Intelligent Control of Mobility Systems

[Program Goal | Subgoals | Customer Need | Technical Approach | Progress | Projects Associated with this Program | Other Related Projects | Publications | Upcoming Events | Contact]

Program Goal

To provide architectures and interface standards, performance test methods and data, and infrastructure technology needed by U.S. manufacturing industry and government agencies in developing and applying intelligent control technology to mobility systems to reduce cost, improve safety, and save lives.

Subgoals

Industrial Material Handling: Reduce costs and improve efficiency in industrial material handling by providing to the industrial AGV industry, by 2005, performance tests to support the use of non-contact safety sensors and appropriate control systems architectures and standards to enable the use of advanced navigation techniques based on such non-contact sensors.

DOD Unmanned Ground Vehicles: Save lives and improve National Defense capabilities by providing agencies of the Department of Defense with the control systems architectures, advanced sensor systems, research services, and standards to achieve autonomous mobility for unmanned ground vehicles.

Performance Measures for Mobile Robots: Improve vehicle safety, transportation system capacity, and accelerate advancement of mobile robotic capabilities through the deployment of advanced sensors and intelligent vehicle control systems on manned and unmanned vehicles by providing objective evaluation and measurement methods, testing procedures and standard reference data needed to analyze sensor and control system effectiveness.

Customer Need

The measurements and standards needs of industry and government agencies in developing and using intelligent mobile systems are (1) architectures for interoperability, (2) real time sensing for control (real time measurement) and (3) metrics for evaluating performance of components and systems. This program addresses these needs for industry and for other government agencies.

The Integrated Manufacturing Technology Roadmap (IMTR) project has identified the needs in the supporting infrastructure for the Manufacturing Enterprise. The following goals describe the needs for Material Handling and Management:

Goal 1: Flexible, Reconfigurable and Autonomous Material Handling Systems - Provide material handling systems that can be changed to meet any handling and movement requirement without the need for redesign and manual rearrangement.

Goal 2: Integrated Control Systems - Provide material handling control systems that can seamlessly integrate with multiple complex handling systems and self-adapt to changes in handling system configuration or processing requirements.

In addition to the need outlined in IMTR, advanced mobile robot technology is also needed in manufacturing enterprises for plant physical security, hazard detection, inventory control, and cleaning, all of which are active commercial developments.

To meet the goal of integrated control systems, following the general theme of "plug and play" from component to extended enterprise, open system architectures are the key. They provide the framework for interface standards that allow emerging industries to develop and deploy intelligent mobile vehicle systems for manufacturing, commercial, military security and surveillance, and intelligent transportation systems applications.

Architectures and Interface Standards: The Department of Defense (DOD) has initiated plans for deployment of robotic vehicle platforms in the battlefield and plans to standardize the architecture and interfaces to encourage the use of commercially available "plug-and-play " components and to provide reusability and interoperability on a variety of ground vehicles.

Performance Metrics: Companies developing advanced component and system technologies and government users of such technologies also need measures of performance for evaluating and specifying technology elements, products, and intelligent behaviors of complete systems. Such performance metrics improve the efficiency of development efforts, provide the basis for an equitable and competitive marketplace, and provide the basis of legal and regulatory decisions.

A good example is the need for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to evaluate advanced technology for its Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored work in the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) to develop a real-time measurement and roadway calibration system to evaluate effectiveness of on-vehicle crash avoidance systems for highways. Another example is the need of the DOD Demo III program to evaluate performance of advanced sensors, algorithms for obstacle detection and avoidance, autonomous mission/task planners, and the ability of robotic systems to execute military tactical behaviors effectively and intelligently. Still another example is the need to evaluate the capabilities of robots and components for USAR applications. The USAR community has identified the need to develop and disseminate reference test arenas to enable measurement and understanding of robotic capabilities

NIST Robotic HMMWV test vehicle

Demo III Experimental Unmanned Vehicle (XUV)

Technical Approach

Hadi Akeel, Eric Mittelstadt, and other robotics industry leaders point out that advances in military, transportation, medical, and other non-manufacturing robotics applications, where research and development investments are justified by dramatic potential benefits, will provide the technologies to advance future generations of robots for application in manufacturing. In fact, autonomous mobile systems for military applications represent the forefront of robotics research. Supporting other government agencies in developing robotics applications for their mission needs provides an advanced technology base for future NIST products and services in robotics for manufacturing applications.

Our technical approach, then, is to use other agency projects to establish and maintain technical strength, investing direct appropriations to focus the technology on the measurements and standards of manufacturing applications. MEL is one of the leading laboratories in the world in intelligent autonomous systems after fifteen years of technical support to DOD, DOT, Bureau of Mines, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). We currently have financial support from the following other agency programs: the Army Research Lab (ARL) Demo III Unmanned Ground Vehicles program, the AUTONAV research project between the German Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense, the Picatinny Arsenal Area Denial program, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Mobile Robotics (TMR) program, and the DARPA Mobile Autonomous Robot Software Program.

One common theme in all projects is NIST's Real-time Control System (RCS) architecture. RCS provides a systematic analysis, design, architectural framework, and implementation methodology for developing real-time sensor based control systems. Functional task execution is viewed hierarchically with motor skill functions, like steering and speed control, performed at lower levels and coordinated actions between vehicles performed at a higher levels. The control system uses sensory information to guide the intelligent vehicle in the execution of complex tasks. Planning for task execution and for adaptation to changes in the environment are also part of the total hierarchy.

Over $500 M in projects funded by Government agencies have used NISTÕs RCS architecture, and this is the basis for several commercial products, forming a framework for interoperability and standardization.

The other common theme is real-time sensing, that is real-time measurement, as the key to effective control. Active and passive vision and laser ranging are the primary sensors for performing dynamic image perception analysis during navigation.

MEL carries out research in real-time measurement for control, particularly machine vision and LADAR (LAser Direction And Range), and is developing performance measures for evaluating the performance of these systems.

We are carrying out this program in collaboration with the Department of Transportation, Army Research Lab, Ft. Knox, DARPA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, Universitat der Bundeswehr in Munich, Germany, Drexel University, Ohio State University, University of Maryland, Sarnoff Laboratory, Daimler-Benz/Dornier, Raytheon, General Dynamics, SAIC, Picatinny Arsenal and Tracer Rounds.

Progress

Demo III (Army/OSD):
In March 2001, NIST/ISD received funds from the Army to purchase an XUV (eXperimental Unmanned Ground Vehicle) to support mobility research. DOT has donated a vehicle to support their work, bringing our fleet of outdoor vehicles to three.

In April 2001, NIST/ISD personnel participated in a demonstration of the Demo III XUV at Fort Indiantown Gap near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for Dr. Whalin, the Director of the Army Research Laboratory.

In August 2001, The NIST/ISD project teams worked with GDRS (Demo III contractor) at Fort Indiantown Gap to integrate and test the latest NIST developed perception, mapping and planning code for the XUV.

Industrial Autonomous Vehicles Project:
In March 2001, an innovative means of using the Sick Optik lidar as a bumper for a mobile robot was explored. The sensor was pointed at various angles pointed toward the floor, sweeping out a volume of space as it moves forward. This idea was well received when presented to Automated Guided Vehicle companies and service robot companies.

In April 2001, Roger Bostelman attended ASME AGV Bumper Standards Committee (B56.5). The group gathered to discuss updates and status of B56.5 to reflect changes in technologies respective to safety devices and bumpers to have the specifications broadened to better serve applications.

In May 2001, NISTIR 6751 "Industrial Autonomous Vehicle Project Report" was prepared describing the work done to date on the project. This paper was handed out at the ASRS/AGUVS Users Conference in Columbus Ohio.

In July 2001, a CRADA signed with Servus Robots of Richmond, Virginia, to transfer our Ladar perception code to their autonomous floor cleaning machines.

DOT Metrics Project:
In December 2000, ISD presented a preliminary design for testing vision-based lane departure warning systems to the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative technical program manager (August Burgett) from NHTSA. NHTSA is preparing to put out an RFP on a Field Operations Test (FOT) to evaluate performance of such systems in actual traffic and has asked NIST to focus the work at NIST in order to support the FOT.

In July 2001, Sandor Szabo participated in the technical review committee to evaluate proposals in response to RFA (a field operational test) for road-departure crash warning systems.

In August 2001, ISD prepared a report summarizing our work through July 2001. ISD prepared a statement of work describing additional tasks That are needed to support the Road Departure Crash Warning System Field Operation Test. Most of the hardware for the warning system performance measurement testbed has been installed on the NIST test vehicle, a Chrysler Concorde.

Performance Metrics (DARPA TMR)
In March 2001, ISD received funding from the DARPA Tactical Mobile Robots Program for "The Confined Space Evaluation Arena for the Tactical Mobile Robotics Program" Under this project, ISD will create a test course at the Nike Site that will be measure the ability of a new generation of robots to navigate, plan, and acquire information in a highly unstructured environment.

In April 2001, Adam Jacoff, Eddie Amatucci, and Chuck Giauque assembled the Red and Orange portions of the mobile robot reference test course in the barracks building at the Nike site. Tsung-Ming Tsai began taking sensor data of the course, which will be available to researchers who wish to test their algorithms within a virtual environment.

In May 2001, reconstruction of the arena continued. Data collection on the Yellow Arena using the Sick LADAR proceeded. The team began preparing for several upcoming tours, including one for Karen Brown.

Future Combat Systems
In May 2001, Maris Juberts and Bob Finkelstein (RTI Inc.) attended a Boeing-sponsored supplier symposium in Seattle, Washington on May 1 and 2. The symposium was intended for new companies interested in joining the Boeing team. NIST is already a team member and we were there to assist Boeing in selling the concept and informing others of our work. Forty-two of the 45 attendants were potential new suppliers.

In August 2001, Maris Juberts and Bob Finkelstein (RTI) attended meetings at the National Robotics Engineering Consortium, the Field Robotics Center/CMU and RedZone on August 22 and 23. The Boeing FCS team managers had arranged the meeting and everything went very well. Based on the results of the meeting, John Ward/Boeing wants to conduct two parallel experiments for which he will try to get funding (Boeing money).

Projects Associated with this Program

Industrial Material Handling

DOD Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Performance Measures for Mobile Robots

Other Related Projects

The Manufacturing Engineering Lab funded the exploratory project "Performance Analysis of Next Generation LADAR (NGL) for Automation in Manufacturing" which will be conducted by the Intelligent Systems Division and the Precision Engineering Division. The outcome of the analysis will be leveraged to provide possible technical solutions for advanced perception and vehicle navigation approaches in autonomous mobile robot applications.

Program Highlights

FY 2001: NIST helped develop the mobility controller for the robot vehicles used in the Army Research Labs' Demo III program. In November 2001, the program demonstrated the ability of multiple Experimental Unmanned Ground Vehicles (XUVs) to drive over difficult terrain including dirt roads, trails, tall grass, weeds, brush, and woods. The XUVs were able to detect and avoid both positive obstacles (such as rocks, trees, and walls) and negative obstacles (such as ditches and gullies.) The vehicles were able to negotiate tall grass and push through brush and small trees. The Demo III XUVs have repeatedly navigated kilometers of difficult off-road terrain successfully with only high-level mission commands provided by an operator from a remote location. The November demonstrations were attended by several General officers and members of the Army Science Board.

FY 2001: NIST Arenas used for Urban Search and Rescue Robot Competition at International Conference and Adopted as International Standard The NIST reference arenas for evaluating the performance of search and rescue robots were shipped to Seattle, Washington, in early August for use in the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) mobile robot rescue competition, which was held jointly with RoboCup Rescue. The arenas provided three different levels of difficulty in navigation, traversability, and spatial layout. The main designer of the arenas, Adam Jacoff, was asked to Chair the RoboCup Rescue event next year in Japan (June, 2002). RoboCup Rescue fosters artificial intelligence and robotic research by providing a standard problem where a wide range of technologies can be examined and integrated.

Publications

Stone, W.C., Juberts, M., Dagalakis, N., Stone, J., Gorman, J., "Performance Analysis of Next-Generation LADAR for Manufacturing, Construction, and Mobility," NISTIR 7117, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, May 2004. pdf version

Juberts, M., Barbera, A., "Status report on next generation LADAR for driving unmanned ground vehicles," Proceedings of SPIE Optics East 2004: Industrial Optical Robotic Systems Technology & Applications, Philadelphia, PA, October 25 - 28, 2004. pdf version

Upcoming Events

Third Joint Military/Civilian Seminar on Intelligent Vehicle Technology Transfer
Wednesday and Thursday, February 13-14, 2008

Contact

Mr. Roger Bostelman
NIST
Intelligent Systems Division
100 Bureau Drive Stop 8230
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230
Phone: 301-975-3426
Fax: 301-990-9688
E-mail: roger.bostelman@nist.gov

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Date created: 01/25/2001
Last updated: 01/11/2008