Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Fiorini, P..
This paper describes the evolution of our concept of hopping robot for planetary exploration, that combines coarse long range mobility achieved by hopping, with short range wheeled mobility for precision target acquisition.
This paper describes some of the main technology areas that have been actually used in the development of cleaning robots.
This paper describes a minimalist hopping robot that can perform basic exploration tasks on Mars or other moderate gravity bodies.
This paper surveys past and current designs of surface mobility systems for planetary exploration robots developed at JPL/Caltech.
This paper describes the development of a vision-only intelligent interface for dexterous robots capable of tracking operator motions, analyzing trajectory feasibility, and providing visual feedback to the operator.
In this paper we describe the hardware design and the control and navigation system of our robotic wheelchair MAid (Mobility Aid for Elderly and Disabled People).
This paper presents the design and some preliminary analysis of a hopping robot for planetary exploration.
This paper describes a PC-based controller for robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, capable of accurate execution of preoperative plans under X-ray monitoring.
In this paper we describe the hardware design, the control and navigation system, and our preliminary experiments with the robotic wheelchair MAid (Mobility Aid for Elderly and Disabled People).
Ths paper proposes two solutions for the control of telerobots, in which master and slave are connected through a communication system that introduces a variable delay. This is the typical case of packet-switched networks (e.g. Internet), in which the delay varies in an unpredictible way.
Ths paper describes a PC-based controller for robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. The development is motivated by the need of reducing the exposure of operating room personnel to X-rays during surgical procedures such as percutanrous discectomy.
This paper describes experiments of Internet modeling and of Internet-based teleoperation aimed at developing suitable control laws to overcome the variable time-delay and the data losses typical of Internet communication. The effects of packet delay jitter and losses on teleoperation performance are demonstrated using a 2-dof force feedback master.
This paper describes the approach followed in the design of a service robot for health care applications. This paper describes the architecture of the subsystem, the features of the manipulator arm, and the operator interface.
A method is presented for planning the motion of a robot in a dynamic environment by computing a trajectory that avoids all obstacles and that satisfies the robot dynamics and its actuator constraints. This method consists of two steps -- the computation of the trajectory and its refinement with a dynamic optimization.
An on-line method is presented for computing the motion of a robot in a dynamic environment subject to the robot dynamics and its actuator constraints. This method is based on the concept of Velocity Obstacle that defines the set of robot velocities that would result in a collision between the robot and a moving obstacle. The problem of motion planning in dynamic environments is addressed.
Within NASA's recent thrust for industrial collaboration, JPL has recently established two technology cooperation agreements in the robotics area: one on virtual reality calibration with Deneb Robotics, Inc., and the other on redundant manipulator control with Robotics Research Corporation (RRC). These technology transfer tasks will enable both Deneb and RRC to commercialize an upgraded version of their products that will greatly benefit both space and terrestrial telerobotic applications.
This paper presents heuristic methods for motion planning in dynamic environments, based on the concept of Velocity Obstacle (VO).
Tools and tool handling techniques designed for demonstrating the use of the Advanced Teleoperation System at JPL in satellite repair operations are described in this paper. Our model for the repair demonstration is the Main Electronics Box (MEB) replacement on the Solar Maximum Satellite Repair (SMSR) procedure developed by NASA and successfully performed by the crew of Space Shuttle STS-13 in 1984. A summary of the repair procedure consists of uncovering thermal protection blankets on the satellite, removing screws from the MEB panel, opening the panel and clamping it in place, then removing electrical connectors from their sockets, cutting cords that hold electrical cables to the MEB panel, replacing the panel, and finally reversing the previous procedures. Methods for handling tools used in our SMSR procedure, along with details of the tool designs are discussed in this paper.