest and entertainment robotics.