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A modular reconfigurable robot (MRR) is considered as a system of systems; that is, a robot control system consists of modular systems. For an MRR, onboard tracking of multiple objects is one of the most challenging tasks. This is because the task requires lots of computation resources, but an MRR system is constrained by several physical limitations. To enhance the computing performance of an MRR control system, a novel approach to organizing a distributed computing system is proposed. The key components of the proposed approach are FPGA-based specialized computational cores (SCCs). An SCC for tracking objects is designed to utilize spare resources of the MRR module's control devices. Analysis and experiments on a real testbench are performed to illustrate that the proposed approach can enhance overall computing performance of an MRR control system without adding additional components. As such, weight and dimensional parameters are saved; unnecessary power consumption and heat generation are reduced. One experimental example shows that the proposed SCC enables a Kalman filter to track objects up to 100 times faster than a comparable solution implemented with microcontrollers, while the whole distributed computing system can outperform a similar one built on high-performance CPUs.

This study proposes a heterogeneous modular reconfigurable robot called SABER that is suitable for industrial applications. The SABER is a Step, Assembler, Bridge, Explorer Robot comprising a platform and a reconfigurable rail; it can work in three different configurations: monowheel, rail trolley, and manipulator. The monowheel configuration provides locomotion with a speed up to 10 km/h. The rail trolley configuration allows the robot to overcome gaps larger than its wheel diameter, climb steps as large as the wheel radius, and pass through passages smaller than the wheel diameter. The manipulator configuration enables the robot to manipulate objects using two robotic arms with changeable tools. This design allows several SABERs to work cooperatively, extending capabilities of their mechanics or enlarging the working area. As such, SABERs can address various tasks, including material handling, assembly, diagnostic, and maintenance applications, revealing a concept of universal robots for future factories. Robot performance in terms of the speed, acceleration, oscillation, and gap/step handling was numerically analyzed, showing that SABER is comparable with or better than existing autonomous mobile robots and modular reconfigurable robots.

This paper presents an algorithm for wheeled mobile robots with differential kinematics, which increases positioning and orientation accuracy of docking to the charge station. Localization of the charging station is carried out by detecting ArUco markers. Unlike other localization methods such ones based on IR sensors and LIDARs, this method is more robust and easier to configure. The software designed based the proposed algorithm and Robot Operating System provides simple integration with robots of different designs. The simulation results, shows that the estimated docking accuracy is within 3cm, and the minimum docking distance is 58cm.

This paper proposes a multi-purpose testbench for determining the parameters of moving objects in controlled laboratory conditions. The testbench include different types of the sensors, which are based on different physical principal and simultaneously observe multiple mobile robots. The paper discuses data acquisition and processing methods as well as experimental studies scenarios, that can be investigated using proposed testbench.

This research is focused on the integration of Ethernet POWERLINK (EPL) fieldbus with the Robotic Operating System (ROS) for real-time control tasks. In this part, we analyze latencies and jitter introduced by the Linux operating system, ROS and the openPOWERLINK stack. To increase the determinism of the operating system, we propose using the PREEMPT_RT patch from OSADL. To ensure the simplicity of process data exchange, we offer software that implements the openPOWERLINK stack with a standard ROS interface for applications running with a cycle time of more than 10 ms, and a specialized API based on the POSIX infrastructure for high-speed applications with a cycle of 10 ms or less. The introduced concept covers both Managing (MN) and Controlled (CN) nodes, making it possible to easily integrate Ethernet POWERLINK communication in any robotic application task. More details about hardware and software implementation issues will be described in the paper dedicated to the second part of this research.

This paper presents a novel low-jitter interface between a low-cost integrated IEEE802.11 chip and a FPGA. It is designed to be part of system hardware for ultra-precise synchronization between wireless stations. On physical level, it uses Wi-Fi chip coexistence signal lines and UART frame encoding. On its basis, we propose an efficient communication protocol providing precise timestamping of incoming frames and internal diagnostic mechanisms for detecting communication faults. Meanwhile it is simple enough to be implemented both in low-cost FPGA and commodity IEEE802.11 chip firmware. The results of computer simulation shows that developed FPGA implementation of the proposed protocol can precisely timestamp incoming frames as well as detect most of communication errors even in conditions of high interference. The probability of undetected errors was investigated. The results of this analysis are significant for the development of novel wireless synchronization hardware.

This paper proposes a novel approach to touchdown deceleration overload reduction, which is intended for the walking robot with pantograph kinematics of the legs. To reduce the robot price, developers widely use low-cost geared servo motors, which can be damaged after jump or fall with rigid touchdown. Due to the high gear ratio and low-end sensors servo drives are unable to damp such impacts using closed-loop control. The proposed approach makes it possible to prevent robot damage and rollover by predicting the touchdown point using distance sensor or mechanical switch mounted on a robot and adding appropriate feed-forward action to a servo drive set point. The key advantage of the introduced solution is low dependence on the number of robots legs and doesn’t require modifying either servo drives or any of robots mechanical parts. The efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated and analyzed on the basis of computer simulation.

Intelligent information processing technologies are already widely used in the power industry. The new step in their evolution was made with application of Internet-of-Things(IoT) devices into a smart grid. A key problem of intelligent IoT device development is implementation of a data processing algorithms on a low-power on-board processing units. The paper proposes a high efficient technology for neural network implementation on a FPGA-based IoT devices. An approach based on the use of sigma-delta modulated bitstreams for signal representation is proposed, which makes it possible to reduce the size of all elements of neural network and to provide the possibility of completely parallel implementation of neural networks and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) on the basis of existing FPGA microchips. Based on the proposed approach, the novel FPGA IP cores are developed for the implementation of direct propagation neural networks, RBF-networks and ANFIS. The FPGA resource usage efficiency of the developed solutions is demonstrated using synthesis results on modern FPGA. The proposed approach will increase performance of IoT devices, designed for smart-grid.

This article describes the process of creating a modular reconfigurable robot based on a unified control system using FPGAs and Ethernet PowerLink protocol. The basis of the theoretical framework was the analysis of world approaches and practical solutions in this area, using the results of previous studies and developments of the authors. Particular attention is paid to the work of the onboard-distributed power supply system. As a result, a control board and software for it were implemented, a system of reconfigurable robots was created from several modules using the FischerTechnik construction set. Experimental studies of the developed solutions for the implementation of a modular reconfigurable robot have been carried out, proving their efficiency and effectiveness compared with similar solutions.

The paper discusses the task of detecting and determining the spatial position of moving objects according to their dynamic characteristics and with using the aggregation of the sensors of robotic systems. A model of a generalized sensor and classifier according to its indications is proposed. An algorithm for the results of classification processing and determining the spatial position of objects is developed.

Wireless synchronization of industrial controllers is a challenging task in environments where wired solutions are not practical. The best solutions proposed so far to solve this problem require pretty expensive and highly specialized FPGA-based devices. With this work we counter the trend by introducing a straightforward approach to synchronize a fairly cheap IEEE 802.11 integrated wireless chip (IWC) with external devices. More specifically we demonstrate how we can reprogram the software running in the 802.11 IWC of the Raspberry Pi 3B and transform the receiver input potential of the wireless transceiver into a triggering signal for an external inexpensive FPGA. Experimental results show a mean-square synchronization error of less than 496 ns, while the absolute synchronization error does not exceed 6 μs. The jitter of the output signal that we obtain after synchronizing the clock of the external device did not exceed 5.2 μs throughout the whole measurement campaign. Even though we do not score new records in term of accuracy, we do in terms of complexity, cost, and availability of the required components: all these factors make the proposed technique a very promising of the deployment of large-scale low-cost automation solutions.

The paper considers the problem of creating power supply and data exchange subsystems for modules of a reconfigurable robot. Based on analysis of previous academic and commercial approaches, the new circuitry solutions for both distributed power supply and Ethernet POWERLINK compatible data exchange subsystems of modular reconfigurable robot are proposed. The results of experimental research of new circuits, showing their efficiency are presented.

The paper discusses the composition and requirements for sensors in the group of surveillance robots. Classification and quality criteria for sensor data processing algorithms for the surveillance robotics are proposed. From the point of view of the criteria, the sensor data processing methods are performed. The structure of the surveillance robots control system software is proposed.

In this work, the performance of the ROS framework in terms of intelligent monitoring systems of discrete machinery manufacturing control systems is evaluated. To solve the task, the requirements for the speed of monitoring systems have been defined, and a number of experimental estimates of the latencies in the ROS infrastructure have been made. Based on the outcomes of the latter estimates, an analysis of the applicability of the said means in various areas of machinery manufacture industry have been performed.

This paper proposes a novel architecture for control systems of modular reconfigurable robots that combines centralized and decentralized approaches to achieve the best ration between efficiency, fault-tolerance and cost-efficiency.

The article examines the development of digital manufacturing production, in particular the system for monitoring the work of CNC equipment, CNC equipment circuits and other automated manufacturing equipment, as well as systems of monitoring and resource suppy for the implementation of production tasks and production plan of the digital manufacturing production. The developed system has the following features: monitoring of the main parameters of the equipment and its components; assessment of the current situation and the consequences of equipment failure; assessment of resource supply for production orders and the production plan, and tracing their completion; reporting on the formation of diagnosed objects. The solution is based on using the equipment condition index to ensure objective assessment of the equipment condition. The authors developed software and circuit solutions to be implemented in real digital production.

The paper describes an original architecture of a control system for the execution level of discrete machinery manufacturing. The architecture combines traditional approach that uses a SCADA system to monitor the condition of the production equipment and a system for production tasks execution based on Forth virtual machines for every automated work station. The proposed architecture will make it possible to successfully combine operations with different degrees of automation into a single manufacturing process, and also to substitute manual operations with automated ones without changing the technical documentation. Conducted experiments prove the applicability of this approach and the potential for further researches in this field.

Overhead transmission lines integral assessment problem is considered in the paper. Failures diagnostic and analysis procedure based on artificial intelligence techniques is presented. The tool set for integral diagnostic of overhead lines and infrastructure is established. The possibility of the present tools arrangement on the base of land and air based autonomous mobile robots is offered. The concept of autonomous robotic intelligence laboratory creation for overhead power lines integral assessment comprising unmanned air vehicles, diagnostic tools set, servers for intelligent information processing and also equipment for laboratory independent operation in field conditions is offered.

The model of the self-training and self-adjusting information analytical system which allows for the large data volumes operation and differential assessment of the scientific-technical solutions and technologies efficiency depending on the probability of their implementation under the conditions of initial data incompleteness, is presented in the paper. Decision support system is based on the artificial intelligence methods - namely, the hybrid networks, which allows for the system application in different sciences and industries without changes of its structure and operation procedure, which makes the developed system universal.

This paper presents algorithms for the implementation of the loosely coupled navigation system in which the coordinates calculated by the receiver of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), adjusted in accordance with the inertial data. The algorithms uses three blocks of the expert system based on fuzzy logic: a first block calculates the weighting factors for the calculation of the azimuthal angle, the second block gives the state of mobility of the object, the third block based on the GNSS readings and the altimeter calculates height of an object above sea level. Therefore the algorithm of combining the sensor readings, which would be able to consider and identify the blurred boundaries of the transition object from a state of rotation or a linear uniformly accelerated the movement in uncertain environments.