Study Contact States and Compliant Motion Between General Objects Critical to Real and Virtual World Applications

机器人学和计算机视觉编程建议#：0328782标题：研究对现实和虚拟世界应用至关重要的一般对象之间的接触状态和顺应运动对于NC Charlot.PI：肖，Jingu对于涉及接触或顺从运动的真实世界机器人操作以及对于某些虚拟世界应用，例如动态模拟和触觉交互，关于一般对象(包括机器人)之间的接触信息的两个重要且相关的问题仍在很大程度上未解决：(1)如何有效和高效地获得接触状态的知识以处理涉及复杂接触的运动，以及(2)如何在虚拟环境中存在真实世界的不确定性或数字逼近误差的情况下实现几何有效接触状态的自动在线(实时)识别，以确保有效的后续动作或响应。问题(1)对于涉及大量复杂接触情况和高维运动的任务尤其关键和具有挑战性，而问题(2)对于机器人装配、操作、动力学仿真、虚拟样机和某些触觉应用等高精度要求的任务尤其关键。该项目试图通过系统地研究涉及一般物体的接触状态和柔顺运动的一些基本问题来寻找这些问题的原则性解决方案，这些物体包括具有曲面的物体、铰接式物体和某些可变形物体。作为这些基础研究的一个组成部分或衍生部分，该项目将进一步研究：虚拟环境中接触状态的物理精确触觉显示，现实世界中的通用柔顺运动规划和执行，以及它们的相关应用。在这个项目中解决的一般性问题(如上所述)对于推进几个相关领域的最新技术及其许多应用是至关重要的，包括机器人、触觉和动态模拟，然而针对这些问题的原则性和系统性的研究很少。PI研究了仅限于多面体刚体之间接触的问题的各个方面。因此，该项目代表着一个非常重要的、多方面的扩展，具有新的和实质性的挑战，但并不是没有在国际和平协会以前相关工作的基础上建立起来的相当大的基础。项目研究活动除了对基础研究和广泛的相关应用做出预期贡献外，还将对学生教育和研究培训产生重大影响。研究活动的跨学科广度横跨机器人与控制、人工智能与智能系统、计算几何、几何和物理建模与仿真、触觉、计算机图形学和虚拟环境以及人机交互和虚拟协作等许多领域。该项目也是全面的，包括理论和算法部分以及实验和系统集成部分。因此，它将提供一个丰富和平衡的环境，可以容纳来自各个级别(从博士到本科生)的学生获得各种相关领域的知识和研究培训。该研究项目还将为(A)国际和平协会及其在北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校新成立的信息技术学院(Coit)的同事之间的跨学科研究合作提供一个极好的机会，以及(B)国际和平协会的小组与欧洲一个领先的顺应运动控制研究小组之间的密切国际合作。这种合作将有助于加强新Coit的研究能力和研究基础设施。该项目显然将丰富学生的教育，并为Coit的特别目标做出重大贡献，即在广泛的信息技术领域为学生提供跨学科的学习和研究体验。

Robotics and Computer Vision ProgramABSTRACTProposal #: 0328782Title: Study Contact States and Compliant Motion between General Objects Critical to Real and Virtual World ApplicationsPI: Xiao, JingU of NC CharlotteFor real-world robotic operations involving contacts or compliant motion as well as for certain virtual-world applications such as dynamic simulation and haptic interaction, two important and related problems regarding information of contacts among general objects (including robots) remain largely unsolved: (1) how to obtain knowledge of contact states effectively and efficiently for handling motion involving complex contacts, and (2) how to enable automatic on-line (real-time) identification of geometrically valid contact states in the presence of real-world uncertainties or digital approximation errors in virtual environments to ensure valid subsequent action or response. Problem (1) is particularly crucial and challenging for tasks involving a large number of complex contact situations and high-dimensional motion, and Problem (2) is especially critical to tasks with high accuracy requirement, including robotic assembly, manipulation, dynamic simulation, virtual prototyping, and certain haptics applications. This project seeks to find principled solutions to these problems through systematic investigation of a number of fundamental issues related to contact states and compliant motion involving general objects, which include objects with curved surfaces, articulated objects, and certain deformable objects. As an integrated part or derivative of such basic investigation, the project will further study: physically accurate haptic display of contact states in virtual environments, and general compliant motion planning and execution in real world, as well as their related applications. The general problems addressed in this project (as introduced above) are crucial to advancing the state of the art in several related areas and their many applications, including robotics, haptics, and dynamic simulation, and yet there has been little principled and systematic research towards these problems. The PI has studied aspects of the problems restricted to contacts between only polyhedral rigid bodies. Hence, the project represents a very significant, multi-dimensional extension with new and substantial challenges, but not without the considerable foundation built upon the PI's related previous work. The project research activities, aside from its expected contributions to both basic research and a wide range of related applications, will also have a significant impact on student education and research training. The interdisciplinary breadth of the research activities spans many areas in robotics and control, AI and intelligent systems, computational geometry, geometrical and physical modeling and simulation, haptics, computer graphics and virtual environments, as well as human-machine interaction and virtual collaboration. The project is also comprehensive with both theoretical and algorithmic components and experimental and system integration components. It will thus provide a rich and balanced environment that can accommodate students from all levels (from Ph.D. to undergraduate) to obtain knowledge and research training in the various related areas. The research project will also provide an excellent opportunity for (a) cross-discipline research collaboration between the PI and her colleagues at the newly established College of Information Technology (COIT) at UNC Charlotte, and (b) close international collaboration between the PI's group and a leading research group on compliant motion control in Europe. Such collaborations will be instrumental to enhancing research capabilities as well as research infrastructure at the new COIT. The project will clearly enrich student education and contribute significantly to the special goal of COIT of providing students an interdisciplinary learning and research experience in the broad spectrum of Information Technology.