Encoderless position estimation and error correction techniques for miniature mobile robots

This paper presents an encoderless position estimation technique for miniature-sized mobile robots. Odometry techniques, which are based on the hardware components, are commonly used for calculating the geometric location of mobile robots. Therefore, the robot must be equipped with an appropriate sensor to measure the motion. However, due to the hardware limitations of some robots, employing extra hardware is impossible. On the other hand, in swarm robotic research, which uses a large number of mobile robots, equipping the robots with motion sensors might be costly. In this study, the trajectory of the robot is divided into several small displacements over short spans of time. Therefore, the position of the robot is calculated within a short period, using the speed equations of the robot's wheel. In addition, an error correction function is proposed that estimates the errors of the motion using a current monitoring technique. The experiments illustrate the feasibility of the proposed position estimation and error correction techniques to be used in miniature-sized mobile robots without requiring an additional sensor.

Encoderless position estimation and error correction techniques for miniature mobile robots

This paper presents an encoderless position estimation technique for miniature-sized mobile robots. Odometry techniques, which are based on the hardware components, are commonly used for calculating the geometric location of mobile robots. Therefore, the robot must be equipped with an appropriate sensor to measure the motion. However, due to the hardware limitations of some robots, employing extra hardware is impossible. On the other hand, in swarm robotic research, which uses a large number of mobile robots, equipping the robots with motion sensors might be costly. In this study, the trajectory of the robot is divided into several small displacements over short spans of time. Therefore, the position of the robot is calculated within a short period, using the speed equations of the robot's wheel. In addition, an error correction function is proposed that estimates the errors of the motion using a current monitoring technique. The experiments illustrate the feasibility of the proposed position estimation and error correction techniques to be used in miniature-sized mobile robots without requiring an additional sensor.

___

  • A. Martinelli, N. Tomatis, R. Siegwart, “Simultaneous localization and odometry self-calibration for mobile robot”, Autonomous Robots, Vol. 22, pp. 75–85, 2007.
  • J.A. Batlle, A. Barjau, “Holonomy in mobile robots”, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 57, pp. 433–440, 200 L.M. Ortega, A.J. Rueda, F.R. Feito, “A solution to the path planning problem using angle preprocessing”, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 58, pp. 27–36, 2010.
  • E. S ¸ahin, “Swarm robotics: from sources of inspiration to domains of application”, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 3342, pp. 10–20, 2005.
  • O. Soysal, E. Bah¸ ceci, E. S ¸ahin, “Aggregation in swarm robotic systems: evolution and probabilistic control”, Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, Vol. 15, pp. 199–225, 2007.
  • F. Arvin, K. Samsudin, A.R. Ramli, M. Bekravi, “Imitation of honeybee aggregation with collective behavior of swarm robots”, International Journal of Computational Intelligence Systems, Vol. 4, pp. 739–748, 2011.
  • G. Antonelli, S. Chiaverini, G. Fusco, “A calibration method for odometry of mobile robots based on the leastsquares technique: theory and experimental validation”, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Vol. 21, pp. 994–1004, 200
  • J.S. Hu, Y.J. Chang, Y.L. Hsu, “Calibration and on-line data selection of multiple optical flow sensors for odometry applications”, Sensors and Actuators A, Vol. 149, pp. 74–80, 2009.
  • H. Xu, J. Collins, “Estimating the odometry error of a mobile robot by neural networks”, International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications, pp. 378–385, 2009.
  • J. Palacin, I. Valganon, R. Pernia, “The optical mouse for indoor mobile robot odometry measurement”, Sensors and Actuators A, Vol. 126, pp. 141–147, 2006.
  • K. Lee, W. Chung, K. Yoo, “Kinematic parameter calibration of a car-like mobile robot to improve odometry accuracy”, Mechatronics, Vol. 20, pp. 582–595, 2010.
  • S. Bergbreiter, K.S.J. Pister, “CotsBots: an off-the-shelf platform for distributed robotics”, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 1632–1637, 2003.
  • J.M. Mirats Tur, C. Zinggerling, A. Corominas Murtra, “Geographical information systems for map based navigation in urban environments”, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 57, pp. 922–930, 2009.
  • P. Hoppenot, E. Colle, “Real-time localisation of a low-cost mobile robot with poor ultrasonic data”, Control Engineering Practice, Vol. 6, pp. 925–934, 1998.
  • A.I. Comport, E. Malis, P. Rives, “Real-time quadrifocal visual odometry”, International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 29, pp. 245–266, 2010.
  • C. Sagues, J.J. Guerrero, “Visual correction for mobile robot homing”, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 50, pp. 41–49, 2005.
  • T.O.H. Charrett, L. Waugh, R.P. Tatam, “Speckle velocimetry for high accuracy odometry for a Mars exploration rover”, Measurement Science and Technology, Vol. 21, pp. 1–12, 2010.
  • I. Kahalil, E.D. Kunt, A. S ¸abanovi¸ c, “A novel algorithm for sensorless motion control, parameter identification and position estimation”, Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, Vol. 18, pp. 799–810, 2010. S.J. Chapman, Electric Machinery Fundamentals, New York, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005.
  • W. Lee, Y. Bang, K. Lee, B. Shin, J.K. Paik, I. Kim, “Motion teaching method for complex robot links using motor current”, International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems, Vol. 8, pp. 1072–1081, 2010.
  • L. Ojeda, D. Cruz, G. Reina, J. Borenstein, “Current-based slippage detection and odometry correction for mobile robots and planetary rovers”, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Vol. 22, pp. 366–378, 2006.
  • F. Arvin, K. Samsudin, A.R. Ramli, “Development of a miniature robot for swarm robotic application”, International Journal of Computer and Electrical Engineering, Vol. 1, pp. 452–459, 2009.
  • J. Borenstein, L. Feng, “Measurement and correction of systematic odometry errors in mobile robots”, IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 12, pp. 869–880, 1996.
  • S. Kernbach, R. Thenius, O. Kernbach, T. Schmickl, “Re-embodiment of honeybee aggregation behavior in an artificial micro-robotic system”, Adaptive Behavior: Animals, Animats, Software Agents, Robots, Adaptive Systems, Vol. 17, pp. 237–259, 2009.
  • A. Martinelli, “The odometry error of a mobile robot with a synchronous drive system”, IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 18, pp. 399–405, 2002.
  • F. Arvin, K. Samsudin, M.A. Nasseri, “Design of a differential-drive wheeled robot controller with pulse-width modulation”, Innovative Technologies in Intelligent Systems and Industrial Applications, pp. 143–147, 2009.
  • F. Arvin, K. Samsudin, A.R. Ramli, “Development of IR-based short-range communication techniques for swarm robot applications”, Advances in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vol. 10, pp. 61–68, 2010.
  • R. Siegwart, I.R. Nourbakhsh, Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots, Cambridge, MIT Press, pp. 47–82, 200 T. Lochmatter, P. Roduit, C. Cianci, N. Correll, J. Jacot, A. Martinoli, “SwisTrack-a flexible open source tracking software for multi-agent systems”, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 4004–4010, 2008.