Another thing that has changed since are last visit is tapestry with the map of Europe. The AR overlay was achieved by defining markers (the position of a number of specific features) on a photo of the original to build a model. These markers then had to be recognised by the FROG using incoming information from the antenna’s camera so that these could used to aim the overlay. The same set of markers was defined in the overlay and these had to match up to the features in the tapestry (the target) so that the overlay would be correctly positioned in the resulting overlay projection. All of this is necessary as, due to its autonomous social navigation, the FROG may stop at a different location in the hall on each separate tour.
Ripples in a tapestry that is five and a half by nearly four metres can be quite large – and they are not always in the same place.
Too many ripples in the tapestry at any time could mean that the feature markers cannot be recognised. Of course, there are several solutions to compensate for differences in the folds in the tapestry between tours. This would take some time to implement and as we have some more pressing matters for this session a quick solution was chosen. This involves using the whole tapestry area as a target instead of specific points on the target. Not as elegant as it could be but certainly a neat solution for a proof of concept.
FROG is back at the Royal Alcàzar in Seville. A lot can happen to your tour in a couple of months. A grand refurbishment means that the entrances on one side of the toilets have been blocked. This was where the FROG announced: “The toilets are over there!” while driving to the next point of interest. So, a quick recode was necessary. Should you be in Seville at the moment and should you visit the Alcàzar, you can find toilets near the cafeteria in the gardens.
The toilets are NOT over there!Workmen are busy improving the facilities and there will be entrances on just one side.
The toilets near the cafeteria are surrounded by jasmine hedges.
Paulo Alvito and Carlos Marques have been working together to place 2 new fans, adjust the position of the projector (so that it no longer touches the window in the shell), reinstate the function of the Electronics Power Button (UPO had put in an override to power down the UvA cameras) and install a new device to power down the Dalsas and the lasers, and touch up FROG’s paintwork. You’ll find Piggy on the corner of the desk where he can survey his domain.
Later, Carlos will install a new, small controller board on the docking station. Using sensors, this will detect the robot when it enters the docking station and consequently turn on the power to the docking station. As soon as the FROG leaves the docking station the controller will turn the power off again. This is an important safety measure. The docking station will be left unattended in the shop at the main entrance to the Royal Alcàzar where (obviously) visitors (and therefore children) can enter at any time.
Controller board for the docking station: it will be installed under the surface.
We arrived at the Alcázar this morning to find that our lab in the Tennis Court had been taken over by a film crew – the film crew of the TV series Violetta, no less! This was not exactly according to plan but as always the Royal Alcázar came up with a quick solution – a temporary lab for us until after filming.
Violetta has a large crew and, it would seem, a larger group of uniformed security guys with walkie-talkies. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let us take any photo’s while they were filming so we’ll just have to watch the series to see them in our lab. But, here’s one of the security chaps with a mobile as well as a walkie-talkie.
Luis will be in Seville representing the Universidad Pablo de Olavide and also the FROG project. The theme of the evening is Exploring science through fun learning.
Discover what researchers really do and why it matters for your daily life.
… and a good listener.
Having a think …
Researchers in an on-site lab…Researchers ‘in the wild’ …Luis being interviewed for radio…Luis being interviewed for TV…
This is mini-FROG – it is actually only 28 cm tall and has been around for some time – but in secret.
mini-FROG was made for an online experiment. It is a simplified model of the FROG robot executed in cardboard, coloured paper and hobby foam – oh, and a drinking straw. It has a glossy see-through film so that different visuals can be put onto its ‘screen’.
mini-FROG’s art gallery was a table top with postcard sized masterpieces hung on the wall behind it. Stop-motion films lasting about a minute and a half were made using this setup . The films were put online and more than 200 people from all over the world answered questions about them to help our PhD candidate with her research.
This week the guys from UT are using UPO’s simulation environment on the protoFROG (the UT Campus robot) to test some new features for guiding missions.
From the 15 to the 26 of September, FROG (the green one) will be running these missions for experiments and evaluation tests at the Royal Alcázar in Seville. Unlike this simulation, the FROG will actually be driving around to run its missions.
UPO simulator running on a laptop. The robot is showing its content relevant to the location that the simulator has reached.The simulation setup. As you can see, the robot isn’t going anywhere. And, the researchers have recently been working late and have forgotten to take out the empties. Fortunately the pizza boxes had disappeared.
Several posters have been made for presentations about the FROG project. Most of these are hidden away as links in the Publication references so it seemed like a good idea to collect them here.
FROG has appeared on what is considered to be the most viewed television channel in Europe – TF1! A French film crew came to talk to the researchers during an integration and experimentation week at the Royal Alcázar in Seville:
