slides.tex

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\usetheme{Madrid}
\title{Bachelor-Thesis}
\subtitle{Simulation of the RoboCup Logistic League with Fawkes and Gazebo for Multi-Robot Coordination Evaluation}
\author {Frederik Zwilling}
\institute{RWTH Aachen}
\date{19.12.2013}
\subject{Multi-Robot Simulation}

%hide nav bar
\setbeamertemplate{navigation symbols}{}


\begin{document}
\frame{\titlepage}

%Beans
\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{The thesis at a glance}
  \begin{columns}
  \column[]{0.45\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/sim_working_small.png}
  \column[]{0.55\textwidth}
  \textbf{\large Multi-robot simulation}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item \textbf{Environment:} Physically and visually realistic
    \item \textbf{Domain:} RoboCup Logistic League
    \item \textbf{Purpose:} Testing and evaluating to improve our real system
    \item \textbf{Focus:} Agent coordination and high level control
    \end{itemize}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

%% %Schedule
%% \begin{frame}
%%   \frametitle{Schedule}
%%   \begin{enumerate}
%%   \item Motivation
%%   \item Background
%%   \item Related Work
%%   \item Approach
%%   \item Implementation
%%   \item Evaluation
%%   \item Summary
%%   \end{enumerate}
%%   \textcolor{red}{leave off slide?}
%% \end{frame}

%% %Motivation
%% \begin{frame}
%%   \frametitle{Motivation: Multi-Robot Systems}
%%   \begin{columns}
%%     \column[]{0.45\textwidth}
%%     \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/kiva.jpg}
%%     \column[]{0.55\textwidth}
%%     \textbf{\large Advantages of multi-robot systems:}
%%     \begin{itemize}
%%     \item Flexibility, parallelism
%%     \item Heterogeneous groups %Division of labour, specializing
%%     \item Many possible applications %Warehousing, Logistics
%%     \end{itemize}
%%     \pause
%%     \textbf{\large Challenges:}
%%     \begin{itemize}
%%     \item Complexity
%%     \item High effort of testing and evaluating
%%     \end{itemize}
%%   \end{columns}
%% \end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Motivation: Simulation}
  \textbf{\large Advantages of a simulation:}
  \hspace{2cm}\\
  \begin{itemize}
  \item Possibility to test without real environment and robots
    \pause
  \item Fast execution of test, automated test runs
    \pause
  \item Easy comparison of performance with different configurations 
    \pause
  \item Testing on different abstraction levels
    \pause
  \item Especially large advantage for multi-robot systems
  \end{itemize}
\end{frame}

%%%% Background %%%%
\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Logistic League sponsored by Festo (LLSF)}
  \fboxsep=0pt
  \noindent
  \begin{minipage}[]{0.48\linewidth}
    \begin{figure}
      \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/llsfLeague.png}\\
    \end{figure}
  \end{minipage}
  \hfill
  \begin{minipage}[]{0.48\linewidth}
    \textbf{\large League:}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item Part of RoboCup competition
    \item Testbed for logistic robots in a competitive factory automation scenario
    \end{itemize}
    \pause
    \textbf{\large Task:}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item Produce and deliver products by feeding machines% with resources and semi-finished products
    \item Optimize work-flow and performance of the system
    \item Being robust against failure
    \end{itemize}
  \end{minipage}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Fawkes Robot Software Framework}
  \begin{columns}
    \column[c]{0.5\textwidth}
    \begin{figure}
      \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../tabs/mla_complete.jpg}
    \end{figure}
    \column[c]{0.5\textwidth}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item Component-based software design
    \item Components are realized as plugins with multiple threads
    \item Blackboard communication infrastructure
      \pause
    \end{itemize}
  \end{columns}
  \begin{itemize}
  \item[$\Rightarrow$] Allows exchange of sensor/actuator plugins by simulation plugins
  \item[$\Rightarrow$] Allows Multi-Level Abstraction [Beck et al. 2008]
  \end{itemize}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Related Work}
  \begin{columns}
    \column[c]{0.5\textwidth}
    \begin{overlayarea}{\textwidth}{0.8\textheight}
    \only<1->{\includegraphics[height=0.34\textwidth]{../tabs/mla_complete.jpg}}~
    \only<2->{\includegraphics[height=0.34\textwidth]{../pics/darpa_hose}}\\
    \only<3->{\includegraphics[height=0.38\textwidth]{../pics/klingen_sim_small.png}}~
    \only<4->{\includegraphics[height=0.38\textwidth]{../pics/soccer_simulation_3d.png}}\\
    \only<5->{\includegraphics[height=0.23\textwidth]{../pics/simulators_usar}}~
    \only<5->{\includegraphics[height=0.23\textwidth]{../pics/simulators_webots}}\\
    \only<5->{\includegraphics[height=0.245\textwidth]{../pics/simulators_stage}}~
    \only<5->{\includegraphics[height=0.245\textwidth]{../pics/simulators_robotino}}~
    \only<5->{\includegraphics[height=0.245\textwidth]{../pics/simulators_simspark}}
    \end{overlayarea}
    \column[c]{0.5\textwidth}
    \begin{overlayarea}{\textwidth}{0.6\textheight}
      \begin{itemize}
      \item Multi-Level Abstraction [Beck~et~al.~2008]
        \pause
      \item Virtual Robotics Challenge
        \pause
      \item Scene Reconstruction for Fault Analysis [Klingen~2013]
        \pause
      \item RoboCup Simulation Leagues
        \pause
      \item Comparison of Simulators
      \end{itemize}
    \end{overlayarea}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Gazebo Robot Simulator}
  \begin{multicols}{2}
    \begin{figure}
      \includegraphics[scale=0.11]{../pics/gazebo_window.png}
    \end{figure}
    \columnbreak
    \large{\textbf{Advantages}}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item Open Source and runs on Linux 
      \pause
    \item Allows realistic simulation\\ in a 3D environment
      \pause
    \item Domain and robot independent
      \pause
    \item Already supports a variaty of robots and sensors\\(e.g. Hokuyo laser sensor) 
      \pause
    \item Large community
    \end{itemize}
  \end{multicols}
\end{frame}

%%%% Approach %%%%
\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Goals and Used Approaches}
  \large{\textbf{Realistic simulation}}
  \begin{itemize} 
  \item Visually and physically realistic environment
  \item Simulating sensors with Gaussian noise 
  \end{itemize} 
  \pause
  \large{\textbf{Efficient testing}}
  \begin{itemize} 
  \item Multi-Level Abstraction
  \item Start-up scripts to allow faster stimulation start
  \item Visualizing robot belief to identify faults more quickly
  \end{itemize} 
  \pause
  \large{\textbf{Expandability for future changes}}
  \begin{itemize} 
  \item Small and reusable modules
  \end{itemize}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Goals and Used Approaches}
  \large{\textbf{Multi-robot system evaluation}}
  \begin{itemize} 
  \item Automated simulation runs to collect results over night
  \item Loading different configurations for comparison
  \item Performance statistics
  \item Recording of simulation runs
  \end{itemize} 
  \pause
  \large{\textbf{Agent improvements}}
  \begin{itemize} 
  \item Using three robots 
  \item Recycling consumed pucks to get new ressource pucks
  \item Dynamic role change 
  \end{itemize}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Architecture: Simulation}
  \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../tabs/fawkes_gazebo.jpg}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Architecture: Communication}
  \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../tabs/communication.jpg}
\end{frame}

%%%% Implementation %%%%
\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Implementation}
  \begin{columns}
    \column[c]{0.6\textwidth}
    \begin{overlayarea}{\textwidth}{\textheight}
    \only<1->{\includegraphics[height=0.2\textwidth]{../pics/model_machine}}~
    \only<1->{\includegraphics[height=0.2\textwidth]{../pics/model_robotino}}~
    \only<1->{\includegraphics[height=0.2\textwidth]{../pics/model_puck}}~
    \only<1->{\includegraphics[height=0.2\textwidth]{../pics/model_field}}\\
    \only<2->{\includegraphics[width=1.0\textwidth]{../pics/robotino_presentation}}
    \end{overlayarea}
    \column[c]{0.4\textwidth}
    \begin{overlayarea}{\textwidth}{0.8\textheight}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item Simulation Models
      \pause
    \item Sensor and Actuators\\(in Gazebo and Fawkes)
      \pause
    \item Game Logic\\(Light-signals)
    \item Organizational Plugins\\(Time-synchronization)
      \pause
    \item Agent Improvements
    \item Automation Scripts
    \end{itemize}
    \end{overlayarea}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

%%%% Evaluation %%%%
\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Evaluation of the Simulation}
  \textbf{\large Realism:}\\
  %no common measurement => evaluation of components
  \begin{itemize}
  \item LLSF can be simulated realistically
  \item Visualization sufficient for vision tasks %show vision
  \item Reflections and lightening conditions difficult to simulate %shows limitations
  \item Difficult to find good friction parameters
  \item[$\Rightarrow$] Many real problems can be simulated
  \end{itemize}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Hackathon}
  \begin{columns}
    \column[c]{0.45\textwidth}
    \center
    \includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{../pics/hackathon_real_de}\\
    \hspace{0.5cm}\\
    \includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{../pics/hackathon_sim}\\
    \raggedright
    \column[c]{0.55\textwidth}
    \textbf{\large Bonding Hackathon 2013:}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item $\sim 40$ inexperienced people 
    \item Search and rescue scenario based on LLSF environment
    \item Possibility of rapid testing with the simulation
    \item Most teams successfully solved the task in reality
    \item[$\Rightarrow$] Simulation expandable
    \item[$\Rightarrow$] Simulation allows efficient testing
    \end{itemize}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Evaluation of Agent Strategies} % explain configurations
  \begin{columns}
    \column[c]{0.5\textwidth}
    \begin{overlayarea}{\textwidth}{0.8\textheight}
    \center
    \only<1>{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/eval_similarity}}
    \only<2>{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/eval_p3}}
    \only<3>{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/eval_recycling}}
    \only<4>{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/eval_dynamic}}
    \only<5->{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/eval_two}}
    \\
    %\hspace{0.5cm}\\
    \only<5>{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../pics/eval_three}}\\
    \raggedright
    \end{overlayarea}
    \column[c]{0.5\textwidth}
    \begin{itemize}
    \item Score in simulation similar to reality % human interaction + small fixes
      \pause
    \item $P_3P_3$ performs best % possible in Eindhoven but no possibility to compare strategies
      \pause
    \item Recycling provides simple points but is more error-prone
      \pause
    \item Dynamic role change happens only rarely
      \pause
    \item Uncoordinated navigation and resource bottlenecks limit score with three agents
    \end{itemize}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

%%%% Summary %%%%

\begin{frame}
  \frametitle{Summary}
  \textbf{\large Multi-robot simulation of the LLSF}
  \begin{itemize}
  \item Important to allow efficient testing and developing
  \item Comprehensive simulation of the LLSF
  \item Efficient evaluation and comparison of multi-robot strategies
  \item Expandable for future changes
  \item Successfully used in several other developments\\(agent strategies, hackathon, puck-vision, collision-avoidance)
  \end{itemize}
  \begin{block}{}
    \textcolor{red}{take home message?}
  \end{block}
\end{frame}
\end{document}