Research plan and tasks to be executed by the research team
1. Description of the project's outline and work break down structure
The project work is organized into 5 Work Packages distributed across Phase 1 and Phase 2, encompassing respective tasks, leaders, participants, expected outcomes, and deadlines for their execution. This information is contained within the "Work Packages" table at the end of the project proposal.
Project management activities are outlined in Work Package 1 (WP1), led by Assoc. Prof. Ivan Chavdarov. These activities aim to ensure the timely achievement of goals and the quality of results throughout the entire project.
Research activities related to robots and algorithms for task execution in complex environments are encompassed in Work Package 2 (WP2), under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Snezhanka Kostova .
Various types of stationary and mobile robots will be examined in complex environments. Their fields of application, advantages and disadvantages as well as unsolved problems will be analyzed. The state-of-the-art of mobile robots designed for working in complex terrains for overcoming stairs, climbing and others, as well as stationary robots used for educational and industrial purposes, will be explored. Typical representatives of robots inspired by biological analogies will be considered. Parameters and criteria that determine the ability of a certain type of robot to perform movements in a complex environment will be analyzed and systematized.
A study of approaches for solving the direct and inverse kinematics problem for different types of robots will be done, as well as analysis of their advantages and disadvantages. Unresolved issues will be considered.
Analysis of existing methods for generating workspace and configuration space for stationary and mobile robots will be made. Methods for the analysis of reachable points and orientation possibilities of the robot executive unit will be studied. Advantages and disadvantages of redundant robots will be formulated. Achieving position and orientation with different types of robot configuration.
A study of different motion planning algorithms suitable for operating in static and dynamic obstacle environments will be conducted. Classification of algorithms, area of their application, advantages and disadvantages wil be аdone.
Known motion planning approaches for robot object grasping will be investigated.
As a result of the analyses and studies, information about the available set of parameters and criteria that determine the ability of a certain type of robot to perform movements in a complex environment will be systematised. This result will confirm or reject hypothesis 1.
Work package 3 (WP3). Theoretical studies of the working and configuration space of robots in the presence of joint constraints and obstacles,led by Assoc. Prof. Ivan Chavdarov.
New algorithms will be created to find a solution to the inverse kinematics problem for specific types of robots. Based on these algorithms, regions of the workspace and configuration space with different types of solutions will be generated. Algorithms must take into account the specifics of the robot's structure, joint constraints and the presence of obstacles.
Algorithms for planning trajectories in the workspace and/or configuration space when there are previously known obstacles in advance will be investigated.
The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms in different practical situations will be tested. The generated regions in the configuration space are necessary as a base for the application of efficient approaches, such as the Voronoi method, the virtual potential field method, etc., which can plan robot movements with a large number of degrees of freedom in the presence of statical and/or dynamical obstacles.
Using the proposed approaches, regions of the configuration space will be generated. The regions are reachable with different types of robot configuration.
The configuration space of robots with complex mechanical structures, such as robots with a parallel structure and fingers of a humanoid hand, will be explored. Research and development of algorithms for configuration space generation, object recognition and grasping.
Work package 4 (WP4). Development of algorithms for planning and executing movements in a complex environment, led by Assoc. Prof. Kaloyan Yovchev.
Research and application of innovative algorithms for planning and executing movements in an unknown environment with limited information and unknown obstacles will be conducted. Approaches will be sought to improve their effectiveness.
Self-learning control algorithms that are applicable to work in complex environments will be developed. Investigation of the performance of algorithms when the shape and location of obstacles are not known in advance will be made. The convergence and applicability of self-learning control methods for robots operating in complex environments will be investigated.
The possibilities of applying the minimalist principle in the design of robots and algorithms for movement in an obstacle environment will be explored.
Creation of an algorithm for planning movements when grasping objects by a robotic arm.
Work package 5 (WP5). Creating simulation models of movements in environment with obstacles and conducting experiments with robot prototypes, led by Assoc. Prof. Ivan Chavdarov.
This task aims to verify and prove the benefits of the methods and algorithms developed by the team for planning movements in the presence of obstacles.
Simulation models will be created, with the help of which the proposed algorithms will be tested. It is planned to design and/or improve existing prototypes of 3D printed robots. Equip the models with appropriate sensors and control hardware. By using the purchased redundant robot and the created models, experiments will be conducted with the aim to apply the proposed approaches and algorithms.
Measurements like position, speed, trajectory, task completion time and others based on the robot's sensor systems will be reported and evaluated. Data will be processed and analysed using statistical methods. A benchmarking of performance will be done.
With the help of specialised software, virtual models of the robots and an environment for experiments will be created. The behaviour of the robots under the given control and other input parameters will be investigated and the results will be analysed. Results will be presented graphically through graphs and videos.
Summarising and analysing the results, classifying and defining the outstanding problems and generating relevant conclusions will be done.
Methodology for implementing the activity - The project activities will be executed in a team by the designated members of the collective, with the use of newly purchased as well as existent equipment and specialized software available in the organizations. The activity will be carried out in the planned time schedule. The approaches and methods described above in the document will be applied. For the purposes of the studies and analyses, up-to-date scientific works will be considered: papers and research studies published within the last 10 years, in prestigious journals with an impact factor and/or impact rank and proceedings of international conferences, will be used. The research team has access to scientific databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, IEEE, etc. The testing of the created algorithms will be carried out on existing 3D models, newly created prototypes, as well as with the newly purchased redundant and mobile robots. To ensure the completion of the tasks and to overcome possible risks, the actions described in the project management part will be followed. The project manager and the work package managers will monitor the implementation of the indicators in the planned time schedule. Т he qualitative performance of the experiments will be carried out in compliance with the safety.
2. Schedule
| WP/month | 01-03 | 04-06 | 07-09 | 10-12 | 13-15 | 16-18 | 19-21 | 22-24 | 25-27 | 28-30 | 31-33 | 34-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP 1 | ||||||||||||
| WP 2 | ||||||||||||
| WP 3 | ||||||||||||
| WP 4 | ||||||||||||
| WP 5 |
3. Project management plan
The project manager carries out overall leadership and coordination and is responsible for its implementation and compliance and recommendations of the National Science Fund. He makes the main organizational connections with scientists participating in the project. He along with the entire team of the WP1 coordinates the work of the WP leaders, as well as the implementation of project tasks. Assoc. Prof. Kostova will be responsible for communication with the administrative and financial departments of IR-BAS. She will oversee the accounting of remunerations, ensuring internal control for activity implementation in accordance with the rules of the National Science Fund.
P roject administration will be assisted by the Management and Finance Department of the Institute of Robotics at the BAS according to the financial plan of the project. The scientific leadership of the project is provided by the project leader, Assoc. Prof. I. Chavdarov. All expenses of the project will be coordinated with the accounting department of the Institute of Robotics at the BAS and will be carried out according to the rules and requirements of the NSF.
Regular team meetings will be conducted to report on the work done so far, project progress, achieved indicators, discussions of emerging issues, and the implementation of appropriate measures to overcome them. Upcoming tasks will be discussed at these meeting too.
All project participants will contribute to the preparation of interim and final project reports in the areas relevant to their responsibilities. The project leader will compile and finalize the reports for Phase 1 and the project's final report. The project leader, in collaboration with the work package leaders, will oversee the scientific quality of task execution and adherence to the project timeline. In case of potential risks, actions will be taken to address them.
Some of the possible risks are described in the following table:
| RISK NUMBER | DESCRIPTION OF RISK | MITIGATION MEASURES |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Failure to meet task completion deadlines. | Mechanisms for internal control, regular team meetings, and more will be in place to prevent subjective delays. |
| 2. | Inability to conduct experiments within the designated timeframe. | Experiments may be postponed or conducted remotely if feasible. |
| 3. | Departure of key team members. | The experts are interchangeable to ensure the absence of experts doesn't hinder quality task execution. |
| 4. | Increase in market prices of equipment, potentially preventing procurement. | Most equipment will be purchased in the project's initial stage to align with budgeted prices. Additionally, funds might be reallocated as per competition regulations. |
At each stage, the achievement of the project's goals will be tracked using the following indicators:
RESULTS INDICATORS