1. Robots at Work Dr Gerard McKee Active Robotics Laboratory School of Systems Engineering The University of Reading, UK g.t.mckee@reading.ac.uk; http://www.arl.rdg.ac.uk Call 5 Preparatory Workshop on Collaborative Working Environments Brussels, Wednesday 13th April 2005

2. Overview Background - Active Robotics Laboratory Robotics is integrative Open Source Community Online Robot Laboratories E-Cradle (OR + OS) Networked Robotics Research Issues Conclusions

3. Author Background Areas of research: –Networked Robotics; Teleoperation/Telerobotics; –Robot architectures; Cooeprative Robotics –Educational Robotics Projects –NETROLAB - Networked Robotics Laboratory –Visual Acts - intelligent assistance for remove viewing during teleoperation –Cooperative Robotics - multi-robot payload transportation –TORUS - online robots for robotics education

4. Active Robotics Laboratory (ARL) Netrolab (1994-1998) –networking & multimedia technology TORUS - student projects –(Toys Operated Remotely for Understanding Science) Digger Intelligence I –Student Assignments MVideo –image services for online robot projects Digger Intelligence II - Digger Arena

5. Netrolab (Networked Robotics Laboratory) A resource-based laboratory model for teaching topics in AI & Robotics Sensors and Controls are resources Manipulator & Mobile Robot resources Video servers provide multiple streaming video channels from separate cameras

6. Robotics is Integrative Systems Engineering –mechanics, materials, drives & controls, sensors, electronic systems, computer systems, robotics science, artificial intelligence, cognitive science Robotic Architectures & Intelligence –sensing, perception, representation, reasoning, planning, action; –reactive, behaviour-based, deliberative & hybrid architectures –localisation, mapping, navigation, etc. Small-systems development hardware dominated. Large-systems development software dominated.

7. Open Source Software Open Source: –a successful model for large-scale collaborative software developoment Characterstics of success: –benign leadership with the ability to ‘recognise good design ideas from others’ [Raymond, 2001] –modularity, allowing collaborators to work in parallel, largely independently of each other –a running prototype early on

8. Open Source & Robotics Assumption: –The Open Source Model can be applied to software development for robotics –Large-scale Robot systems require significant software and hardware development effort and, hence, can benefit from collaboration Robotics system development requires HANDS-ON experience with robot components and systems: –subsystems (e.g. sensors) –systems (e.g. the robot system) –task model and architectures

9. Online Robots Robot demonstrations on the Internet –Mercury Project, Tele-Garden (Goldberg) –Mobile robots - Xavier & others Educational projects –Netrolab (McKee), PumaPaint (Stein) These motivate robotics technology telerobotics, mobile robotics, map-building, path planning, etc.

10. Online Robot Laboratory Levels of Interaction: manual, semi-automated, automated

11. Distributed Expertise - Software Components & Systems Electronics Mechanics & Materials Knowledge Distributed Online Robot Laboratory Environment (ORE) Extended Open Source Collaborative Development Environment (CDE)

12. E-Cradle (Open Source Robotics) An E-Cradle is an online “Community Research & Development Laboratory Enterprise”

13. Networked Robotics Straddes robotics and network technology –The network is a design issue, but offers possibilities for integrating robotics with other technologies Direct and related areas of networked robotics: –Online robots (remote access) –Internet robotics (remote control - telemanipulation) –Distributed robot architectures (network-enabled modules) –Talk Networks (e.g. distributed robotics) –Field robotics (network performance) –Integrating Ambient (embedded) and robot (embodied) intelligence –Sensor networks; embedded systems

14. Distributed Robot Architectures Robotic resources are encapsulated as modules that provide a defined functionality + local/remote connectivity options. Robot platforms are clusters of Robotics resources (sensors, effectors, algorithmic units) Robot architectures can be created through the interconnection of network- enabled modules distributed across fixed and mobile robot platforms.

15. Robots as Resources

16. Resources configured to create robotic agents

17. Research Objectives Build an E-Cradle for open research & development in the domain of robotics Pursue an open collaborative development of a solution to a specific robot task Study growth and development of the E-Cradle Assess its potential for open collaborative research and development in robotics and related domains.

18. Research Challenges Gain large-scale collaboration in the domain of robotics Gain collaborators from outside the traditional institutional boundaries Disseminate knowledge sufficient for this wider participation I.e. A proof of concept

19. Some Technical Requirements Integrate CDEs with OREs Modularity –networked robotics - distributed robot architectures Hands-on interaction –Internet robotics (telemanipulation, control) Prototype robot task deployed early on –have a solution of some form up and running early, so that collaborators can evaluate and refine it.

20. Some Community Requirements Diverse ways to contribute: –task level –systems level –infrasturcture –tools –knowledge Local (component) views and global (task-level) views. Scope for play and program

21. Possible Research Method Participatory Action Research (PAR) Users participate early in the project.

22. Conclusions Robotics is integrative - merging technology at multiple levels; metaphor for systems engineering Open Source Development & Online Robots Laboratories can be integrated to create an innovative environment for collaboration; Networked Robotics provides a network-centred framework for enabling collaboration