10.12.2007: Adaptive robot Gnom №9

Mobile robot Gnome №9 with adaptive control has been assembled and is operate.




«Hardware and software system», - mobile robot Gnome №9 with adaptive control, has begun to run on the floor of our laboratory. Robot task is to demonstrate properties of the self-contained adaptive control system (AAC).




Robot behaves like a newborn living organism that is placed on ground for the first time. At first minutes of its life it «doesn’t know» how to behave space. Its movements are disorderly and meaningless. It often meets with an obstacle receiving unpleasant emotions and being hopeless at avoiding obstacle. Stepwise robot becomes to «understand» that (its) «emotions» is the result of its behavior. After that robot «guesses» how to avoid obstacle – it finds the alternative way without obstacle by itself.

Additionally, it discovers that it’s pleasant to come across green papers. Gradually Robot begins to collect its purposely. The process of knowledge-gathering and thereby - transformation from infant into experienced driver – takes at the average 20 minutes. For the present its profession is adaptive garbage collector (green papers).

Robot has been assembled from parts of construction set Lego Mindstorms NXT. Robot sense organs are composed of eyesight and touch sensor based on sealed contacts connected to Lego`s computer. The eyesight is made of laser and web-cam connected to PDA (pocket PC). Actuators are two reversible electro motors of wheel drive. For the present adaptive control system is on Desktop PC. Robot connects to PC by means of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. After debugging it’s planned to locate whole control system in PDA (pocket PC) on the Robot board.

Robot was developed by A.A. Zhdanov, N.B. Preobrazhensky, A.N. Kondukov, T.S. Naumkina, D. Eleseev, I.V. Mokrov, S.V. Gontarev, M.A. Zhdanov and other members of our development group.