MRI: Acquisition of a Mobile Manipulation Robot Platform for Research and Education

该项目收购了一个移动操作机器人平台，旨在通过整合操作和移动能力来解决机器人技术所需的几个主要挑战，以提升机器人的功能和应用，使机器人可以在更广泛的环境中操作和做出改变，而不受领土限制。具体地说，该项目指定了使能：-基于视觉的移动机器人导航；-视觉引导的自主对象操纵和应用于装配；-移动和操纵的统一运动生成和控制；以及-机器人-人的交互和协作。这项工作涉及许多领域的应用，如制造、农业医疗、国土安全、公共服务和娱乐。目前的机器人，特别是在制造业，主要被设计为固定在生产线上，仅执行具有高精度和可重复性的预定义动作，有限的传感，没有自主或智能，这严重限制了它们的进一步应用。为了增强机器人的功能并扩大其应用范围，一个基本要素并不经常出现：操作和运动能力的集成，以便机器人能够在更广泛的环境中操作和做出改变，而不受领土限制。此外，机器人需要配备一定程度的自主性和智能性，这样它们才能自己决定做什么以及如何做。支持者的目标是通过提供这种整合来最大限度地利用机器人平台。广泛的影响：拟议的研究成果应显著增强大学的研究和教育基础设施，并促进当地行业、附近机构和大学之间的密切互动和合作。对机器人的热情和期望进一步提高了人类的科学技术水平，对技术和教育的新发展以及在机器人及相关领域培养合格的研究人员和工程师提出了巨大的需求。这项工作的成果不仅提供了必要的成果，还提供了教育经验。研究问题将被改编为本科生和研究生的高级设计项目和论文主题。其中一些工作将被整合到核心课程中，作为专题讲座和实验项目。此外，欧姆龙和通用汽车的行业参与将加强现有的大学和行业关系，并创造合作机会。

This project, acquiring a mobile manipulation robot platform, aims to address several major challenges of robotics technologies needed to boost robot functionality and applications by integrating manipulation and locomotion capabilities, such that a robot can operate and make changes in a broader environment without territorial restrictions. Specifically, the project specifies enabling:- Vision-based mobile robot navigation;- Vision-guided autonomous object manipulation and application to assembly;- Unified motion generation and control for locomotion and manipulation; and- Robot-human interaction and collaborations.This work addresses applications in many areas, such as manufacturing, agriculture health care, homeland security, public service, and entertainment.Current robots, particularly in manufacturing, have mainly been designed to be bolted on a production line and only execute a pre-defined action with high accuracy and repeatability with limited sensing and no autonomy or intelligence, which significantly restricts their further applications. To enhance the functionality of robots and extend their application scopes, an essential element is not often present: integration of manipulation and locomotion capabilities so that the robot can operate and make changes in a broader environment without territorial restrictions. Moreover, robots need to be equipped with a certain level of autonomy and intelligence so they can decide on their own what to do and how to do it. The proponents aim to maximize the usage of the robot platform by providing this integration.Broader Impacts:The outcomes of the proposed research should significantly enhance the university's research and education infrastructure and facilitate close interaction and collaboration between local industries, nearby institutions, and the university. The enthusiasm and expectations for robots to further promote human science and technological level open up a large demand for new developments on technologies and education, as well as in training qualified researchers and engineers in robotics and related fields. The outcomes of this work offer not only needed results but also educational experience. Research problems will be adapted as senior design projects and thesis topics for undergraduates and graduate programs. Some of this work will be integrated into core courses as special lectures and lab projects. Furthermore, industrial involvement from Omron and General Motors will strengthen existing university-industry relations and create collaborative opportunities.