DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/20WY-XV08
Defense Date
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Electrical & Computer Engineering
First Advisor
Patrick Martin
Abstract
This thesis presents a real-time robotic motion control system for human-robot teams. The framework utilizes artificial potential fields (APFs) to guide robotic agents towards a “goal” agent while navigating around “obstacle” agents; these goals and obstacles are also dynamic agents with their own set of tasks. This system is also developed for a live-programming environment, where a controlling agent updates the tasks of all agents within the system at any time during the system’s runtime. This motion controller was created and tested for a human-robot choreographic team. After the controller was fully integrated on a Trossen Robotic LoCobot Wx200 robotic base, a live, interactive dance titled Together::Apart was performed utilizing the controller and supporting systems, and audience members were asked to evaluate the human-robot team. In addition, because APFs produce straight-line agent- to-goal trajectories, a new, mixed artificial field (MAF) motion controller was developed. By introducing an additional static field, the MAF controller is able to modify the robot’s path into non-linear contours. After simulating the MAF controller in Python, the model was recorded and evaluated by a survey, using several factors from the Godspeed questionnaire. The survey results were analyzed and discussed in order to determine directions for future work.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
8-2-2023