A Person-Tracking Mobile Robot Using an Ultrasonic Positioning System
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Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2005-12 A person-tracking mobile robot using an ultrasonic positioning system Yang, Chuan-Hao Monterey California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/1798 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS A PERSON-TRACKING MOBILE ROBOT USING AN ULTRASONIC POSITIONING SYSTEM by Chuan-Hao Yang December 2005 Thesis Advisor: Xiaoping Yun Second Reader: Marcello Romano Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2005 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: A Person-tracking Mobile Robot Using An 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Ultrasonic Positioning System 6. AUTHOR(S) Chuan-Hao Yang 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited. 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) It is desirable in many applications that a mobile robot is able to track and follow a person. There have been various efforts in literature to create person-tracking robots. However, current person-tracking robots are not capable of operating in unstructured environments. The problem of creating a person-tracking mobile robot has been studied by many researchers in literature. There are two main issues associated with this problem. The first issue is to equip a robot with proper sensory devices so that it is able to identify and locate the target person in a crowd in real time. Various approaches have been investigated, including vision, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and other approaches. The second issue is to control and navigate the robot so that it follows the target person within a certain distance. This seems to be simple, but in reality it is a fairly difficult task. For example, if the target person is in a busy corridor with many people standing and walking, the robot has to constantly avoid other people while following the target. There is still no reported evidence that a person-tracking robot has been implemented that is able to track a person in arbitrary environmental conditions. In this research, by using an innovative RF/ultrasonic sensor system, an intelligent person-tracking mobile robot is to be implemented that is able to follow the target person in unstructured, practical environments. The main focus of the thesis is development and implementation of control algorithms. 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF Person-Tracking, Person-Following, Obstacle Avoidance, Potential Field, Intelligent Space, PAGES Combined Force, Resultant Force, Attractive Force, Motion Planning, Unstructured Environment 71 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited A PERSON-TRACKING MOBILE ROBOT USING AN ULTRASONIC POSITIONING SYSTEM Chuan-Hao Yang Captain, Taiwan Army B.S., National Defense University, 2001 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2005 Author: Chuan-Hao Yang Approved by: Xiaoping Yun Thesis Advisor Marcello Romano Second Reader Jeffrey B. Knorr Chairman, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT It is desirable in many applications for a mobile robot to track and follow a person. There have been various efforts in literature to create person-tracking robots. However, current person-tracking robots are not capable of operating in unstructured environments. The problem of creating a person-tracking mobile robot has been studied by many researchers in literature. There are two main issues associated with this problem. The first issue is to equip a robot with proper sensory devices so that it is able to identify and locate the target person in a crowd in real time. Various approaches have been investigated, including vision, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and other approaches. The second issue is to control and navigate the robot so that it follows the target person within a certain distance. This seems simple, but in reality it is a fairly difficult task. For example, if the target person is in a busy corridor with many people standing and walking, the robot has to constantly avoid other people while following the target. There is still no reported evidence that a person-tracking robot has been implemented that is able to track a person in arbitrary environmental conditions. In this research, by using an innovative RF/ultrasonic sensor system, an intelligent person-tracking mobile robot is to be implemented that is able to follow the target person in unstructured, practical environments. The main focus of the thesis is development and implementation of control algorithms. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. PERSON-TRACKING MOBILE ROBOT ...................................................1 B. MOTIVATION ................................................................................................2 C. SEVERAL APPROACHES TO THE PERSON-TRACKING ROBOT....2 1. Vision-Based Approach.......................................................................2 2. Non-vision Based Approach................................................................3 3. Transmitter-and-receiver Based Approach ......................................3 a. Person Tracking Using Blinking LED Devices.......................3 b. Person Tracking Using an Ultrasonic Positioning System .....4 4. Intelligent Space Approach.................................................................4 5. Combined/Multi-Modal Approach.....................................................4 D. THESIS OBJECTIVES...................................................................................6 E. THESIS OUTLINE..........................................................................................6 II. SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE .....................................................................................7 A. ULTRASONIC POSITIONING SYSTEM ...................................................7 B. ROBOT SYSTEM..........................................................................................10 1. Bumper Sensors .................................................................................11 2. Sonar Sensors .....................................................................................11 3. Motor/Motion Sensors.......................................................................13 C. INTERACTION BETWEEN ULTRASONIC POSITIONING SYSTEM AND SONAR SENSORS .............................................................13 D. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................15 III. ALGORITHM............................................................................................................17 A. POTENTIAL FIELD ALGORITHM..........................................................17 1. Robot Coordinate...............................................................................17 2. Attractive Forces Derived From the Readings of the Ultrasonic Sensor..................................................................................................17 3. Attractive Forces Derived From the Readings of Sonar Sensors..18 4. Potential Field Motion Planning From Combined Forces .............20 5. Resultant Forces to Translation and Steering Velocities Conversion..........................................................................................21 B. ALGORITHM USED AS THE TARGET IS IN A CERTAIN RANGE..22 C. OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE ALGORITHM ...............................................23 1. Motion Planning for Obstacles on the Right Forward of the Robot ...................................................................................................24 2. Motion Planning for Obstacles on the Left Forward of the Robot ...................................................................................................25