The Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab of Politecnico di Milano
Concierge is a robotic head intended to stay on the side of an office door and following with the “eyes” the persons passing in the corridor. When a person comes to the door Concierge makes a “Yes” or “No” gesture according to the possibility to disturb the person in the office. Concierge can be dressed in different ways, corresponding to different psychological types, expressing the same behavior in different flavors. The more appreciated is the funky one.
Contact person: Andrea Bonarini
Benchmarking means objectively measuring the performance of a robot when executing a task. Being able to benchmark robot systems is necessary to compare their performance, and thus to better understand their strenghts and weaknesses. Both research and industry need this to progress.
However, when dealing with autonomous agents benchmarking is tricky. How to devise testing procedures that yield objective results? What metrics capture the key points of the robot performance? How can robots that perform the same complex action differently be compared?
AIRLab has been working on these issues for a long time, accumulating experience in both methodology and real-world benchmark design, setup and execution.
Over the years, we participated -and are participating- to many European projects about robot benchmarking, including RAWSEEDS (FP6), RoCKIn (FP7), RockEU2 (H2020), RobMoSys (H2020), EUROBENCH (H2020), SciRoc (H2020), METRICS (H2020).
Contact: Matteo Matteucci
i.Drive is an interdepartmental laboratory where AIRLab is the technology provider for robotics.
The laboratory aims at developing inter-disciplinary proficiency required for analysis and modelling of behavioral aspects due to the interaction between driver, vehicle, infrastructure, and environment through:
Contact: Matteo Matteucci
For additional details: http://www.idrive.polimi.it/
MADROB (Modular Active Door for RObot Benchmarking) and BEAST (Benchmark-Enabling Active Shopping Trolley) are benchmarks for autonomous robots aimed at measuring their capabilities and performance when dealing with devices that are common in human environments.
MADROB is focused on opening doors; BEAST considers the problem of pushing a shopping trolley. Both make use of a device with the same features of its real counterpart, fitted with sensors (to assess the actions of the robots on it: e.g., force applied to the handle of the door, precision in following a trajectory with the cart) and actuators (to introduce disturbances simulating real-world phenomena: e.g., wind pushing the door panel, stone under the trolley’s wheel).
Beyond the hardware and software, MADROB and BEAST also comprise procedures and performance metrics that enable objective evaluation of the performance of robots, as well as comparisons between different robots and between a robots and humans.
Contact: Matteo Matteucci
For additional details: http://eurobench2020.eu/developing-the-framework/modular-active-door-for-robot-benchmarking-madrob/, http://eurobench2020.eu/developing-the-framework/benchmark-enabling-active-shopping-trolley-beast/
The PMK is an add-on for commercial electric wheelchairs that uses robotic technology to provide two new functionalities:
The PMK has been developed with the collaboration of disabled people. Its design and implementation are focused on the principle of shared autonomy: the robotic part of the wheelchair only intervenes when this actually makes the user feel more empowered by this intervention, augmenting the user’s autonomy and independence.
Contact: Matteo Matteucci
This is an example of collaboration between AIRLab and industry for the development of innovative products. In this case, the product is a device for the assisted transportation of hospital beds (with patients) employing robot technology for flexible movement in tight spaces and safety.
This project, a collaboration between AIRLab, Università di Milano – Bicocca and Info Solution SpA financed by Regione Lombardia, led to the development of international patents and a commercial product (BeN).
Contact: Matteo Matteucci
SciRoc is a EU-H2020 funded project supporting the European Robotics League (ERL), whose aim is to bring ERL tournaments in the context of smart cities.
Contact: Matteo Matteucci
For additional details: https://sciroc.eu/
Expressing emotions with a robot that could have any shape and abilities requires to study the expressive power of different interaction channels, and the different features involved in emotional expression: shape, movement, colors, sound, light, timing, input channels, etc.
On this way we have developed, among others, the robots listed below. Some of them exploit emotion expression in their job (robots for people with disabilities, artist robots) others are just experiments to evaluate the basic components of emotion expression.
OIMI is built on an holonomic base (Triskarino), free to run on the ground, with infrared remote sensors, on which a kind of soft egg is fixed. The main body also includes tactile sensors that make it possible to detect whether OIMI is caressed, hugged, or hit. Under the base there is a circle of colored LEDs, and a loudspeaker to enable to emit sounds that express its emotional state. On the upper part of the body five touch sensible sections are used to communicate explicitly with the robot. On the front of the body an area enables the user to compose faces with given elements.
OIMI is built on an holonomic base (Triskarino), free to run on the ground, with infrared remote sensors, on which a kind of soft egg is fixed. The main body also includes tactile sensors that make it possible to detect whether OIMI is caressed, hugged, or hit. Under the base there is a circle of colored LEDs, and a loudspeaker to enable to emit sounds that express its emotional state. On the upper part of the body five touch sensible sections are used to communicate explicitly with the robot. On the front of the body an area enables the user to compose faces with given elements.
OIMI is intended to be used as an agent, other than the therapist, with whom children, especially those affected by Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can interact. We have implemented some autonomous reactions, mainly related to how it is manipulated and to the distance the user is. OIMI can also be driven by an operator or by programs running locally. OIMI has been implemented in 6 versions, the first three, with the name of Teo, within the Polisocial KROG project as a mobile element that interacts with a large screen and a Kinect system in play activities. The fourth version was provided as operational support for therapies and free play at the “Il Sogno” ONLUS Association, in Castenuovo Garfagnana (LU), where is operational since 2018. The fifth version is exploiting novel touch sensors and improved interaction capabilities. A sixth version is considering movement of the subject to drive the interaction. Other versions are under development, integrating sound direction and analysis, and goal directed actions (e.g. to improve attention while playing).
More information on Robots and disabilities at AIRLab is available from: http://playbot4all.polimi.it