Undergraduate Research Day

Robotic'Image'CaptureDarin'Rajan

Daniel'G.'AliagaDepartment'of'Computer'Sciences

Introduction• Computer'simulation'of'real<world'environments'is'one'of'the'great'challenges'of'computer'graphics.

– The'ultimate'goal'is'to'allow'an'untrained'operator'to'easily'acquire'a'digital'model'that'later'can'be'used'for'a'variety'of'applications.

• Digital'models'should'capture'and'represent'the'many'details'of'an'environment.

– This'should'allow'for

• Physical'simulations'of'the'model• Interactive'renderings'for'remote'education'• model'conservation'for'virtual'heritage• Specialist'training'for'the'military,'etc.'• Electronic'commerce• Entertainment.'

Research Objective

• The'research'challenge'is'to'develop'the'algorithms'and'systems'necessary'to'capture'and'manipulate'computer'models'of'large'and'complex'real<world'scenes.'

• In'order'to'capture'a'large'environment'in'a'timely'fashion,'the'method'must'be'mostly'automatic'and,'preferably,'able'to'be'operated'by'an'untrained'technician,'such'as'a'caretaker'of'the'site.'

• The'scale'of'the'environment'must'be'conveyed,'interactive'navigation'is'critical,'and'the'visual'richness'of'the'real'world'must'be'duplicated'exactly.

Getting Started• I'began'by'understanding'the'API'supplied'with'the'Pioneer'3<DX,'

– The'Pioneer'3<DX'is'an'agile,'versatile,'and'intelligent'mobile'robotic'platform'built'by'ActivMedia'Robotics.

• Initially'project'goals'were'accomplished'by'interfacing'and'building'upon'a'robot'control'system,'called'SAPHIRA,' that'accompanied'the'robot

– This'was'developed'at'SRI'International’s'Artificial' Intelligence'Center

• This'SAPHIRA'system'is'integrated'with'ARIA,'the'robot'control'system'from'ActivMedia'Robotics'that'takes'over'most'of'SAPHIRA’s' low<level'functions.'

The ARIA/SAPHIRA System

Getting Sophisticated

• The'ARIA/SAPHIRA'System'had'many'drawbacks'which'hindered'our'progress

– It'did'not'give'us'control'of'the'main'loop'of'the'running'program• Having'this'control'is'essential.'Our'main'purpose'in'this'research'is'to'create'image'based'rendering,'thus'having'complete'control'over'the'robot'and'the'entire'navigation'system'is'crucial.

– It'did'not'allow'us'to'use'OpenGL• As'we'are'trying'to'capture'a'digital'model'of'an'environment,'we'must'also'have'an'advanced,'scaled'display'of'this'to'illustrate'data'such'as'the'floor'plan'of'the'environment,'the'robot'position'at'all'times,'and'navigational'details'(path'planning,'collision'avoidance,'speed).

Achieving Sophistication

• Achieving'these'newly,'laid<out'benchmarks:

– The'system'we'had'been'using'was'“stripped”'of'all'of'it’s'SAPHIRA'components'and'FLTK'window'managers'until'we'had'a'simplistic'program'that'only'consisted'of'a'sole'main function,'which'was'able'to'initialize'the'robot'and'startup'procedures.

– Since'we'now'had'complete'control'of'the'main'loop,'it'was'smooth'sailing'to'interface'our'own'OpenGL'display'and'protocols'for'handling'the'robots'navigation'and'path'planning.

– In'addition,'we'are'now'able'to'add'In'an'image<preview'functionality'that'allows'for'a'view'port'of'captured'frames'in'real'time'as'the'robot'is'moving'around.

The PionGL System

• Name'derived'from'– Pioneer [name'of'robot]'and'– OpenGL [graphics'library'used'to'render'the'robot]

The PionGL System