Explorer

The Explorer is one of several robots designed at the Center for Distributed Robotics at the University of Minnesota. Its purpose is to provide research scientists with an advanced, safe, and easy to use mobile robotic platform. While it may look deceptively similar to its predecessor, the eROSI, it is different in all aspects of design - from the mechanical structure and electrical hardware, to its software processing capabilities.

The Explorer robot has a specially designed power management system developed to provide a virtual gas gauge with respect to available power. In addition, there is integrated battery management and charging capabilities. Combined, these compatibilities allow the Explorer to autonomously recharge itself within the Docking Bay.

The Explorer is used in robotics demonstrations hosted by the Center for Distributed Robotics. The robot is controlled using a Nintendo Wiimote controller; this creates an intuitive and fun setting for students to experience robotics research.

Specifications

Publications

• Qingquan Zhang, Gerald Sobelman, and Tian He, "Gradient-Based Target Localization in Robotic Sensor Networks", The Pervasive and Mobile Computing Journal, Volume 5, 2009.
• Monica Anderson and Nikos Papanikolopoulos,"Implicit Cooperation Strategies for Multi-robot Search of Unknown Areas", Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, Volume 53, 2008.
• Loren Fiore, Duc Fehr, Robot Bodor, Andrew Drenner, Guruprasad Somasundaram, and Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos, "Multi-Camera Human Activity Monitoring", Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, Vol. 52, 2008.
• Apostolos Kottas, Andrew Drenner, and Nikos Papanikolopoulos, "Intelligent Power Management: Promoting Power-Consciousness in Teams of Mobile Robots", Proc. of ICRA 2009, 2009.
• Loren Fiore, Guruprasad Somasundaram, Andrew Drenner, and Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos, "Optimal Camera Placement with Adaptation to Dynamic Scenes" , Proc. of ICRA 2008, 2008.
• Hyeun Jeong Min, Andrew Drenner, and Nikos Papanikolopoulos, "Vision-based Leader-Follower Formations with Limited Information" , Proc. of ICRA 2009, 2009.

Microvision Robot

Another project at the Center for Distributed Robotics is the Microvision Robot. Taking the explorer as inspiration for its base design the Microvision comes equipped with a laser scanner, an improved camera and a more powerful processing unit. The increase in computing power explains the size differences, as the Microvision Robot is equipped with a PC104 stack that can process data far faster than the Explorer's Gumstix processor. Complex vision algorithms can be performed onboard this robot in real time.

Specifications

Demonstration

Publications

• Pratap Tokekar, Vineet Bhatawadekar, Duc Fehr, and Nikos Papanikolopoulos, "Experiments in Object Reconstruction Using a Robot-mounted Laser Range-finder" , Proc. of MED '09, 2009.
• Duc Fehr and Nikos Papanikolopoulos, "Using a Laser Range Finder Mounted on a MicroVision Robot to Estimate Environmental Parameters" , bibl. Proc. of SPIE Defense Security and Sensing 2009, (2009). Proceedings Published of Collection: SPIE.

Support

The work on these two robots has been supported by the National Science Foundation under the project number #0708344: Collaborative Research: CRI: IAD: Research/Education Infrastructure Based on Modular Miniature Robot Teams.