Combining the strengths of UMIST and The Victoria University of Manchester RoboViz – CompuSteer Network Programme Interim Summary Key Partners: Anja Le.

Combining the strengths of UMIST andThe Victoria University of Manchester

RoboViz – CompuSteer RoboViz – CompuSteer Network ProgrammeNetwork Programme

Interim SummaryInterim Summary

Key Partners:

Anja Le Blanc, Paul Kuchar, Martin Turner, Rob Richardson, Aladdin Aayesh, Ghada Al Hudhud

15th September 2006

RoboViz, CompuSteer Workshop 2

On The Menu

Groups Involved Schedule of Events – Past and Future What is Computational Steering – narrow view. What is Robotic Tele-presence Component

– Of a Robot– Of the Access Grid

Networking Issues– RAT and VIC definitions– Synchronization– Packet Loss– Latency in the system

Conclusions (wait until Easter)

15th September 2006


Cross-University Visits: Robotics

Centre for Computational Intelligence, Research Group, Intelligent Mobile Robots and Creative Computing @ De Montfort University

Manchester Robotics @ The University of Manchester

Groups Within the Network

15th September 2006


Groups Within the Network

Cross-University Visits: Visualization Skills

Virtual Environment Centre @ De Montfort University

Manchester Visualization Centre @ The University of Manchester

And the Access Grid Support Centre

15th September 2006


Schedule of Events

Calendar….

– 21 May - initial conference phone session for bid completion.

– May Preliminary Access Grid Sessions: Assignment of key objectives.

– Early June - 2 people visit Manchester minimum 2 days

– Late June Access Grid feasibility test of robot communication – delayed due to holidays.

– August – 3 people visit DMU minimum 2 days

– Late September Feasibility test link: IP control

– December - 2 people visit: Purpose proposal writing, minimum 2 days

– January - Second Feasibility test link – remote observation and control

15th September 2006


CompuSteer Schedule

1st Visit – workshop, De Montfort University visit to Manchester: June 2006

1. e-Science Access Grid enabled talk by DMU: fully recorded.

2. Description of DMU intra-robot communication library: prototype proof of principle used in Virtual Environment Centre (DMU) and live with a set of two pioneer robots

3. Tours and experience of Manchester Robot lab., and Visualization/Access Grid spaces

15th September 2006


CompuSteer Schedule

Access Grid Sessions, July-August 2006

1. Impossible Problem Proposition – see later

2. Network design and grant proposals: DTC – Defence Technology Centre; Innovation Fund, SEAS Sensors

centre

1st (July 2006) and 2nd proposal stages (due November 2006)

Full partner calls on range of Defence Technology Centres (due Spring 2007)

EU/EPSRC research opportunities: key personnel (AI communications) being contacted

PhD proposals inc. cross university supervision/advisory status being possible.

3. Software/driver installation feasibility program of tests.

15th September 2006


SEAPI – High level API SEAPI – High level API network simulator network simulator OverviewOverview(slide 1 of 2)(slide 1 of 2)

15th September 2006


• MBDA Distribute Simulation Interconnect Library

• Minimum Overhead on Application

• Implements – DIS and HLA

• Flexibility

• Open Systems

• License Management

• Cornerstone of Re-use

• Used across MBDA

• Projects & Functions

• Deployable

• CD Rom

• User Guide

• Worked Example

• Tutorials

WEAPON

SYSTEM

LEGACY

WEAPON

SYSTEM

NEW

???

HLA

DIS

SE-API

???

HLA

DIS

SE-API

???

HLA

DIS

SE-API

NRT MODEL I/F SYSTEM

SIMULATIONS

TRIALS REPLAY I/F

HIGH FIDELITY

6 DoF

MODEL

TRIALS DATA

DIS/HLA Highway

Synthetic Environment Application Programmers Interface (SEAPI) –

with Permission (slide 2 of 2)

15th September 2006


CompuSteer Schedule

2nd Visit – workshop, Manchester visit to De Montfort University: August 2006

1. Tours and experience of DMU Robot lab., and (IOCT, Institute of Creative Technology) Access Grid and experimental space

2. Camera and video driver install-fest

15th September 2006


CompuSteer Schedule

Future Visits/Workshop, December-January 2006

1. e-Science Access Grid enabled talk by Manchester to give.

2. Full duplex communication trials – discussed simultaneously over Access Grid

3. Three network prototype to be tested simultaneously: Intra robot comms., robot steering comms., and command centre (Access Grid) cross comms.

15th September 2006


Often large racks of CPU clusters controlled remotely, in a possible Grid manner, outputting visual or data analysis,

Computational Steering is …

Archimedes Eureka momentUniversity of Manchester Physics 2000 cpu box – Reynolds House

Think laterally now – use Robotic Control and Tele-presence ideas.

A s

cenari

o t

hat

wit

hout

tim

e t

ravel w

as

unlik

ely

to h

appen,

but…

CFD and FEA computational steering model

15th September 2006


RoboViz – Computational Steering Ideas for Robot Telepresence

Two Assumptions

1. There are now extensive computational processing elements within robot.

2. Recent computer simulations have shown novel emergent behaviours with 20-30 different (virtual) robots using 'animal-like' intelligence rules.

Thus this allows semi-autonomous computation processing modules designed to solve a specific task - as a cluster - and then relay information back to a command and control centre.

15th September 2006


Pioneer Robots

Think of them as – “Linux Box on wheels” – with other bits.

Components: CPU blades are now Robots

One of dozens of possible webcam’s and drivers to be tested!

15th September 2006


These CPUs come with unusual add-ons:

Sonar Sensors

Laser Scanner

Robotic arm grip

Proximity Detectors

but Linux Box limitations – low processor performance and low power requirements.

Components: Data status lines

15th September 2006


Firewire cameras

“Access Grid” clone camera – installable :-)

USB?? Camera - possible

(not shown)

Do have standard Linux Box limitations – drivers :-(

Components: They do have Cameras

Bum

ble

bee

Ste

reo c

am

era

“g

old

” blo

ck

15th September 2006


System needs three Networks:-

Data stream from Robots to Command Centres

– Light weight camera capture and encoding - RTP vic format

– Integration via wi-fi-bridged network-multicast-Access Grid environment

– Use of various stream formats; vic (video), rat (audio), custom (data)

Command Streams to Robots

– VNC Virtual commands to bridging wi-fi robot/machine, or

– Direct TCP/IP to robot (AI blackboard information - simple e-mail/status type system)

Between Command Centres

– Standard Access Grid Environment

Networking – Proposed Links

15th September 2006


What is a Robot ‘Cluster’?

Think of 100’s of robots: need intra-robot communication – with semi-autonomous actions.

Use Flocking Rules:

1. Alignment

2. Collision Avoidance

3. Cohesion

Now Add Steering:

4. Direction Control – command centre instructions.

Simulator – VR environment, using all the rules including directed computational control for fire extinguishing task. Ghada


What is the Access Grid?What is the Access Grid?

15th September 2006


What is the Access Grid?

An “Advanced Collaboration Environment”

Large-scale display – typically a whole wall

Multiple video streams from each site

Natural, full-duplex audio with echo cancellation

Uses IP multicast for video/audio

Commodity equipment

Open Source software

Commercial software, (inSORS)

Usually, but…

15th September 2006


What is the Access Grid?

15th September 2006


What is Multicast?

Compared with Unicast.


What Can I do with the What Can I do with the Access Grid?Access Grid?

15th September 2006


What can I do with Access Grid?

A 12-site meeting between UK nodes

15th September 2006



A meeting with three UK nodes and Pittsburgh

15th September 2006



Performance Art

15th September 2006



Virtual Genomics 2004

15th September 2006



SC Global 2004 ~ 41 Sites

15th September 2006



SC Global 2004 ~ 41 Sites

15th September 2006


Reminder - Who has AG Nodes in the UK ?

Belfast Birmingham (2) BGS (2) Bristol (3) Cambridge Cardiff (3) Central Lancashire Daresbury (3) De Montford (2) Diamond Light

Source Durham East Anglia Edinburgh (2) Essex

Glasgow (2) Hull Imperial College Lancaster (5) Leeds (2) Leicester Liverpool (2) Loughborough Manchester (8) NERC Newcastle (4) Nottingham (2) Oxford (2) Portsmouth (2)

RAL (2) Reading Salford (3) Sheffield (3) Sheffield Hallam Southampton (2) Surrey (3) Sussex UCL (3) Wales Warwick Westminster Wolverhampton York

15th September 2006


Over 80 nodes

…and rising!

e-Science

Virtual Research Environments

e-Social Science

Teaching

Seminars, etc.

Art

Music


Packet Based Data – Test Packet Based Data – Test MusicMusic

15th September 2006


Packet Based Data

VIC and RAT

UDP – packet loss – latency etc.

Synchronisation issues

Buffer optimisation for a fixed delay latency

15th September 2006


VIC - Videoconferencing Tool

15th September 2006


RAT - Robust Audio Tool

15th September 2006


Packet Based Music

24, 33, 10, 0, 234, 1, 54, 3, 1, 43, 56, 46, 7, 23, 4, 23, 76, 38, 91, 3, 10, 68, 59, 1

24, 33, 10, 0234, 1, 54, 3

1, 43, 56, 467, 23, 4, 23

76, 38, 91, 310, 68, 59, 1

24, 33, 10, 0234, 1, 54, 3

1, 43, 56, 467, 23, 4, 23

76, 38, 91, 310, 68, 59, 1

24, 33, 10, 0, 234, 1, 54, 3, 1, 43, 56, 46, 7, 23, 4, 23, 76, 38, 91, 3, 10, 68, 59, 1

15th September 2006


Play-out Buffering

24, 33, 10, 0234, 1, 54, 31, 43, 56, 467, 23, 4, 23

24, 33, 10, 0

234, 1, 54, 3

1, 43, 56, 46

7, 23, 4, 23

24, 33, 10, 0

234, 1, 54, 31, 43, 56, 467, 23, 4, 23

15th September 2006


Synchronization

24, 33, 10, 0

24, 33, 10, 0

24, 33, 10, 0

234, 1, 54, 3

234, 1, 54, 3

234, 1, 54, 3


Latency and LossLatency and Loss

15th September 2006


Latency

Network Latency

(Prioritise Traffic to guarantee

latency)

Encoder

Decoder

Send-out

Buffer

Play-outBuffer

Encoder

Decoder

Send-out

Buffer

Play-outBuffer

15th September 2006


Loss

24, 33, 10, 0234, 1, 54, 31, 43, 56, 467, 23, 4, 23

24, 33, 10, 0

234, 1, 54, 3

1, 43, 56, 46

24, 33, 10, 0

1, 43, 56, 467, 23, 4, 23

7, 23, 4, 23

15th September 2006


Latency vs Loss

Latency Loss


Experimental SpaceExperimental Space

15th September 2006


Suitability of Spaces

Experimental remote control to create a feasibility proof-of-principle test-bed environment:

1. Multiple DMU robots (autonomous, emergent behaviour)

2. via Manchester Access Grid enabled Command Centre

3. with advice from other Command CentresStereoscopically equipped Access Grid spaces and areas for maze creation

15th September 2006


The “Impossible Aim”

A long term aim is that we wish to build a robust system, over a poor network to control a minimum of a thousand small autonomous robots with less than a dozen individual human operators, all potentially at different physical locations.

Probably not possible.

15th September 2006


Summing up – demo etc. in Easter.

RoboViz is a small step in the way to consider robotic autonomous engines, as connected computational engines, that have to be steered and also have local communication modes towards each other as well as to and from command centres and operators.

15th September 2006


Search and Rescue Robots

Silly Aside.

It is possible to modify AIBOs for the Access Grid! as they appear to be programmable into web-servers.

Combining the strengths of UMIST and The Victoria University of Manchester RoboViz – CompuSteer Network Programme Interim Summary Key Partners: Anja Le.

Documents

network slide

compusteer workshop12

compusteer workshop2

manchester visit

control slide

permission slide

fest slide

easter slide