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bus (Fig. 2). The CAN network is connected via a CAN'to'RS232 bridge to an Alix single board
computer (AMD GeodeCPU running on 500MHz, 256 MB RAM, compact flash card, wi'fi and
ethernet). Vision is provided by a modified D'link DCS 900 IP camera which is attached to the Alix
board. Besides the camera, infrared Sharp distance sensors are equipped for an obstacle detection.
Software
The main control program and image processing run on a single board computer (Alix) with Linux.
The low'level motor control runs on the microcontrollers on the CAN'connected modules close to
the hardware.
Having a goal of gathering data and experience this year, we are going to experiment with several
control algorithms:
1. Monte Carlo localization
2. Insect'inspired navigation
3. Vision'based path recognition
Monte Carlo localization provides a method how to merge readings from different (noisy) sensors
into a knowledge about a state of the robot. We have used it successfully in the past, but in the basic
implementation it requires a rough map of its environment. We plan to test some ideas about
a simplified map and state of the robot description.
Insect navigates through an environment very similar to the one provided by the Field Robot Event,
yet it needs a very small computation power. We intend to experiment with an approach based
on the optical flow.
For the Robotour competition (http://robotika.cz/competitions/robotour2009), we have designed
and implemented a simple, yet robust, vision'based road recognition. According to our preliminary
experiments it should perform well in the environment of the maize rows too.
Conclusions
This year, the Eduro team is an experimental participant of the Field Robot Event. We are going
to put the approaches we have developed in the past and specially for the Event and our robot under
a stress of an environment even rougher than we have dealt with before. The data obtained and
experience gained should hopefully be used in the next year competition and in other robotic
projects.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Zbyněk Winkler and Ondřej Luks for helping us to implement a message
processing layer of the control software.
References
http://robotika.cz/
http://www.mff.cuni.cz
http://robsys.cz
http://www.eurobot.org
http://www.robotchallenge.at
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