Computational Intelligence - August 2014 - 58

Middleware [26], OROCOS
[27], Player [28]-[30], and
Education Service
OPRoS [31]-[32], have been
Cleaning Service
Improved Cleaning Service
developed with similar objectives.
As most of the robot developEducation Agent
ment platforms are based on
Cleaning Agent
Cleaning Agent
modularization for the reuse of
Vision-Based Obstacle
Detection Agent
robot components, they help
X-Bot Agent
X-Bot Agent
robot developers to build robots
Camera Agent
more efficiently [33]. However,
such platforms consider the effiX-Bot
ciency and productivity for
Camera
X-Bot
developers only. Even though the
A user can add
Robot
Robot
commercial robots are produced
additional components
for other services.
through an efficient development
process, the final product proFigure 2 The concept of UDREAM.
vides only a few services for
which they were designed at the
development stage. Therefore, it is very
pose UDREAM as a platform for the
Since the iSA is to be equipped with
hard for users to upgrade or reconfigure
implementation of the iSA. Due to the
all aspects of InT, it has numerous
the robot by themselves. If users need a
ser vice-level modular ization in
potential applications. It can be used as a
new service in addition to the designed
UDREAM, several different application
central control agent for a smart home
services, they have to purchase another
setups for the iSA can be developed using
to manage all electronic equipment,
robot. Thus, in this case, the robot turns
the same basic architecture and technolosecurity apparatus, service robots, and
out to be more expensive than its practigy. Users can get the base system (or a
strength augmenting wearable robots
cal worth.
robot) implemented with InT and cus(exoskeletons). Additionally, because of
UDREAM aims at solving specific
tomize its peripherals to utilize it with the
its constant interconnection with the
challenges experienced by users who are
incorporation of the iSA within their apInternet, the iSA can also be used as a
using or building service robots. Thus,
plication domain. These peripherals inknowledge-based assistant in our daily
the main challenge is to create a moduclude both hardware and software
lives. Such a knowledge-based assistant
larized robot system that is reconfigucomponents. The final framework for the
can mine for information and intellirable by users. As shown in Fig. 2, the
iSA through UDREAM aims to include
gently process it to select the relevant
robot X-bot, which provides only a
numerous interfaces for hardware periphknowledge. Therefore, from application
cleaning service using the 'X-bot agent'
erals (components) for user interfaces, loperspective, all these functional aspects
and 'Cleaning agent', can be upgraded
comotion, sensing, etc. and a software
of the iSA will enable it to enhance
or reconfigured for both cleaning and
market (similar to the one used by smarthuman capabilities and provide intellieducation if the user installs an addiphones) with an even larger number of
gent supervision to all the other devices,
tional hardware component, i.e. a camsoftware programs (components) to be
machines, and agents in its domain.
era, and software components, such as
utilized with different hardware devices
'Camera agent', 'Vision-based obstacle
and in different applications by the iSA.
IV. UDREAM for
detection agent', and 'Education agent'.
Since the end users generally do not know
Implementing the iSA
In this way, the robot can provide a new
much about the internal functionality of
After establishing the design goals for the
education service in addition to a better
the system, another significant aspect of
iSA, the next challenge is its applicationcleaning service by using a camera. To
UDREAM is its ability to autonomously
based implementation. Based on the applirealize such a concept of reconfigurabilmanage different hardware and software
cation domain, the services required from
ity by users, we present the following
components that users may install. It is exthe iSA may vary considerably. For examthree design goals: (i) hardware and softpected that UDREAM will enable everyple, the iSA in a school environment may
ware component modularization, (ii)
day users to customize their iSAs
be required to provide services that are
cooperative communication among
according to their applications, e.g. home
predominantly educational, and the modes
components, and (iii) component mansecurity, classroom management, factory
of interaction that are comfortable for huagement at the service level.
automation, etc. without having to undermans, while in a factory setting, the iSA
Modularization leads to abstraction
stand the technologies that make the sysmay be required to supervise other maof sensors, actuators and agents. Stantem function.
chines through the modes of interaction
dardization of these abstracted compoVarious robot development platforms,
that are efficient for machine-machine innents and supervision of different active
such as MSRDS [24], Miro [25], RTteraction. Considering this issue, we pro-

IEEE ComputatIonal IntEllIgEnCE magazInE | august 2014

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