SPARK - Spatial Reasoning and Knowledge Module

Summary

SPARK is the new module containing only the environment management and spatial reasoning part of MHP. MHP was too big and there were some big limitations coming from the use of planning and environment management (notably one couldn't not be done without stopping the other). With the help of this module, some limitations have been overcome.

This module is the one we give to CHRIS partners for spatial reasoning (perspective taking, spatial reasoning, etc).

SPARK uses Move3D, and all almost the dependencies that MHP had. On the contrary MHP now do not depend on anything except SPARK and only serves to motion planning.

DEPENDENCIES AND HOW TO INSTALL

SPARK is not yet in Robotpkg, but will be soon (thanks to Severin MHP is now in robotpkg). For the moment, you have to do the classic git clone from trac.laas.fr.

The big dependency is Move3D. The others are genMAnip, genBasic, and depending on the chosen configuration, JIDO -> lwr, pom, platine, HRP2 -> pom, hrp2, ORO ->liboro.

When you want to generate the module with genom, you can specify the configuration like, genom -t -o -DJIDO -DORO spark.gen (this configuration is installed on Jido).

INPUTS and OUTPUTS

The general architecture of SPARK is following:

The module communicates automatically to ORO and provides a poster containing the current screenshot of the environment. MHP reads this poster and updates its own environment before planning any motion.

HOW TO USE

SPARK depends on Move3D, and like MHP it needs a Move3D environment file (.p3d) containing the geometric definitions of robots, objects and humans. Normally .p3d files can be found in BioMove3DDemos git repository in /usr/local/motion. For CHRIS we normally use the files in BioMove3DDemos/GS/*.p3d (gsJidoKuka.p3d for ex)

Requests

The name of the requests as well as their I/O are almost the same as the ones in MHP:

Standard Requests

• LoadP3d(.p3d file, 1, 0): This request is the initialization request and should be launched before anything else.

• LoadSce(.sce file): .sce files are senario files of Move3D. They contain a default position for everything in the env.

• ReadRobot(ArmPoster, pomPoster, PlatinePoster): In order to keep the robot in SPARK synchronized with the real robot, we run this looping request(-ack is necessary in tcl)

• ReadHumans(Mode, HumanPoster): to make SPARK read and update humans in the environment. Mode can be USE_GEST, USE_MOCAP or USE_MORSE depending on the source.

• ReadObjects(vimanPoster): Same for the objects.

• PlaceAgent(name, coords...): To place an agent(robot/human) by hand you use this request. name is case insensitive and accepts only a part of the agents real name.

• PlaceObjects(name, coords...): Same for an object

Interface Requests

By default the interface is launched but is inactive.

• UpdateInterface(): Looping request. Refreshes the interface.

• ChangeCameraPos(x,y,z,dist,azimuth,elevation): changes the point of view of the camera of the interface. x,y,z is the point to point at. dist is the distance to that point. Azimuth and elevation are two angles in spherical coords to move around that point.

• SetInterfaceParams(params...): A couple of parameters to change the quality of the interface (&and put walls, shadows, ground, etc)

• SetInterfaceAgentParams(name, params...): Activates/Deactivates the FOV,FOA and pointing visualizations.

Situation Assessment Requests

• IsVisible(object, Agent): returns VISIBLE/INVISIBLE depending on the visibility of the object to the Agent.

• IsReachable(object,Agent): returns REACHABLE/UNREACHABLE

• UpdateObjectStates(): This looping request (-ack needed) computes all the spatial relations and send them to ORO.

TODO

• Test, test and more test. Deadline: Lyon Meeting
• YARP support to communicate with other CHRIS modules. The idea is to create an other module that will read yarp ports and create SPARK compatible posters. Deadline: Lyon Meeting. Will be done with Alex Lenz from BRL while his visit to LAAS on 27th Sept.