Enhancing Indoor Mobility with Connected Sensor Nodes: A Real-Time, Delay-Aware Cooperative Perception Approach

This paper presents a novel real-time, delay-aware cooperative perception system designed for intelligent mobility platforms operating in dynamic indoor environments. The system contains a network of multi-modal sensor nodes and a central node that collectively provide perception services to mobility platforms. The proposed Hierarchical Clustering Considering the Scanning Pattern and Ground Contacting Feature based Lidar Camera Fusion improve intra-node perception for crowded environment. The system also features delay-aware global perception to synchronize and aggregate data across nodes. To validate our approach, we introduced the Indoor Pedestrian Tracking dataset, compiled from data captured by two indoor sensor nodes. Our experiments, compared to baselines, demonstrate significant improvements in detection accuracy and robustness against delays. The dataset is available in the repository: https://github.com/NingMingHao/MVSLab-IndoorCooperativePerception

An Efficient Approach to Generate Safe Drivable Space by LiDAR-Camera-HDmap Fusion

In this paper, we propose an accurate and robust perception module for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) for drivable space extraction. Perception is crucial in autonomous driving, where many deep learning-based methods, while accurate on benchmark datasets, fail to generalize effectively, especially in diverse and unpredictable environments. Our work introduces a robust easy-to-generalize perception module that leverages LiDAR, camera, and HD map data fusion to deliver a safe and reliable drivable space in all weather conditions. We present an adaptive ground removal and curb detection method integrated with HD map data for enhanced obstacle detection reliability. Additionally, we propose an adaptive DBSCAN clustering algorithm optimized for precipitation noise, and a cost-effective LiDAR-camera frustum association that is resilient to calibration discrepancies. Our comprehensive drivable space representation incorporates all perception data, ensuring compatibility with vehicle dimensions and road regulations. This approach not only improves generalization and efficiency, but also significantly enhances safety in autonomous vehicle operations. Our approach is tested on a real dataset and its reliability is verified during the daily (including harsh snowy weather) operation of our autonomous shuttle, WATonoBus

Intelligent Mobility System with Integrated Motion Planning and Control Utilizing Infrastructure Sensor Nodes

This paper introduces a framework for an indoor autonomous mobility system that can perform patient transfers and materials handling. Unlike traditional systems that rely on onboard perception sensors, the proposed approach leverages a global perception and localization (PL) through Infrastructure Sensor Nodes (ISNs) and cloud computing technology. Using the global PL, an integrated Model Predictive Control (MPC)-based local planning and tracking controller augmented with Artificial Potential Field (APF) is developed, enabling reliable and efficient motion planning and obstacle avoidance ability while tracking predefined reference motions. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MPC controller in smoothly navigating around both static and dynamic obstacles. The proposed system has the potential to extend to intelligent connected autonomous vehicles, such as electric or cargo transport vehicles with four-wheel independent drive/steering (4WID-4WIS) configurations.

WATonoBus: An All Weather Autonomous Shuttle

Autonomous vehicle all-weather operation poses significant challenges, encompassing modules from perception and decision-making to path planning and control. The complexity arises from the need to address adverse weather conditions like rain, snow, and fog across the autonomy stack. Conventional model-based and single-module approaches often lack holistic integration with upstream or downstream tasks. We tackle this problem by proposing a multi-module and modular system architecture with considerations for adverse weather across the perception level, through features such as snow covered curb detection, to decision-making and safety monitoring. Through daily weekday service on the WATonoBus platform for almost a year, we demonstrate that our proposed approach is capable of addressing adverse weather conditions and provide valuable learning from edge cases observed during operation.

Soft Constrained Autonomous Vehicle Navigation using Gaussian Processes and Instance Segmentation

This paper presents a generic feature-based navigation framework for autonomous vehicles using a soft constrained Particle Filter. Selected map features, such as road and landmark locations, and vehicle states are used for designing soft constraints. After obtaining features of mapped landmarks in instance-based segmented images acquired from a monocular camera, vehicle-to-landmark distances are predicted using Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) models in a mixture of experts approach. Both mean and variance outputs of GPR models are used for implementing adaptive constraints. Experimental results confirm that the use of image segmentation features improves the vehicle-to-landmark distance prediction notably, and that the proposed soft constrained approach reliably localizes the vehicle even with reduced number of landmarks and noisy observations.

Modeling, Vibration Control, and Trajectory Tracking of a Kinematically Constrained Planar Hybrid Cable-Driven Parallel Robot

This paper presents a kinematically constrained planar hybrid cable-driven parallel robot (HCDPR) for warehousing applications as well as other potential applications such as rehabilitation. The proposed HCDPR can harness the strengths and benefits of serial and cable-driven parallel robots. Based on this robotic platform, the goal in this paper is to develop an integrated control system to reduce vibrations and improve the trajectory accuracy and performance of the HCDPR, including deriving kinematic and dynamic equations, proposing solutions for redundancy resolution and optimization of stiffness, and developing two motion and vibration control strategies (controllers I and II). Finally, different case studies are conducted to evaluate the control performance, and the results show that the controller II can achieve the goal better.

Workspace Analysis and Optimal Design of Cable-Driven Parallel Robots via Auxiliary Counterbalances

Cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) are widely investigated and applied in the worldwide; however, traditional configurations make them to be limited in reaching their maximum workspace duo to constraints such as the maximum allowable tensions of cables. In this paper, we introduce auxiliary counterbalances to tackle this problem and focus on workspace analysis and optimal design of CDPRs with such systems. Besides, kinematics, dynamics, and parameters optimization formulas and algorithm are provided to maximize the reachable workspace of CDPRs. Case studies for different configurations are presented and discussed. Numerical results suggest the effectiveness of the aforementioned approaches, and the obtained parameters can also be applied for actual CDPRs design.

Redundancy Resolution and Disturbance Rejection via Torque Optimization in Hybrid Cable-Driven Robots

This paper presents redundancy resolution and disturbance rejection via torque optimization in Hybrid Cable-Driven Robots (HCDRs). To begin with, we initiate a redundant HCDR for nonlinear whole-body system modeling and model reduction. Based on the reduced dynamic model, two new methods are proposed to solve the redundancy resolution problem: joint-space torque optimization for actuated joints (TOAJ) and joint-space torque optimization for actuated and unactuated joints (TOAUJ), and they can be extended to other HCDRs. Compared to the existing approaches, this paper provides the first solution (TOAUJ-based method) for HCDRs that can solve the redundancy resolution problem as well as disturbance rejection. Additionally, this paper develops detailed algorithms targeting TOAJ and TOAUJ implementation. A simple yet effective controller is designed for generated data analysis and validation. Case studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of TOAJ and TOAUJ, and the results suggest the effectiveness of the aforementioned approaches.

Lateral Force Prediction using Gaussian Process Regression for Intelligent Tire Systems

Understanding the dynamic behavior of tires and their interactions with road plays an important role in designing integrated vehicle control strategies. Accordingly, having access to reliable information about the tire-road interactions through tire embedded sensors is very demanding for developing enhanced vehicle control systems. Thus, the main objectives of the present research work are i. to analyze data from an experimental accelerometer-based intelligent tire acquired over a wide range of maneuvers, with different vertical loads, velocities, and high slip angles; and ii. to develop a lateral force predictor based on a machine learning tool, more specifically the Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) technique. It is delineated that the proposed intelligent tire system can provide reliable information about the tire-road interactions even in the case of high slip angles. Besides, the lateral forces model based on GPR can predict forces with acceptable accuracy and provide level of uncertainties that can be very useful for designing vehicle control strategies.

Generalized Flexible Hybrid Cable-Driven Robot (HCDR): Modeling, Control, and Analysis

This paper presents a generalized flexible Hybrid Cable-Driven Robot (HCDR). For the proposed HCDR, the derivation of the equations of motion and proof provide a very effective way to find items for generalized system modeling. The proposed dynamic modeling approach avoids the drawback of traditional methods and can be easily extended to other types of hybrid robots such as a robot arm mounted on an aircraft platform. Additionally, another goal of this paper is to develop integrated control systems to reduce vibrations and improve the accuracy and performance of the HCDR. To achieve this goal, redundancy resolution, stiffness optimization, and control strategies are studied. The proposed optimization problem and algorithm address the limitations of existing stiffness optimization approaches. Three types of control architecture are proposed and their performances (i.e., reducing undesirable vibrations and trajectory tracking errors, especially for the end-effector) are evaluated using several well-designed case studies. Results show that the fully integrated control strategy can improve significantly the tracking performance of the end-effector.