AUROVA Automatics, Robotics and Computer Vision Group University of Alicante

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AUROVAAutomatics, Robotics and Computer Vision
GroupUniversity of Alicante
PRESENTS
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Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics

• F.A.Candelas Herías, F.Torres Medina, C.A.Jara
  Bravo

Physics, Systems Engineering and Signal Theory
Department AUROVA Automatics, Robotics and
Computer Vision Group http//www.aurova.ua.es
IV International Conference on Multimedia and
Information Communication Technologies in
Education
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
4
Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Introduction

• Motivation
• The teaching of professional courses in Robotics
  requires expensive equipment.
• Large groups of students can not use the
  equipment simultaneously.
• The students have to go to the laboratories
  according to some strict schedules.
• This equipment can be damaged if it is used
  improperly.
• In the field of robot arms there are fewer
  applications based on an open architecture.
• There are not many Java-based applications for
  industrial robots that offer a realistic
  environment.

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Introduction

• Goals
• To perform a virtual and remote laboratory based
  on the portable language Java.
• This system should
• Carry out operations with the real robot through
  the Internet.
• Offer the flexibility of managing different
  robots or including new robots models and passive
  objects in the workspace without changing the
  interface.
• Offer a more realistic simulation than the
  majority of the proposed Java-based systems for
  simulation robots.
• Many students can access to expensive real
  equipment.
• Train of kinematics and the trajectory design
  for industrial robot arms.
• Provide a portable, flexible and user-friendly
  interface.

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Principal Features
• Equipment and Architecture
• User Interface
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Principal Features

• Robolab 2
• Is the last version of Robolab System.
• This version incorporates new features to the
  previous version based in Java and
  VRML.
• The two versions are available at
  http//www.discolab.ua.es/robolab

Fig.1 Robolab System
Fig.2 Robolab 2 System
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Equipment and Architecture

• Main server
• Affords the web services
• Supplies the Java applet
• Manages the users access and accounts

Main server
User (client)
Internet
Ethernet LAN
Power control

• Tele-operation servers
• Validate the commands to the robot
• Translate them to the appropriate language
• Send them to the robots controllers
• Obtain information about the state of a robot to
  allow an on-line feedback

Video server
Tele-operation servers
Servo- camera
Robots controllers

• Video server
• Gives the option of a video stream feed-back for
  remote operation

Robot (PA-10)
Robot (Scorbot ER IX)
Fig.3 System Architecture
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Equipment and Architecture

• Class library for the modelling of robots
• It is a new feature of Robolab2. This library
  includes
• Classes for modelling basic elements
• Links, Joints, Tools,.
• Passive objects in the environment.
• A base class for modelling a complete robot,
  including
• All the basic elements and graphic
  representation.
• Command list and tele-operation capabilities.
• Collision detection.

Fig.4 Class library for modelling from Java 3D API
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Equipment and Architecture

• Example of a model of the Scorbot ER-IX robot

and so on, and so forth.
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Equipment and Architecture

• Software architecture

Class library the modelling of robots (Java 3D)
Tele-operation devices
High - level protocols which make possible the
tele-operation capabilities from any Internet
access
Communication with the main server
Fig.5 Software architecture
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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User Interface

• User Interface

Movements options
Devices to define position/movements
Values of the robot joints
Position/Orientation of the end tool
Movements Commands
Feedback Options
Fig.6 User Interface
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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User Interface

• Control tele-operation devices
• For controlling the remote robot arm, the
  force-feedback joystick is the most employed. But
  it is sophisticated and very costly device.
• So, we have improved Robolab 2 with the
  capability of using a joystick for games in
  addition to the keyboard or mouse devices.
• To access the joysticks functions, we use the
  MS. DirectX API, where Java can not access
  directly. So, a bridge between DirectX and Java
  library that manages the joystick has been
  developed.

Fig.7 Force-feedback options
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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User Interface

• Feedback options for tele-operation
• On-line video stream, from the video server to
  the client applet. This requires a connection
  with an acceptable bandwidth.
• On-line updating of the graphical representation
  in the client applet with data on the current
  state of the robots joints received from the
  Robot Server.

Fig.8 Graphical feedback of the 3D simulation
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Practical exercises
• Experiences in teaching
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Practical exercises

• Robolab has been used since 1999 in the course
  Robots and Sensorial Systems in the Computer
  Science Engineering at the University of Alicante.

Fig.9 Campus University (I)

• Robolab uses.
• Simulation
• It is used to study the components of different
  robots and to experiment the direct and inverse
  kinematics.
• It is used to design and evaluate the kinematics
  control of a robot for catching objects.

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Practical exercises

• Robolab uses Simulation

Loading
Video.1 Simulation
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Practical exercises

• Robolab uses.
• Tele-operation
• After the movements on the simulated virtual
  environment are correct, the students can request
  the main server to remote execute their with
  the real robot.
• The student must identify himself as an
  authorized user to use the tele-operation
  capabilities.

Loading
Video.2 Tele-operation
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Experiences in teaching

• To evaluate the virtual laboratorys
  acceptability, several statistical studies have
  been carried out during several academics years.

30-40 of students have used remotely the
laboratory because of the flexible time-tables it
affords them

• 60-70 of students have done their exercises at
  the laboratory because
• They can work in coordination with their
  class-mates
• They have the support of the teacher

• The simple use of the tools helps the students
  concentrate on the important aspects of the
  course.
• The students value the possibility of having to
  the real robot with Robolab because it makes the
  exercises more attractive

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Conclusions

• Robolab is designed so that students practice
  the basic concepts of Robotics.
• With the new version Robolab 2, the students can
  add new robot models and passive objects in the
  workspace to be tele-operated.
• Robolab 2 is very user-friendly and the
  graphical simulation very realistic.
• The software required for the students
  computers is accessible and easy to install and
  run.
• Robolab 2 helps the students to save time in
  learning to use the tool and allows them to
  concentrate on the more important aspects of the
  course.
• Students considerer the virtual laboratory to be
  valuable complement to the teacher and
  traditional teaching, but many prefer to go to
  the laboratory at the university (support of
  their teacher and their class-mates).

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Current working-lines

• On-line collaborative environments.
• Due to the virtual laboratories are designed to
  be used individually, our research group is
  currently working in on-line collaborative
  environments which incorporate virtual teaching
  support and shared virtual laboratories.

List of users
Shared blackboard applet
Shared simulation applet
Messages of the chat associate
Window opened by the simulation
Fig.10 Collaborative environment
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Current working-lines

• Improvement of Robolab 2
• 3D recognition of objects in the workspace and
  their inclusion in the simulation as 3D models.
• The inclusion of virtual objects in the 3D
  simulation using augmented reality.

Fig.12 3D recognition
Fig.11 Augmented reality

• Development of virtual laboratories with Easy
  Java Simulations (EJS)
• A new version of the virtual laboratory is being
  developed using EJS software.

Fig.13 EJS applet simulation
Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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Contents

• Introduction
• The System Robolab 2
• Using Robolab
• Conclusions
• Current working-lines
• References

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics
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References

• F. A. Candelas, J. Sánchez. Recursos Didácticos
  Basados en Internet para el Apoyo a la Enseñanza
  de Materias del Área de Ingeniería de Sistemas y
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  e Informática Industrial (especial issue
  Aplicación de la TIC's a la Educación en
  Automática) 2,2, 93 (2005).
• F. A. Candelas, S. T. Puente, F. Torres, V.
  Segarra, J. Navarrete. Flexible system for
  simulating and tele-operating robots through the
  Internet. Journal of Robotic Systems 22,3, 157
  (2005).
• F. A. Candelas, F. Torres, P. Gil, F. Ortiz, S.
  T. Puente, J. Pomares. Laboratorio Virtual remoto
  para Robótica y Evaluación de su Impacto en la
  Docencia. Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e
  Informática Industrial (RIAI) 1,2, 49 (2004).
• F. A. Candelas, S. T. Puente, F. Torres, F. G.
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teaching Robotics
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References

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teaching Robotics
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References

• F. A. Candelas, F. Torres, S. Puente, J.
  Pomares, V. Segarra, J. Navarrete, A Flexible
  Java Class Library for Simulating and
  Teleoperating Robots. Proc. 11th IFAC Symposium
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• J. Sánchez, F. Esquembre, C. Martín, S. Dormido,
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• F. A. Candelas, F. Torres, P. Gil, S. Puente,
  J. Pomares. Including the Virtual Laboratory
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  Proc. Advances in Control Education 2006, Madrid,
  Spain, 21-23 June 2006.
• F. Torres, F. A. Candelas, S. T. Puente, J.
  Pomares, P. Gil, F. G. Ortiz. Experiences with
  Virtual Environment and Remote Laboratory for
  Teaching and Learning Robotics at the University
  of Alicante. International Journal of Engineering
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  22,4, 766, 2006.

Flexible virtual and remote laboratory for
teaching Robotics