MRI: MRI Instrumentation Development: Smart Reconfifurable Minature Robot System Based on System-On-Programmable-Chip Technology

[421159]本研究的目的是开发一种概念验证、高度自适应的计算模块，适用于超小型机器人系统，用于研究异构、可重构的机器人代理团队。基于可编程芯片系统（SoPC）技术的嵌入式高性能计算模块将允许机载传感器处理、先进的运动学控制、可靠的通信以及系统对其环境的实时适应，从而在城市搜索和救援、民用和军事监视以及行星探索等各种任务中进行研究。目前在不可靠通信信道上使用代理处理方案的微型机器人方法已经证明了研究挑战的意义和重要性，但导致研究成果效率低下。本提案专注于公分尺度机器人仪器的计算节点，以填补现有仪器在技术上的重大空白。由此产生的计算模块将广泛适用于其他研究人员和教育工作者的分布式机器人系统。此外，这项研究将直接产生用于城市搜索和救援以及监视的机器人工具。该仪器还将使自组织无线网络和分布式传感器网络以及机器人的纯研究成为可能，这些都是具有重要商业意义的领域。从教育和多样性的角度来看，该系统将起到吸引作用，将CCNY（美国最多元化的校园之一，约有1/3的西班牙裔和1/3的黑人）中代表性不足的学生吸引到仪器开发活动和工程课程中，这些仪器将得到加强。

0421159UyarThe objective of this research is to develop a proof-of-concept, highly-adaptive computation module suitable for ultra-small robotics systems for research in heterogeneous, reconfigurable teams of robotic agents. The embedded high-performance computation module based on System on Programmable Chip (SoPC) technology will allow onboard sensor processing, advanced kinematic control, reliable communication, and real-time adaptation of the system to its environment enabling research in a wide variety of tasks in urban search and rescue, civilian and military surveillance, and planetary exploration. Current approaches to miniature robotics using proxy-processing schemes over unreliable communication channels have demonstrated the significance and importance of the research challenges, but lead to inefficient research production. This proposal focuses on a computational node for robotic instruments at the centimeter scale to fill a technically significant gap in available instrumentation. The resulting computation module will have broad applicability to distributed robotic systems for other researchers and educators. In addition, the research will directly result in robotics tools for use in urban search and rescue, and surveillance. The instrument will also enable pure research in ad hoc wireless networking and distributed sensor networks, as well as robotics, which are areas of great commercial importance. From the standpoints of education and diversity, this system will act as an attractor, bringing the under-represented students at CCNY (which ranks as one of the most diversified campuses in the U.S., with about 1/3 Hispanic and 1/3 Black) both to the instrument development activities and to the engineering classes this instrumentation will enhance.