Title :
A networked control system for heterogeneous robots
Author :
Korpela, Christopher M. ; Ring, Benjamin A.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng. & Comput. Sci., United States Mil. Acad., West Point, MS
Abstract :
To replace numerous platform-specific operator control units, this paper presents a design methodology and implementation for a low-cost, networked control system for heterogeneous robots that is chassis and operator control unit independent. By leveraging small embedded computers, we can control and connect various platforms through an existing wireless infrastructure and implement semi-autonomous capabilities for obstacle detection and avoidance. Our approach uses a standardized control system that connects to existing robots in a plug-and-play manner. Our programmable and adaptable controller can be applied to a wide variety of sectors such as military, law enforcement, and search and rescue. Regardless of the sector, an urgent need exists to meet the current challenges of unmanned system interoperability. We achieve a level of standardization between various platforms in order to incorporate greater levels of compatibility and autonomy.
Keywords :
collision avoidance; control engineering computing; distributed control; mobile robots; open systems; telerobotics; chassis; heterogeneous robots; networked control system; obstacle avoidance; obstacle detection; operator control unit independent; plug-and-play manner; unmanned system interoperability; Communication system control; Control systems; Design methodology; Embedded computing; Land vehicles; Military computing; Networked control systems; Protocols; Robot sensing systems; Standardization;
Conference_Titel :
Technologies for Practical Robot Applications, 2008. TePRA 2008. IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Woburn, MA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2791-8
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2792-5
DOI :
10.1109/TEPRA.2008.4686685