EURECA 2011 - Target Finding with 3D Vision

Program: EURECA Summer 2011
Participant: Diego Aguirre
Topic: Creation of a mobile robot that uses a 3D Kinect vision sensor to explore and find a target in a room.
Poster: Download the Poster

Obstacle avoidance mechanisms usually rely on sonar sensors; however, the data that they provide is limited when compared to what a 3D camera can offer. The purpose of this project is to provide a robot with a 3D camera to achieve the following goal: create a robust mobile system that finds a known target in a given search space.

This goal requires the robot to navigate a cluttered room freely while looking for the target of interest. Safe navigation was achieved using the depth information provided by the 3D camera, whereas the SURF (Speeded-Up Robust Features) algorithm was used to recognize the object of interest when seen.

EURECA 2011 - Data Transmission Using a 60GHz Radio Link

Program: EURECA Summer 2011
Participant: Janice Pan
Topic: Investigate how 60GHz radios work and how data can be transmitted over commercially available 60GHz radios.
Poster: Download the Poster

There are currently no consumer-grade commercial-off-the-shelf products for wirelessly transmitting general data at multiple gigabits-per-second (Gbps) rates. 60 GHz wireless radios utilized in the Rocketfish WirelessHD Adapter enable such high data rates but are specifically used for streaming high definition (HD) audio/video. In this project, we stream general data over a 60 GHz wireless link provided by the Rocketfish WirelessHD product by encoding the data within video frames. Our initial implementation demonstrates the feasibility of such a technique, though further optimizations are needed to reach maximum throughput in the gigabits-per-second range.

EURECA 2011 - Innovation of Robotic Shopping

Program: EURECA Summer 2011
Participant: Ekitu K. Agbomah
Topic: Investigate how robot shopping assistant can enhance your shopping experience.
Poster: Download the Poster

Great Customer Service and satisfying the customer's need has also been one of the major goals of shopping centers. Today, the question is what are Consumer Needs?  The business market is booming in competition.  Average consumers are finding ways to avoid the hustle and waiting of purchasing products that maintain the daily needs. Corporations try to keep up with the technological advancements through the information technology department to make sure purchases and transaction are processed smoothly.  This venture of business is able to support the customer in a timely manner, and also efficiently.  The fundamental to acquiring business is treating the customer right and making them feel like they are important.  This goal is attributed to supporting them and fulfilling their needs.  The quickest venue is robot shopping. Robot shopping will log and store what is needed for purchases and also link different companies to ensure maintenance and create history with business.

EURECA 2011 - Multi-Agent Autonomous Intersection

Program: EURECA Summer 2011
Participant: Sushen Patel
Topic: Implement an autonomous intersection using the Proteus Robots in the Pharos Lab.
Poster: Download the Poster

The purpose of this research project is to develop a way Stone and Dresner's algorithm can be applied a to a mobile Proteus Traxxas Robot using the Pharos test-bed developed by the Pharos Lab at UT Austin. This research will help us identify any other problems that could arise when trying to apply the algorithm to an actual vehicle. The proposed solutions to these problems could then be useful in the future research or application of AIM,  perhaps using real automobiles.

EURECA 2011 - Node Mobility and Wireless Signal Strength Measurement

Program: EURECA Summer 2011
Participant: Johanna Rivera
Topic: Investigate ways to monitor how wireless signal strength is impacted by node mobility.
Poster: Download the Poster

The performance of a network is directly related to the wireless signal strength. To achieve communication from node to node it is necessary to know the factors that could affect a connection.

The overall aim of this research is to measure the received signal strength (RSS) of mobile nodes through Wi-Fi Beacons in real time. To accomplish this goal a graphical user interface (GUI) was created to let the user move multiple robots at the same time and measure the RSS of each one of them. The RSS behavior is evaluated based on distance, specifically GPS coordinates or geographic location of each node. A couple of missions were made to collect data and analyze them.

EURECA 2011 - Efficient Delay Tolerant Networks via Wireless Network Coding

Program: EURECA Summer 2011
Participant: Jessica Weaver
Topic: Investigate how network coding increase the efficiency (i.e., reduce the number of wireless transmissions) in a delay tolerant network.
Poster: Download the Poster