kube@cs.UAlberta.CA (Ron Kube) (10/11/90)
I am interested in information on current research projects in Mobile Robots. Here at the University of Alberta (Canada) we have established the Alberta Centre for Machine Intelligence and Robotics (ACMIR) in 1986. The primary goals of the Centre are to create the opportunity for the development of special research expertise in machine intelligence, robotics and control at the University of Alberta. ACMIR consists of four main interest groups: Computer Vision, Intelligent Systems, Robotics and Control and Integrated Production Facility Group. Within the Intelligent Systems Group we have established a Robotics Research Laboratory whose research facilities include a PUMA 260 industrial robot, a TRC mobile robot platform (LABMATE), an upgraded Heathkit ET-.58 (HERO-1) robot and a variety of computer hardware dedicated to control these robots. The HERO robot, equipped with an arm, ultrasonic ranging, a stereo vision system, and speech synthesizer is used to investigate robot perception, robot planning and integration of perception and planning. Of particular interest is the types of projects currently being persued at MIT, making use of Rodney Brooks sub-sumption architecture.