Intro UVS Popa

XX4378/5378 Introduction to
Unmanned Vehicle Systems

Instructor: Dan Popa, Ph.D., Associate Professor, EE
Office hours: Tue-Thu 12:30am 2:30pm, NH543
Email: popa@uta.edu , Website: http://ngs.uta.edu
Todays Lecture
A few UVS case Studies
Related fields:
Systems and Controls, Automation Science, Robotics
Robotics vs Unmanned Vehicles
Jargon and Basic Concepts
Examples from NGS and UTA Competitions
Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014
UVS Technology Areas

(Prof. Brian Huff)
Case Study: Vehicle Assist and Automation Technologies

California, Oregon, Wei-Bin Zhang, UC Berkeley
Demonstration toward IHS (Intelligent Highway
System) in California started in 2003 (Bus

Platoons).
Benefits
Reduced right-of-way requirements and
infrastructure costs (potential go-no-go decision)

Reduced accidents
Reduced operating and maintenance costs
Smoother ride and level boarding for faster travel
and reduced dwell time
Rail-like status
More attractive to choice riders
Encourage transit oriented development
Field tests in 2012.

Currently only bus service of its kind in
operation.
Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link
Case Study: Vehicle Assist and Automation Technologies

(VAA Project) Wei-Bin Zhang, UC Berkeley
VAA field testing addressed deployment issues and

benefits/costs through revenue-service operation
California-Oregon team selected magnetic guidance,
rather than vision as the primary guidance technology
based on thorough evaluation and technical merits
Full range of VAA applications were field tested.
Highway and urban application
Precision docking and guidance
Very low to highway speeds (65 mph)

Magnetic Marker System

Automated Bus (New Flyer, 60)

VAA System Installation/Configuration
J1939 connection
Buzzer (2)
Instrument Cabinet
Actuator
Control computer (2) controller
HMI controller (2)
Indicators (2 sets)
Switch & button
GPS
Yaw rate gyro
Front & rear magnetometer sensor bars (2)

Steering actuator
VAA Test (Oregon): Lane Transit District

Precision Docking + Lane Guidance
VAA Field Testing

EmX BRT Line Eugene, OR
Videos:
http://youtu.be/qZ0dA4UAEUo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THatjTgNzyU
Media http://www.wire.con/2008/09/look-ma-no-hand/
Reading: Development and Validation of an Automated Steering Control System for Bus Revenue
Service, Han-Shue Tan, Jihua Huang, and Wei-Bin Zhang , in Proc. Of IEEE CASE Conference, August
2014.
(best application award winner)
Other Notable Projects

For next time, please watch videos
Korea Autonomous Vehicle Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDNZNtTzhLI
Paper reference: Trajectory Generation Method using Bezier Spiral Curves for High-Speed On-Road Autonomous
Vehicles, Byungjae Park, Yu-Cheol Lee and Woo Yong Han, in Proc. Of IEEE CASE 2014.
CMU SRX Self-Driving Vehicle and Boss (DARPA Urban Challenge) 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxGY4iH5AAc
Paper reference: Chris Urmson et. Al. Autonomous Driving in Urban Environments: Boss and the Urban Challenge, Int.
J. of Field Robotics, July 2008.
Stanford Stanley (DARPA Grand Challenge) 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ3bbHTsOL4
Paper reference: S. Thrun, et.al., Stanley, the robot who won the DARPA Grand Challenge, Journal of Field Robotics,
2006.
Sea Gliders
http://www.navaldrones.com/Seaglider.html
Paper reference: C.C. Eriksen et. al., Seaglider: A Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Oceanographic
Research, in IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 2001.
ARCAS unmanned flying and cooperative manipulation 2012

http://www.arcas-project.eu/multimedia
Related Disciplines to UVS

Control Systems Engineering
Robotics
Automation Science and Engineering
System: Object in which input signals interact to produce output signals.
Systems Thinking:
Intellectual Themes
Modularity (ex: device)
Manage complexity by reusing simple components
(electrical, mechanical or code) nomenclature: devices
Abstraction (ex: system)

Represent complex systems by connecting modules using
interconnects
Block diagrams, Data flow diagrams (state machines), signal flow
graphs, electric circuits
Modeling (ex: I/O models)

Represent behavior of systems using mathematical
abstractions
System Classification
Linear vs. Nonlinear
Linear systems have the property of
superposition
If U Y, U1 Y1, U2 Y2 then
U1+U2 Y1+Y2
A*U A*Y
Nonlinear systems do not have this

property, and the I/O map is represented
by a nonlinear mapping.
d 2
dt 2
d 2
dt
Exact Equation,
g
sin( ) 0 nonlinear
L
g
0
L
Approximation
around vertical
equilibrium, linear
Examples: Diode, Dry Friction, Robot Arm

at High Speeds.
Memoryless vs. Dynamical

A memoryless system is represented
by a static (non-time dependent) I/O
map: Y=f(U).
Example: Amplifier Y=A*U, A- amplification
factor.
A dynamical system is represented by

a time-dependent I/O map, usually a
differential equation:
Example: dY/dt=A*u, Integrator with Gain A.
Mandelbrot set, a fractal image,

result of a Nonlinear Discrete
System Zn+1=Zn+C
System Classification
Time-Invariant vs. Time Varying
Time-invariant system parameters do not change over time. Example: pendulum, low
power circuit
Time-varying systems perform differently over time. Example: human body during
exercise.
Causal vs. Non-Causal

For a causal system, outputs depend on past inputs but not future inputs.
Examples: most engineered and natural systems
A non-causal system, outputs depend on future inputs. Example: computer
simulation where we know the inputs a-priori, digital filter with known images or
signals.
Stable vs. Unstable

For a stable system the output to bounded inputs is also bounded. Example:
pendulum at bottom equilibrium
For an unstable system the ouput diverges to infinity or to values causing
permanent damage. Example: short circuit on AC line.
System Modeling
Building mathematical models based on
observed data, or other insight for the system.
Parametric models (analytical): ODE, PDE
Non-parametric models: graphical models plots, look-up cause-effect tables
Mental models Driving a car and using the
cause-effect knowledge
Simulation models Many interconnect
subroutines, objects in video game
Types of Models
White Box
derived from first principles laws: physical,
chemical, biological, economical, etc.
Examples: RLC circuits, MSD mechanical
models (electromechanical system models).
Black Box
model is entirely derived from measured data
Example: regression (data fit)
Gray Box combination of the two

RLC Circuit as a System
Kirchoffs Voltage Law (KVL):
White Box Systems: Mechanical
Newtons Law:
Mechanical-Electrical Equivalance:
F (force) ~V (voltage)
x (displacement) ~ q (charge)
M (mass) ~ L (inductance)
B (damping) ~ R (resistance)
1/K (compliance) ~ C (capacitance)
White-Box vs. Black-Box Models
Newton-Euler Law:
Grey-Box Models
White Box vs Black Box Models

White Box Models
Black-Box Models
Information Source
First Principle
Experimentation
Advantages
Good Extrapolation
Good understanding
High reliability, scalability
Short time to develop

Little domain expertise
required
Works for not well
understood systems
Disadvantages
Time consuming and

detailed domain
expertise required
Not scalable, data

restricts accuracy, no
system understanding
Application Areas
Planning, Construction,
Design, Analysis, Simple
Systems
Complex processes
Existing systems
Start to understand simple white continuous time models which are linear
Eventually deal with grey-box or black-box models in real-life
Diagram Representation of
Systems
Hierarchical Diagram: Organizations
Undirected Graph: Networks

Flowchart: Procedures, Software
System Simulation Software

for next time: watch videos
Matlab and Simulink
http://www.mathworks.com/support/2010b/simulink/7.
6/demos/sl_env_intro_web.html
National Instruments Labview, Labview Robotics

http://www.ni.com/gettingstarted/labviewbasics/envir
onment.htm
http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/209856
Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo

http://www.youtube.com/user/WillowGaragevideo#p/s
earch/5/ueAByx7zQrg
System Diagrams
Block Diagram Model:
Helps understand flow of information (signals) through a complex system

Helps visualize I/O dependencies
Equivalent to a set of linear algebraic equations.
U
U2
Based on a set of primitives:
U1
U1+U2
+
Transfer Function
Summer/Difference
Signal Flow Graph (SFG):

Directed Graph alternative
Pick-off point
Block Diagram Simplification Rules
Control System Block Diagram
Key Transfer Functions

Reference
R (s)
E (s )
G1 ( s )
Controller
G2 ( s )
U (s)
Plant
B (s)
Y (s )
H (s )
Transducer
Feedforward
:
B( s)
Loop :
G1 ( s )G2 ( s ) H ( s )
E ( s)
Y ( s) Y ( s) U ( s)
G1 ( s )G 2 ( s )
E ( s) U ( s) E ( s)
Feedback:
G1 ( s )G2 ( s )
Y ( s)
R ( s ) 1 G1 ( s )G2 ( s ) H ( s )
Automatic Control
Control: process of making a system variable
converge to a reference value
If r=ref_value=changing - servo (tracking control)
If r=ref_value=constant - regulation
(stabilization)
Open loop vs. closed loop (feedback) control
r
Controller
K(s)
Plant
G(s)
y
r
Controller
K(s)
Sensor Gain
H(s)
+
Plant
G(s)
Classical Period of AC: driven by

communication and aircraft control applications
Stability Analysis: Maxwell, Routh, Hurwitz, Lyapunov (before
1900).
Electronic Feedback Amplifiers with Gain for long distance
communications (Black, 1927)
Stability analysis in frequency domain using Nyquist criterion
(1932), Bode Plots (1945).
PID controller (Callender, 1936) servomechanism

control
Root Locus (Evans, 1948) aircraft control
Most of the advances were done in Frequency Domain.
Modern Period of AC: driven by

space exploration
Time domain analysis (state-space)

Bellmann, Kalman: linear systems (1960)
Pontryagin: Nonlinear systems (1960) IFAC
Optimal controls
H-infinity control (Doyle, Francis, 1980s) loop shaping
(in frequency domain).
MATLAB (1980s to present) has implemented math
behind most control methods.
Feedback Control
Role of feedback:
Reduce sensitivity to system parameters (robustness)
Disturbance rejection
Track desired inputs with reduced steady state errors,
overshoot, rise time, settling time (performance)
Systematic approach to analysis and design

Select controller based on desired characteristics
Predict system response to some input

Speed of response (e.g., adjust to workload changes)
Approaches to assessing stability

Feedback System Block Diagram

Automobile Cruise Control
Transient Response Characteristics

2
1.75
1.5
M p overshoot
1.25
1
0.75
0.5
0.25
0.5
1.5
2.5
t
ts
tr p
t d : Delayuntilreach50% of steadystatevalue
td
t r : Risetime delayuntilfirstreachsteadystatevalue
t p : Timeat whichpeakvalueis reached
t s : Settlingtime stayswithinspecified% of steadystate
Basic Control Actions: u(t)
Proportion
al control:
u (t ) K p e(t )
t
Integralcontrol:
u (t ) K i e(t )dt
0
Differenti
al control:
d
u (t ) K d e(t )
dt
U ( s)
Kp
E ( s)
U ( s) K i
E ( s)
s
U ( s)
Kd s
E ( s)
Control Systems: Summary
Abstraction is the basis for system level thinking. Abstraction

requires advanced mathematics, and is required of Engineers.
Control Theory contains abstractions and generalizations able to
guarantee predictable performance of systems under control.
Negative feedback offers numerous advantages: noise rejection,
robustness to plant variations, dynamical tracking performance.
Examples of popular control schemes include Proportional-IntegralDerivative (PID) schemes.
Modern control is primarily based on time-domain analysis of stateequations using matrices.
Control engineers can find jobs in any industry. Control concepts
can be applied in any engineering industry.
In particular in UVS
Robots as Complex Systems

Controlled by Feedback
G. Bekey definition: an entity that can sense, think and act.
Extensions: communicate, imitate, collaborate
Classification: manipulators, mobile robots, mobile
manipulators (can be thought of as vehicles)
Sense
Think
Robot
Act
Robots and Robot Science
Robots make use of:

Strong & precise articulated arms to accomplish tasks that were
performed by humans articulated robots, or manipulators.
Use of mobility to reposition the robot from one location to another,
mobile robots. This can be done by locomotion like humans do
(legged robots), but most likely it will use other means such as
wheels (wheeled robots).
Robotics is a multi-disciplinary field. Best robotics researchers and

engineers will touch upon all disciplines:
Mechanical Engineering concerned primarily with manipulator/mobile
robot design, kinematics, dynamics, compliance and actuation.
Electrical Engineering concerned primarily with robot actuation,
electronic interfacing to computers and sensors, and control algorithms.
Computer Science concerned primarily with robot programming,
planning, and intelligent behavior.
Industrial Engineering concerned with manufacturing and logistics,
utilization, efficiency, reliability of robots.
Robot System Architectures

1) Functional (deliberative). Sense-Think-Act cycle in serial mode with
several Think functional modules: Perception, Learning, Modeling,
Planning, Task Execution, Motor Control.
Advantage: optimization of resources and actions is possible.
Drawbacks: internal model maintenance/update consumes resources. This model
may have problems with long reaction times, inapropriate decisions and deadlock.
Work-around: put a human operator in the loop.
2) Behavioral (reactive). Sense-Think-Act cycle is decentralized in parallel

mode. Brooks proposes a subsumption architecture with 8 behaviors:
reason about objects, plan changes to world, identify objects, monitor
changes, build maps, explore, wander, avoid objects.
Advantages: quick reaction, multiple goals, no conflict resolution needs, easy to

extend, debug, etc.
Disadvantages: sub-optimal, not clear how to describe and implement complex plans.
History of Robotics
Robotics was first introduced into our vocabulary by Czech playwright Karel
Capek in his 1920s play Rossums Universal Robots.
The word robota in Czech means simply work. Robots as machines that
resemble people, work tirelessly, and revolt against their creators.
The same myth/concept is found in many books/movies today:

Terminator, Star-Wars series.
Mary Shelleys 1818 Frankenstein.
Frankenstein & The Borg are examples of cybernetic organisms.
Cybernetics is a discipline that was created in the late 1940s by Norbert

Wiener, combining feedback control theory, information sciences and biology
to try to explain the common principles of control and communications in both
animals and machines.
Behavioral robotics: organisms as machines interacting with their

environment according to behavioral models.
Definition of Robots
According to the Japanese Industrial Robot Association (JIRA), robots can

be classified as follows:
Class 1: manual handling device a device with several DOFs actuated by the
operator.
Class 2: fixed sequence robot similar to fixed automation.
Class 3: variable sequence robot similar to programmable automation.
Class 4: playback robot the human performs tasks manually to teach the robot
what trajectories to follow.
Class 5: numerical control robot the operator provides the robot with the
sequence of tasks to follow rather than teach it.
Class 6: intelligent robot a robot with the means to understand its environment,
and the ability to successfully complete a task despite changes in the
surrounding conditions where it is performed.
Another definition describes robotics as the intelligent connection between

perception and action (Brady 1985). This is an overly inclusive definition.
Yet another definition, which focuses on mobile robots (Arkin 1998) is A
robot is a machine able to extract information from its environment, and use
this knowledge to move safely, in a meaningful and purposive manner.
Manipulators
Industrial manipulators were born after WWII out of
earlier technologies:
Teleoperators. Teleoperators, or remotely controlled mechanical
manipulator, were developed at first by Argonne and Oak Ridge
National Labs to handle radioactive materials. These devices are
also called master-slave, and consisted of a master arm
being guided through mechanical links to mimic the motion of a
slave arm that is operated by the user. Eventually, the
mechanical links were replaced by electrical or hydraulic links.
Numerically controlled milling machines (CNC). CNC
machines were needed because of machining needs for very
complex and accurate shapes, in particular aircraft parts.
Mobile Robots vs. UVS

Mobile robots were born out of unmanned vehicles.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Underwater Vehicles (UUV) and Ground
Vehicles (UGV).
Because tethered mobile vehicles could not move very far, and radio
communications were limited, an approach to mobile robots is to
endow them with the necessary control and decision capability autonomy
Autonomous Underwater/Ground/Aerial Vehicles (AUV/AGV/AAV).
Unlike manipulators, we do not think of a remotely controlled toy as a

mobile robot, suggesting that one of the fundamental aspects of
mobile robotics is the capacity for autonomous operation.
Unmanned Vehicle System Definition:
System that uses its mobility to deliver a payload at a remote location in any
environment (water, land, air, space).
Unlike a robot, it could also be remotely piloted by a human operator
Relationship with Automation
Close relationship with the concept of automation, the discipline that

implements principles of control in specialized hardware. Three levels of
implementation:
Rigid automation factory context oriented to the mass manufacturing of
products of the same type. Uses fixed operational sequences that cannot be
altered.
Programmable automation factory context oriented to low-medium batches of
different types of products. A programmable system allows for changing of
manufacturing sequences.
Flexible automation evolution of programmable automation by allowing the
quick reconfiguration and reprogramming of the sequence of operation. Flexible
automation is often implemented as Flexible robotic workcells (Decelle 1988,
Pugh 1983). Reprogramming/retooling the robots changes the functionality of the
workcell.
According to the Robotics Industries Association (RIA): A robot is a

reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator designed to move material,
parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions
for the performance of a variety of tasks (Jablonski and Posey, 1985).
Automation: Manufacturing (not related to UVS)
Automation: Buildings (not related to UVS)
Automation: Pilot Assistance (UVS Relevance)
Jan 2013: Amazon Prime Air Delivery (UVS Relevance)
Editorials in IEEE Transactions of Automation Science and Engineering

http://www.ieee-ras.org/images/publications/t-ase/Raff-July-2014-Editorial-T-ASE.pdf
Kiva Systems Editorial: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6295687
UVS and Automation

Automation Science is concerned with reliability,
repeatability, scalability, logistics and efficiency
of systems, in particular UVS.
Analogy: Put one man on the moon=robotics,
put 100 men on the moon=automation.
UVS operations need to consider automation
concepts: fault tolerance, optimization, etc.
System of Systems:
SMSS (Lockheed Martin)
Squad Mission Support System
(courtesy of Larry Mastromoro, LM)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etrEYwcZk1Q
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/smss.html
Robot History Timeline

Relevant to UVS
1953 W. Grey Walter applies cybernetics principles to a robotic design

called machine speculatrix, which became a robotic tortoise. The simple
principles involved were:
Parsimony: simple is better. Simple reflexes are the basis of robot behavior.
Exploration or speculation: the system never remains still except when
recharging. Constant motion is needed to keep it from being trapped.
Attraction: the system is motivated to move towards objects or light.
Aversion: the system moves away from certain objects, such as obstacles.
Discernment: the system can distinguish between productive and unproductive
behavior, adapting itself to the situation.
1955 The Darmouth Summer Research Conference marks the birth of AI. Marvin
Minsky, from the AI lab at MIT defines an intelligent machine as one that would tend
to build up within itself an abstract model of the environment in which it is placed. If
it were given a problem, it could first explore solutions within the internal abstract
model of the environment and then attempt external experiments. This approach
dominated robotics research for the next 30 years.
G. Walter Grey's tortoise
These vehicles
had a light
sensor, touch
sensor,
propulsion motor,
steering motor,
and a two
vacuum tube
analog computer.
1962 1963 The introduction of sensors is seen as a way to enhance the

operation of robots. This includes force sensing for stacking blocks (Ernst, 1961),
vision system for binary decision for presence of obstacles in the environment
(McCarthy 1963), pressure sensors for grasping (Tomovic and Boni, 1962). Robot
interaction with an unstructured environment at MITs AI lab (Man and Computer
MAC project).
1968 Shakey, a mobile robot is developed by SRI (Stanford Research Institute). It
was placed in a special room with specially colored objects. A vision system would
recognize objects and pushed objects according to a plan. This planning software
was STRIPS, and it maintained and updated a world model. The robot had pan/tilt
and focus for the camera, and bump sensors.
1972 First snake-like robot ACM III Hirose Tokyo Inst. Of Tech.
1977 Development of mobile robot Hilaire at Laboratoise dAutomatique et
dAnalyse des Systemes (LAAS) in Toulouse, France. This mobile robot had three
wheels and it is still in use.
1970s JPL develops its first planetary exploration Rover using a TV camera, laser
range finder and tactile sensors.
Snake-like robot
A. Hirose (Tokyo IT)

1977-1983 Stanford cart/CMU rover developed by Hans Moravec, later on

became the Nomad mobile robot.
1980s Legged and hopping robots (BIPER Shimoyama) and Raibert

1986, later to become Boston Dynamics technology.
1984 -1991 V. Braitenberg revived the tortoise mobile robots of W. Grey

Walter creating autonomous robots exhibiting behaviors. Hogg, Martin and
Resnick at MIT create mobile robots using LEGO blocks (precursor to
LEGO Mindstorms). Rodney Brooks at MIT creates first insect robots at MIT
AI Lab birth of behavioral robotics.
Nomad mobile robot

The XR4000 (circa 1990) was an advanced
mobile robot system that incorporates state
of the art drive, control, networking, power
management, sensing, communication and
software development technologies.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

CAT Robots
Tetrobot: Modular & Reconfigurable Stewart Platform CAT-Mobile: Autonomous Tractor-Trailer

Robot (Wen, Divelbiss, Popa)
(Sanderson & Lee)
1990s Humanoid robots Cog, Kismet (MIT), Wasubot, WHL-I

Japan, Honda P2 (1.82m, 210kg), and P3 (1.6m, 130kg), ASIMO.
1990s Entertainment and Education Robots Sony AIBO, LEGO

Mindstorms, Khypera, Parallax.
ROBOCUP, the competition simulating the game of soccer played

by two teams of robots having been held around the world since
1997 (Osaka) .
1990s Introduction of space robots (manipulators as well as

rovers the MARS rover 1996), first service robots (as couriers in
hospitals, etc)
Asimo
Honda announced
the development of
new technologies
for the nextgeneration ASIMO
humanoid robot,
targeting a new
level of mobility.

2000s IRobot introduces the first autonomous vacuum
Roomba.
2000s Mini and micro robots, Smart Dust Pister @
Berkeley, UTA, EPFL/Lausanne, microfactories.
2000s Military applications - Robotic assistants for
dangerous environments and reconnaissance, AUVs
and UUVs, etc.
2000s Robotic Deployment of Mobile Sensor Networks
USC Mobile Robots
Robot teams (A. Howard)

Flying Insect
Ron Fearing, UC Berkeley
Solar AUV
Richard Blidberg
SAUV-II from Autonomous Underwater
Research Institute (AUSI) New Hampshire
Hierarchical family of scouting robots

(Nikos Papanikolopoulos, Univ. of Minnesota)
Scout & Ranger Series
Robot Subsystems
A mechanical structure.
For mobile robots, the structure consists of a chassis with a locomotion mechanism,
in the form of legs, wheels, rotor blades, etc.
Actuators. These set the robot in motion through actuation of its joints, and are
typical electric or hydraulic.
Sensors. These measure the status of the manipulator (propriceptive sensors)

and the status of the environment (heteroceptive sensors).
A control system. This enables control and supervision of the robot, and is
usually a computer with a graphical user interface, and/or a remote control.
We describe robots in terms of their degrees of freedom (DOFs).

6 DOFs are needed to position and orient an object in a unique way in the 3D space.
Most robots have no more than 6 degrees of freedom, many UVS have fewer
than 6 DOF.
Locomotion Mechanisms
Wheeled (incl. tracks)

Legged
Aerial
Underwater
Mobile Manipulators
Properties of Manipulators
(Can extend to UVS)
The most important considerations for the application of an industrial
robot are:
Manipulator performance
System integration
Reconfigurability/modularity
Manipulator performance is defined as:

Reach (size of workspace), and dexterity (angular displacement of
individual joints). Some robots can have unuseable workspace due to
dead-zones, singular poses, wrist-wrap poses.
Payload (weight that can be carried). Inertial loading for rotational wrist
axes can be specified for extreme velocity and reach conditions.
Quickness (how fast it can move). Critical in determining robot
throughput but rarely specified. Maximum speeds of joints are usually
specified, but average speeds while carrying payloads in a working cycle
is of interest.
Duty-cycle (how fast it can repeat motions without breaking down).
Properties of Manipulators
(Can Extend to UVS)
Precision is defined by using 3 metrics: resolution, repeatability and accuracy.

These concepts are usually static, and dynamic precision is usually not
specified.
Accuracy is defined as how close the manipulator can come to a given point
within its workspace.
Accuracy varies with the location of the point
Repeatability is how close the manipulator returns to the same point in
space.
Most present day manipulators are highly repeatable but not very
accurate.
Repeatability for the manipulator is also defined as the ability to return to
a so called taught position.
Resolution is defined as the minimum motion increment that the manipulator
can perform and detect.
example: a robot controller has 12-bit storage capacity, the full

range of the robot = 1.0 cm for one joint
spatial resolution = 1.0cm/212 = 1.0 cm/4096 = 2.44 m
Precision Metrics for Machines

good
accuracy
1.
Resolution: The smallest output increment that a machine can

perform.
2.
Repeatability: The ability of a machine to return to the same

state over many cycling attempts.
3.
Accuracy: The maximum expected difference between the actual

and the ideal (desired) output for a given input.
poor
repeatability
poor
accuracy
good
repeatability
In Traditional Metrology, Resolution and Accuracy are mean values,

while Repeatability is a statistical distribution.
good
accuracy
good
repeatability
Basic Concepts
In robotics we are constantly concerned with the location of objects in 3D space.
In order to describe it we attach a coordinate frame rigidly to an moving object. We then transform the position and
orientation from one frame to another. The frame associated with the non-moving parts of the manipulator is called the
base frame, and the one attached to the vehicle is called the body frame.
Kinematics is the science of motion based on geometric description, regardless of the forces which cause it. Kinematics deals with
positions and its derivatives (velocity/acceleration).
The number of DOFs of a system equals the number of independent position variables that would have to be specified in order to locate all
its moving parts.
Cartesian space (or task space, operational space) is the usual 3D Euclidian space for position and orientation (6 DOFs). The joint
space (or configuration space) is the space in which the manipulator is described by its joint angles.
Basic Concepts
Dynamics is devoted to studying the forces required to cause motion.

The relationship between the actuator forces and torques, the accelerations of
the robot, and the other external forces (gravity of links and payload, external
forces exerted) is studied within the context of dynamics.
Dynamics is important if we use high velocities to actuate the system.
Kinematics is usually sufficient if the robot is gravity compensated and moves at
slow speeds.
Dynamics is necessary for accurate simulation and control.
Motion planning refers to the study of generating motion for the robot to
accomplish a task. This consists of :
Path planning - generating a feasible path from an initial position to a final
position by describing the geometric position and orientation of the robot during
the transition. Sometimes this path must avoid obstacles in the task space, and it
may be described by intermediate points (also called via-points). Sometimes the
path is a spline (e.g. a smooth function that passes through a set of via points).
Trajectory generation attaching a time frame to the paths generates a
trajectory. The trajectory not only describes the position of the robot during
motion, but also how that position changes with time.
Basic Concepts
Robot control refers to a closed-loop feedback system that uses sensory

information to control the motion of the manipulator. A controller
accomplishes :
Trajectory tracking following the prescribed trajectory for the manipulation.
End-point control - reaching a goal configuration in either task or joint space
irrespective of the trajectory it is achieved. This is also called the stabilization
problem.
Position/velocity control compensates for errors in knowledge of the systems
parameters and suppresses disturbances. Control algorithms can be linear or
nonlinear.
Force control Controlling the force exerted by the manipulator onto an object
in a single or multiple degrees of freedom. Can be reduced to position control if
the stiffness of the manipulator and object are known, but it usually requires force
sensing. Sometimes a scheme called hybrid control is used, e.g. controlling
force along certain DOFs and position along other DOFs.
Robot Programming Modern robots use robot programming languages

to describe tasks from users. Programming could be on-line (with the robot
attached) and off-line (with a dynamic simulation model of the robot). The
issue of safety should be carefully considered when implementing on-line
robot motion.
Research at Next Gen Systems (NGS)

Dan Popa
Tools and Fundamentals
Established Technologies
Modeling & Simulation
Robotics
Control Systems
Control Theory
Manufacturing &
Automation
Algorithms
Sensor networks
New applications
for small-scale
systems
Surgical robotics
Human-like robots
Distributed systems
Emerging Technologies
Microsystems &
MEMS
Nanotechnology
Biotechnology
Micromanufacturing
Microrobotics
Microassembly
Micropackaging
Sensors & Actuators
NanoManufacturing
Small-scale
Robotics &
Manufacturing
ARRIpede: a Millimetric Microcrawler
System Specifications:
Volume = 1.7cm X 1.7cm X 1 cm
Weight ~ 4g (with battery)
Velocity=~2mm/s
Max Payload~9g
Resolution of 20~30nm
Repeatability better than 12 m
Continous operation: 10 minutes at max speed, 100
minutes at .1x max speed

Rakesh Murthy, A .N. Das, D. O. Popa, Nonholonomic Control of an

Assembled Microcrawler, in Proc. Of 9th International IFAC Symposium
on Robot Control, Gifu, Japan, September 2009.
Human Robot Interaction

Visual HRI
Fast and robust
human pose
recovery
Physical HRI
Robot Touch sensitive skin
Robot Control through

Neural Headband
Zeno Video
74
Algorithms for Deployment of

Networked Robots
Sensor deployment algorithms with mobile robots:
Dynamic sensor repositioning using potential fields (PF)

in the presence of network communication constraints
(Popa & Stephanou 2004-2006).
Optimal movement of mobile sensors to gather the most
information based on closed-form and EKF covariance
of parameter estimates ([Popa & Sanderson, 20042006]
Resource coordination to accomplish a common mission
using a Discrete Event Controller (DEC) ([Lewis & Popa
2005-2006].
Low-Cost In-Door Mobile Platforms for Validation:
A matrix
based discrete
event controller
(DEC) is a
convenient way
to describe a
monitoring
mission.
[Lewis 2006]
ARRI Bots, Garcia Acroname, LynxMotion Spiders and

Cyberguard Sentry.
Potential field based on data rate changing

with distance between sensors
Adaptive Sampling using EKF combining

navigation and localization uncertainty
Recent/Current NGS Projects

- Helping first responders - DARPA Robotics Challenge
-
Robots using human tools, learning and adaptation skills
- Robots who Live Among Us National Robotics Initiative

-
Co-Robots with sensitive skin and adaptive physical HRI - NSF

Service Robots - Shared Control, Intuitive Man-Machine Interfaces Qinetiq - NA
- Helping people with disabilities Assistive Robotics Consortium
Treating people with cognitive disabilities Social Robots This project

Treating people with motor disabilities Rehabilitation NSF
Manufacturing Robots -
On factory floor (natural interface) and at micro-nano scales (robotic microassembly and microswarms) NSF/ONR
06/12/15
76 76
UTA Student Competition List (2013)

Competition
Type
Schedule
Important dates
Venue
The 21th Annual Intelligent

Ground Vehicle Competition
(IGVC)
Ground
(AUVSI)
6/7(Fri)-10(Mon)
Application:2/28/2013
Registration:3/15/2013
Oakland University in
Rochester, Michigan
11th Annual Student Unmanned

Air Systems (SUAS)
Competition (Undergraduates +
1Graduate)
Aerial
(AUVSI)
6/19(Wed)22(Sat)
Application: 1/15/2013
Fact sheet, member: 5/9/2013
Journal paper: 5/30/2013
Webster Field, Patuxent

River, MD
6th International RoboBoat

Competition
Water
(AUVSI)
7/8(Mon)-14(Sun)
TBA
Founder's Inn, Virginia

Beach, VA
16th International RoboSub

Competition
Water
(AUVSI)
7/22(Mon)28(Sun)
TBA
SSC Pacific TRANSDEC,

San Diego, CA
DARPA Robotics Challenge
Ground
Virtual Robot
Challenge
Mid June
Kick-off October 26, 2012
Gazebo Simulator
IEEE Region 5 Robotics

Competition (UG only)
Ground
(IEEE)
4/6(Sat)
Expression of interest: 12/1/2012

Registration: 3/21/2013
Denver, Colorado
IEEE RAS Mobile Microrobotics

Challenge
Microscale
(IEEE)
5/6(Sun)-10(Fri)
Proposal submission:
12/15/2012
Karlsruhe, Germany
ICRA 2013 Mobile Manipulation

Challenge (Willow Garage)
Ground
(IEEE)
5/6(Sun)-10(Fri)
Intent to participate: 1/15/2013

Workshop(3/4-8), Qualification
Karlsruhe, Germany
NASA RASC-AL Exploration

Robo-Ops Competition
Ground
(NASA)
June
Project plan submission:

12/9/2012
Qualifying teams: 12/19/2012
NASA, Johnson Space

Center, Houston, TX
Project Teams (2013)
IGVC Team: Dr. Huff

Student leader: Chris McMurrough
SUAS Team: Drs. Dogan & Huff

Student leader: Hakki Sevil, Onur Daskiran
RoboBoat Team: (Dr. Huff)

Student leader: TBA
UTA Microrobotics team: Dr. Popa

Student leader: Nahum Torres
UTARI Mobile Manipulation Team: Drs. Popa & Huber

Student leader: Isura Ranatunga
DARPA Robotics Challenge Team: Drs. Popa, Bowling, Mariottini, Lewis

Student leaders: Isura Ranatunga, Ghassan Atmeh
NASA RASC-AL Exploration Robo-Ops Team: Dr. Bowling

Student leaders: Adrian Rodriguez
NIST/IEEE Mobile Microrobot Challenge
UTA Microrobotics Team video 2013, M.R. Pac, N. Torres
Shanghai, 2011
St. Paul, 2012
Karlsruhe, 2013
Dan O. Popa, Robust and

Reliable Microtechnology
Research and Education
Through the Mobile
Microrobotics Challenge, in
IEEE R&A Magazine, March
2014.
Hong Kong, 2014

79
80
DARPA Robotics Challenge 2012

Track B Team: RE2, Inc., UT Arlington, Soar Technologies, Inc.
Dan O. Popa, Ph.D., Associate Prof. of Electrical Engineering
Timeframe: 27 Months (Phase I 15 mo (Ia 9 mo, Ib - 6 mo), Phase II 12 mo)
DRC Team Members
RE2 DRC Track B

Team
RE2
DRC
Team
Dr. Patrick Rowe, project lead VP R&D, RE2

Andy Somerville
Engineer, RE2
David Rusbarsky
Engineer, RE2
UTA
DRC
Team
Dr. Dan Popa, UTA project

lead
Dr. Alan Bowling
Dr. Gian Luca Mariottini
Dr. Frank Lewis
Dr. Kamesh Subbarao
Isura Ranatunga
Adrian Rodrigues
Aaron Staranowicz
Ghassan Atmeh
Suresh Sampathkumar
Ishan Chakravorty
SoarTec Glenn Taylor

h
EE Faculty
MAE Faculty
CSE Faculty
EE Faculty
MAE Faculty
EE Ph.D. student
MAE Ph.D.
student
CSE Ph.D. student
MAE Ph.D.
student
EE M.S. Student
EE UG Student
Senior Scientist
82
DRC Tasks
1.
Drive a utility vehicle to the site
2.
3.
4.
Travel dismounted across rubble

Remove debris blocking an entryway
Open a door and enter a building
1.
ladder goes all the way to floor

traverse an industrial walkway
Use a tool to break through a concrete panel

1.
open door using handle
Climb an industrial ladder

1.
2.
1.
no door, John Deere Gator
human tools like jackhammer)
Locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe

Connect a hose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5buFbuvWbk
DRCSim and DRC Robots

Tool for Robot simulation and
visualization
Enables accurate robot
simulation with good
hardware/software
interchangeability
Supports common robot control
software such as ROS
Gazebo Simulation
Environment Open Source
Robotics Foundation
Atlas Petman GFE Boston
Dynamics (now Google)
LS-3 Robot BD (now Google)
Tasks UTA Team

Intro UVS Popa

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XX4378/5378 Introduction to

Unmanned Vehicle Systems

UVS Technology Areas

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Case Study: Vehicle Assist and Automation Technologies

System) in California started in 2003 (Bus

infrastructure costs (potential go-no-go decision)

Field tests in 2012.

Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Case Study: Vehicle Assist and Automation Technologies

VAA field testing addressed deployment issues and

Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link

Magnetic Marker System

Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link

Automated Bus (New Flyer, 60)

HMI controller (2)

Switch & button

Yaw rate gyro

Front & rear magnetometer sensor bars (2)

Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link

VAA Test (Oregon): Lane Transit District

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link

VAA Field Testing

Wei-Bin Zhangs full presentation at this link

Other Notable Projects

Korea Autonomous Vehicle Project

Stanford Stanley (DARPA Grand Challenge) 2005

ARCAS unmanned flying and cooperative manipulation 2012

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Related Disciplines to UVS

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Abstraction (ex: system)

Modeling (ex: I/O models)

Nonlinear systems do not have this

Examples: Diode, Dry Friction, Robot Arm

Memoryless vs. Dynamical

A dynamical system is represented by

Mandelbrot set, a fractal image,

Causal vs. Non-Causal

Stable vs. Unstable

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Gray Box combination of the two

RLC Circuit as a System

Kirchoffs Voltage Law (KVL):

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

White Box Systems: Mechanical

White-Box vs. Black-Box Models

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

Dan O. Popa, XX4378/5378 Intro to UVS, Fall 2014

White Box vs Black Box Models

Short time to develop

Time consuming and

Not scalable, data

Hierarchical Diagram: Organizations

Undirected Graph: Networks

Flowchart: Procedures, Software

System Simulation Software

National Instruments Labview, Labview Robotics

Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo

Block Diagram Model:

Helps understand flow of information (signals) through a complex system

Signal Flow Graph (SFG):