Integration of a stereo multiple-laser ranger system and force sensor in a virtual robotic environment

We show the advantages of fusing a multi-laser ranging system with a force sensor and a virtual reality system. The multi-laser system is capable of calculating the range of objects in 3D space with respect to a multi-robot coordinate frame. It is also equipped with a real-time image processor (SHARC) system used for ranging and identifying simple objects. The force sensor on the gripper of one of the robot arms allows the measurement in 3D space of the force and torque acting on the gripper. The range, force and torque data as well as kinematic information are integrated in order to improve the planning and execution of tasks, e.g. interaction with randomly placed objects. We also describe the volume of sensing of the laser ranger system. This volume is incorporated into a virtual reality system to simulate the real environment of the robot, and allow planning to take place in the best sensing position. A significant proportion of the work has included the integration of a diverse range of systems into a uniform parallel processing environment.