@article {2018t-MasMohRobFra, title = {Shared Planning and Control for Mobile Robots with Integral Haptic Feedback}, journal = {The International Journal of Robotics Research}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {10/2018}, pages = {1395-1420}, abstract = {This paper presents a novel bilateral shared framework for online trajectory generation for mobile robots. The robot navigates along a dynamic path, represented as a B-spline, whose parameters are jointly controlled by a human supervisor and by an autonomous algorithm. The human steers the reference (ideal) path by acting on the path parameters which are also affected, at the same time, by the autonomous algorithm in order to ensure: i) collision avoidance, ii) path regularity and iii) proximity to some points of interest. These goals are achieved by combining a gradient descent-like control action with an automatic algorithm that re-initializes the traveled path (replanning) in cluttered environments in order to mitigate the effects of local minima. The control actions of both the human and the autonomous algorithm are fused via a filter that preserves a set of local geometrical properties of the path in order to ease the tracking task of the mobile robot. The bilateral component of the interaction is implemented via a force feedback that accounts for both human and autonomous control actions along the whole path, thus providing information about the mismatch between the reference and traveled path in an integral sense. The proposed framework is validated by means of realistic simulations and actual experiments deploying a quadrotor UAV supervised by a human operator acting via a force-feedback haptic interface. Finally, a user study is presented in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework and the usefulness of the provided force cues.}, keywords = {Aerial Robotics, Optimal Trajectory Planning}, attachments = {https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2018t-MasMohRobFra-preprint.pdf , https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2018t-MasMohRobFra-video1.mp4 , https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2018t-MasMohRobFra-video2.mp4 , https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2018t-MasMohRobFra-video3.mp4}, author = {Carlo Masone and Mostafa Mohammadi and Paolo Robuffo Giordano and Antonio Franchi} } @conference {2014c-MasRobBueFra, title = {Semi-autonomous Trajectory Generation for Mobile Robots with Integral Haptic Shared Control}, booktitle = {2014 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation}, year = {2014}, month = {05/2014}, pages = {6468-6475}, address = {Hong Kong, China}, abstract = {A new framework for semi-autonomous path plan- ning for mobile robots that extends the classical paradigm of bilateral shared control is presented. The path is represented as a B-spline and the human operator can modify its shape by controlling the motion of a finite number of control points. An autonomous algorithm corrects in real time the human directives in order to facilitate path tracking for the mobile robot and ensures i) collision avoidance, ii) path regularity, and iii) attraction to nearby points of interest. A haptic feedback algorithm processes both human{\textquoteright}s and autonomous control terms, and their integrals, to provide an information of the mismatch between the path specified by the operator and the one corrected by the autonomous algorithm. The framework is validated with extensive experiments using a quadrotor UAV and a human in the loop with two haptic interfaces. }, keywords = {Bilateral Shared Control of Mobile Robots}, attachments = {https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2014c-MasRobBueFra-preprint.pdf , https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2014c-MasRobBueFra.mp4}, author = {Carlo Masone and Paolo Robuffo Giordano and Heinrich H. B{\"u}lthoff and Antonio Franchi} } @conference {2012k-MasFraBueRob, title = {Interactive Planning of Persistent Trajectories for Human-Assisted Navigation of Mobile Robots}, booktitle = {2012 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems}, year = {2012}, month = {10/2012}, pages = {2641-2648}, address = {Vilamoura, Portugal}, abstract = {This work extends the framework of bilateral shared control of mobile robots with the aim of increasing the robot autonomy and decreasing the operator commitment. We consider persistent autonomous behaviors where a cyclic motion must be executed by the robot. The human operator is in charge of modifying online some geometric properties of the desired path. This is then autonomously processed by the robot in order to produce an actual path guaranteeing: i) tracking feasibility, ii) collision avoidance with obstacles, iii) closeness to the desired path set by the human operator, and iv) proximity to some points of interest. A force feedback is implemented to inform the human operator of the global deformation of the pathrather than using the classical mismatch between desired and executed motion commands. Physically-based simulations, with human/hardware-in-the-loop and a quadrotor UAV as robotic platform, demonstrate the feasibility of the method. }, keywords = {Bilateral Shared Control of Mobile Robots, Force feedback, Haptics, Motion Planning, Optimal Trajectory Planning, Teleoperation}, attachments = {https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2012k-MasFraBueRob.pdf , https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2012k-MasFraBueRob.mp4}, author = {Carlo Masone and Antonio Franchi and Heinrich H. B{\"u}lthoff and Paolo Robuffo Giordano} } @article {2012q-FraMasGraRylBueRob, title = {Modeling and Control of UAV Bearing-Formations with Bilateral High-Level Steering}, journal = {The International Journal of Robotics Research, Special Issue on 3D Exploration, Mapping, and Surveillance}, volume = {31}, year = {2012}, month = {10/2012}, pages = {1504-1525}, abstract = {In this paper we address the problem of controlling the motion of a group of UAVs bound to keep a formation defined in terms of only relative angles (i.e., a bearing-formation). This problem can naturally arise within the context of several multi-robot applications such as, e.g., exploration, coverage, and surveillance. First, we introduce and thoroughly analyze the concept and properties of bearing-formations, and provide a class of minimally linear sets of bearings sufficient to uniquely define such formations. We then propose a bearing-only formation controller requiring only bearing measurements, converging almost globally, and maintaining bounded inter-agent distances despite the lack of direct metric information. The controller still leaves the possibility to impose group motions tangent to the current bearing-formation. These can be either autonomously chosen by the robots because of any additional task (e.g., exploration), or exploited by an assisting human co-operator. For this latter {\textquoteleft}human-in-the-loop{\textquoteright} case, we propose a multi-master/multi-slave bilateral shared control system providing the co-operator with some suitable force cues informative of the UAV performance. The proposed theoretical framework is extensively validated by means of simulations and experiments with quadrotor UAVs equipped with onboard cameras. Practical limitations, e.g., limited field-of-view, are also considered.}, keywords = {Bilateral Shared Control of Mobile Robots, Decentralized control, Force feedback, Formation control, Haptics, Motion control of multiple robots, Multi-robot systems, Teleoperation}, attachments = {https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2012q-FraMasGraRylBueRob-preprint.pdf}, author = {Antonio Franchi and Carlo Masone and Volker Grabe and Markus Ryll and Heinrich H. B{\"u}lthoff and Paolo Robuffo Giordano} } @booklet {2012p-MasFraBueRob, title = {Shared Trajectory Planning for Human-in-the-loop Navigation of Mobile Robots in Cluttered Environments}, howpublished = {5th Int. Work. on Human-Friendly Robotics}, year = {2012}, month = {10/2012}, address = {Bruxelles, Belgium}, keywords = {Bilateral Shared Control of Mobile Robots, Optimal Trajectory Planning}, author = {Carlo Masone and Antonio Franchi and Heinrich H. B{\"u}lthoff and Paolo Robuffo Giordano} } @booklet {2012o-FraMasRob, title = {A Synergetic High-level/Reactive Planning Framework with Application to Human-Assisted Navigation}, howpublished = {2012 IEEE IROS Work. on Real-time Motion Planning: Online, Reactive, and in Real-time}, year = {2012}, month = {10/2012}, address = {Vilamoura, Portugal}, keywords = {Bilateral Shared Control of Mobile Robots, Optimal Trajectory Planning}, attachments = {https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2012o-FraMasRob-preprint.pdf}, author = {Antonio Franchi and Carlo Masone and Paolo Robuffo Giordano} } @conference {2011i-FraMasBueRob, title = {Bilateral Teleoperation of Multiple UAVs with Decentralized Bearing-only Formation Control}, booktitle = {2011 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems}, year = {2011}, month = {09/2011}, pages = {2215-2222}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {We present a decentralized system for the bilateral teleoperation of groups of UAVs which only relies on relative bearing measurements, i.e., without the need of distance information or global localization. The properties of a 3D bearing-formation are analyzed, and a minimal set of bearings needed for its definition is provided. We also design a novel decentralized formation control almost globally convergent and able to maintain bounded and non-vanishing inter-distances among the agents despite the absence of direct distance measurements. Furthermore, we develop a multimaster/multi-slave teleoperation setup in order to control the overall behavior of the group and to convey to the human operator suitable force cues, while ensuring stability in presence of delays and packet losses over the master-slave communication channel. The theoretical framework is validated by means of extensive human/hardware in-the-loop simulations using two force-feedback devices and a group of quadrotors.}, keywords = {Bilateral Shared Control of Mobile Robots, Decentralized control, Force feedback, Formation control, Haptics, Motion control of multiple robots, Multi-robot systems, Teleoperation}, attachments = {https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2011i-FraMasBueRob-preprint.pdf , https://homepages.laas.fr/afranchi/robotics/sites/default/files/2011i-FraMasBueRob.mp4}, author = {Antonio Franchi and Carlo Masone and Heinrich H. B{\"u}lthoff and Paolo Robuffo Giordano} }