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Sakagami R, Lay FS, Dömel A, Schuster MJ, Albu-Schäffer A, Stulp F. Robotic world models-conceptualization, review, and engineering best practices. Front Robot AI 2023; 10:1253049. [PMID: 38023585 PMCID: PMC10652279 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2023.1253049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The term "world model" (WM) has surfaced several times in robotics, for instance, in the context of mobile manipulation, navigation and mapping, and deep reinforcement learning. Despite its frequent use, the term does not appear to have a concise definition that is consistently used across domains and research fields. In this review article, we bootstrap a terminology for WMs, describe important design dimensions found in robotic WMs, and use them to analyze the literature on WMs in robotics, which spans four decades. Throughout, we motivate the need for WMs by using principles from software engineering, including "Design for use," "Do not repeat yourself," and "Low coupling, high cohesion." Concrete design guidelines are proposed for the future development and implementation of WMs. Finally, we highlight similarities and differences between the use of the term "world model" in robotic mobile manipulation and deep reinforcement learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Sakagami
- Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Wessling, Germany
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Pomares J, Felicetti L, Varagnolo D. Editorial: Multi-robot systems for space applications. Front Robot AI 2023; 10:1253381. [PMID: 37559570 PMCID: PMC10407796 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2023.1253381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Pomares
- Department of Physics, Systems Engineering and Signal Theory, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Leonard Felicetti
- School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom
| | - Damiano Varagnolo
- Department of Engineering Cybernetics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Arm P, Waibel G, Preisig J, Tuna T, Zhou R, Bickel V, Ligeza G, Miki T, Kehl F, Kolvenbach H, Hutter M. Scientific exploration of challenging planetary analog environments with a team of legged robots. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eade9548. [PMID: 37436970 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.ade9548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The interest in exploring planetary bodies for scientific investigation and in situ resource utilization is ever-rising. Yet, many sites of interest are inaccessible to state-of-the-art planetary exploration robots because of the robots' inability to traverse steep slopes, unstructured terrain, and loose soil. In addition, current single-robot approaches only allow a limited exploration speed and a single set of skills. Here, we present a team of legged robots with complementary skills for exploration missions in challenging planetary analog environments. We equipped the robots with an efficient locomotion controller, a mapping pipeline for online and postmission visualization, instance segmentation to highlight scientific targets, and scientific instruments for remote and in situ investigation. Furthermore, we integrated a robotic arm on one of the robots to enable high-precision measurements. Legged robots can swiftly navigate representative terrains, such as granular slopes beyond 25°, loose soil, and unstructured terrain, highlighting their advantages compared with wheeled rover systems. We successfully verified the approach in analog deployments at the Beyond Gravity ExoMars rover test bed, in a quarry in Switzerland, and at the Space Resources Challenge in Luxembourg. Our results show that a team of legged robots with advanced locomotion, perception, and measurement skills, as well as task-level autonomy, can conduct successful, effective missions in a short time. Our approach enables the scientific exploration of planetary target sites that are currently out of human and robotic reach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Arm
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Waibel
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Jan Preisig
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Turcan Tuna
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Ruyi Zhou
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Valentin Bickel
- Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Glaciology, ETH Zurich, Hönggerbergring 26, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
- Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Gesellschaftsstrasse 6, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Gabriela Ligeza
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Takahiro Miki
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Florian Kehl
- Innovation Cluster Space and Aviation (UZH Space Hub), Air Force Center, University of Zurich, Dübendorf 8600, Switzerland
- Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Engineering, Space Biology Group, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hergiswil 6052, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik Kolvenbach
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Marco Hutter
- Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Leonhardstrasse 21, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
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Virtual Reality-Based Interface for Advanced Assisted Mobile Robot Teleoperation. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12126071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This work proposes a new interface for the teleoperation of mobile robots based on virtual reality that allows a natural and intuitive interaction and cooperation between the human and the robot, which is useful for many situations, such as inspection tasks, the mapping of complex environments, etc. Contrary to previous works, the proposed interface does not seek the realism of the virtual environment but provides all the minimum necessary elements that allow the user to carry out the teleoperation task in a more natural and intuitive way. The teleoperation is carried out in such a way that the human user and the mobile robot cooperate in a synergistic way to properly accomplish the task: the user guides the robot through the environment in order to benefit from the intelligence and adaptability of the human, whereas the robot is able to automatically avoid collisions with the objects in the environment in order to benefit from its fast response. The latter is carried out using the well-known potential field-based navigation method. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated through experimentation with the Turtlebot3 Burger mobile robot in both simulation and real-world scenarios. In addition, usability and presence questionnaires were also conducted with users of different ages and backgrounds to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed approach. In particular, the results of these questionnaires show that the proposed virtual reality based interface is intuitive, ergonomic and easy to use.
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Panzirsch M, Pereira A, Singh H, Weber B, Ferreira E, Gherghescu A, Hann L, den Exter E, van der Hulst F, Gerdes L, Cencetti L, Wormnes K, Grenouilleau J, Carey W, Balachandran R, Hulin T, Ott C, Leidner D, Albu-Schäffer A, Lii NY, Krüger T. Exploring planet geology through force-feedback telemanipulation from orbit. Sci Robot 2022; 7:eabl6307. [PMID: 35442701 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abl6307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Current space exploration roadmaps envision exploring the surface geology of celestial bodies with robots for both scientific research and in situ resource utilization. In such unstructured, poorly lit, complex, and remote environments, automation is not always possible, and some tasks, such as geological sampling, require direct teleoperation aided by force-feedback (FF). The operator would be on an orbiting spacecraft, and poor bandwidth, high latency, and packet loss from orbit to ground mean that safe, stable, and transparent interaction is a substantial technical challenge. For this scenario, a control method was developed that ensures stability at high delay without reduction in speed or loss of positioning accuracy. At the same time, a new level of safety is achieved not only through FF itself but also through an intrinsic property of the approach preventing hard impacts. On the basis of this method, a tele-exploration scenario was simulated in the Analog-1 experiment with an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) using a 6-degree-of-freedom (DoF) FF capable haptic input device to control a mobile robot with manipulator on Earth to collect rock samples. The 6-DoF FF telemanipulation from space was performed at a round-trip communication delay constantly between 770 and 850 milliseconds and an average packet loss of 1.27%. This experiment showcases the feasibility of a complete space exploration scenario via haptic telemanipulation under spaceflight conditions. The results underline the benefits of this control method for safe and accurate interactions and of haptic feedback in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Panzirsch
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Aaron Pereira
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany.,European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - Harsimran Singh
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Bernhard Weber
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | | | | | - Lukas Hann
- European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | | | - Frank van der Hulst
- European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands.,MF Robotics, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Levin Gerdes
- European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands.,Department of Systems Engineering and Automation, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Leonardo Cencetti
- European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands.,École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Ribin Balachandran
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Thomas Hulin
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Christian Ott
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Daniel Leidner
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Alin Albu-Schäffer
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
| | - Neal Y Lii
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center, Wessling, Germany
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Yi X, Zhu A, Yang SX, Shi D. An improved neural dynamics based approach with territorial mechanism to online path planning of multi-robot systems. INT J MACH LEARN CYB 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13042-021-01405-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wedler A, Schuster MJ, Müller MG, Vodermayer B, Meyer L, Giubilato R, Vayugundla M, Smisek M, Dömel A, Steidle F, Lehner P, Schröder S, Staudinger E, Foing B, Reill J. German Aerospace Center's advanced robotic technology for future lunar scientific missions. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2021; 379:20190574. [PMID: 33222646 PMCID: PMC7739903 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Earth's moon is currently an object of interest of many space agencies for unmanned robotic missions within this decade. Besides future prospects for building lunar gateways as support to human space flight, the Moon is an attractive location for scientific purposes. Not only will its study give insight on the foundations of the Solar System but also its location, uncontaminated by the Earth's ionosphere, represents a vantage point for the observation of the Sun and planetary bodies outside the Solar System. Lunar exploration has been traditionally conducted by means of single-agent robotic assets, which is a limiting factor for the return of scientific missions. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is developing fundamental technologies towards increased autonomy of robotic explorers to fulfil more complex mission tasks through cooperation. This paper presents an overview of past, present and future activities of DLR towards highly autonomous systems for scientific missions targeting the Moon and other planetary bodies. The heritage from the Mobile Asteroid Scout (MASCOT), developed jointly by DLR and CNES and deployed on asteroid Ryugu on 3 October 2018 from JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft, inspired the development of novel core technologies towards higher efficiency in planetary exploration. Together with the lessons learnt from the ROBEX project (2012-2017), where a mobile robot autonomously deployed seismic sensors at a Moon analogue site, this experience is shaping the future steps towards more complex space missions. They include the development of a mobile rover for JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) in 2024 as well as demonstrations of novel multi-robot technologies at a Moon analogue site on the volcano Mt Etna in the ARCHES project. Within ARCHES, a demonstration mission is planned from the 14 June to 10 July 2021,1 during which heterogeneous teams of robots will autonomously conduct geological and mineralogical analysis experiments and deploy an array of low-frequency antennas to measure Jovian and solar bursts. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Wedler
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Martin J. Schuster
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Marcus G. Müller
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Bernhard Vodermayer
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Lukas Meyer
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Riccardo Giubilato
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Mallikarjuna Vayugundla
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Michal Smisek
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Andreas Dömel
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Florian Steidle
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Peter Lehner
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Susanne Schröder
- DLR, Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Emanuel Staudinger
- DLR, Institute of Communications and Navigation, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
| | - Bernard Foing
- ESA/ESTEC, European Space Research and Technology Centre, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Josef Reill
- DLR (German Aerospace Center), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Muenchener Str. 20, 82234 Wessling, Germany
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