Recent developments in terrain identification, classification, parameter estimation for the navigation of autonomous robots

Data Fusion Applied to the Leader-Based Bat Algorithm to Improve the Localization of Mobile Robots

The increasing demand for autonomous mobile robots in complex environments calls for efficient path-planning algorithms. Bio-inspired algorithms effectively address intricate optimization challenges, but their computational cost increases with the number of particles, which is great when implementing algorithms of high accuracy. To address such topics, this paper explores the application of the leader-based bat algorithm (LBBA), an enhancement of the traditional bat algorithm (BA). By dynamically incorporating robot orientation as a guiding factor in swarm distribution, LBBA improves mobile robot localization. A digital compass provides precise orientation feedback, promoting better particle distribution, thus reducing computational overhead. Experiments were conducted using a mobile robot in controlled environments containing obstacles distributed in diverse configurations. Comparative studies with leading algorithms, such as Manta Ray Foraging Optimization (MRFO) and Black Widow Optimization (BWO), highlighted the proposed algorithm's ability to achieve greater path accuracy and faster convergence, even when using fewer particles. The algorithm consistently demonstrated robustness in bypassing local minima, a notable limitation of conventional bio-inspired approaches. Therefore, the proposed algorithm is a promising solution for real-time localization in resource-constrained environments, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency in the guidance of mobile robots, thus highlighting its potential for broader adoption in mobile robotics.

Deep Learning Vision System for Quadruped Robot Gait Pattern Regulation

Robots with bio-inspired locomotion systems, such as quadruped robots, have recently attracted significant scientific interest, especially those designed to tackle missions in unstructured terrains, such as search-and-rescue robotics. On the other hand, artificial intelligence systems have allowed for the improvement and adaptation of the locomotion capabilities of these robots based on specific terrains, imitating the natural behavior of quadruped animals. The main contribution of this work is a method to adjust adaptive gait patterns to overcome unstructured terrains using the ARTU-R (A1 Rescue Task UPM Robot) quadruped robot based on a central pattern generator (CPG), and the automatic identification of terrain and characterization of its obstacles (number, size, position and superability analysis) through convolutional neural networks for pattern regulation. To develop this method, a study of dog gait patterns was carried out, with validation and adjustment through simulation on the robot model in ROS-Gazebo and subsequent transfer to the real robot. Outdoor tests were carried out to evaluate and validate the efficiency of the proposed method in terms of its percentage of success in overcoming stretches of unstructured terrains, as well as the kinematic and dynamic variables of the robot. The main results show that the proposed method has an efficiency of over 93% for terrain characterization (identification of terrain, segmentation and obstacle characterization) and over 91% success in overcoming unstructured terrains. This work was also compared against main developments in state-of-the-art and benchmark models.

Metaheuristic Parameter Identification of Motors Using Dynamic Response Relations

This article presents the use of the equations of the dynamic response to a step input in metaheuristic algorithm for the parametric estimation of a motor model. The model equations are analyzed, and the relations in steady-state and transient-state are used as delimiters in the search. These relations reduce the number of random parameters in algorithm search and reduce the iterations to find an acceptable result. The tests were implemented in two motors of known parameters to estimate the performance of the modifications in the algorithms. Tests were carried out with three algorithms (Gray Wolf Optimizer, Jaya Algorithm, and Cuckoo Search Algorithm) to prove that the benefits can be extended to various metaheuristics. The search parameters were also varied, and tests were developed with different iterations and populations. The results show an improvement for all the algorithms used, achieving the same error as the original method but with 10 to 50% fewer iterations.

Military Applications of Machine Learning: A Bibliometric Perspective

The military environment generates a large amount of data of great importance, which makes necessary the use of machine learning for its processing. Its ability to learn and predict possible scenarios by analyzing the huge volume of information generated provides automatic learning and decision support. This paper aims to present a model of a machine learning architecture applied to a military organization, carried out and supported by a bibliometric study applied to an architecture model of a nonmilitary organization. For this purpose, a bibliometric analysis up to the year 2021 was carried out, making a strategic diagram and interpreting the results. The information used has been extracted from one of the main databases widely accepted by the scientific community, ISI WoS. No direct military sources were used. This work is divided into five parts: the study of previous research related to machine learning in the military world; the explanation of our research methodology using the SciMat, Excel and VosViewer tools; the use of this methodology based on data mining, preprocessing, cluster normalization, a strategic diagram and the analysis of its results to investigate machine learning in the military context; based on these results, a conceptual architecture of the practical use of ML in the military context is drawn up; and, finally, we present the conclusions, where we will see the most important areas and the latest advances in machine learning applied, in this case, to a military environment, to analyze a large set of data, providing utility, machine learning and decision support.