Distributing intelligence in the wireless control of a mobile robot using a personal digital assistant
- Authors: Ophoff, Madri
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Mobile robots , User interfaces (Computer systems)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9598 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1355 , Mobile robots , User interfaces (Computer systems)
- Description: Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have recently become a popular component in mobile robots. This compact processing device with its touch screen, variety of built-in features, wireless technologies and affordability can perform various roles within a robotic system. Applications include low-cost prototype development, rapid prototyping, low-cost humanoid robots, robot control, robot vision systems, algorithm development, human-robot interaction, mobile user interfaces as well as wireless robot communication schemes. Limits on processing power, memory, battery life and screen size impact the usefulness of a PDA in some applications. In addition various implementation strategies exist, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. No comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the different strategies and resulting architectures exist. This makes it difficult for designers to decide on the best use of a PDA within their mobile robot system. This dissertation examines and compares the available mobile robot architectures. A thorough literature study identifies robot projects using a PDA and examines how the designs incorporate a PDA and what purpose it fulfils within the system it forms part of. The dissertation categorises the architectures according to the role of the PDA within the robot system. The hypothesis is made that using a distributed control system architecture makes optimal use of the rich feature set gained from including a PDA in a robot system’s design and simultaneously overcomes the device’s inherent shortcomings. This architecture is developed into a novel distributed intelligence framework that is supported by a hybrid communications architecture, using two wireless connection schemes. A prototype implementation illustrates the framework and communications architecture in action. Various performance measurements are taken in a test scenario for an office robot. The results indicate that the proposed framework does deliver performance gains and is a viable alternative for future projects in this area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Ophoff, Madri
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Mobile robots , User interfaces (Computer systems)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9598 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1355 , Mobile robots , User interfaces (Computer systems)
- Description: Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have recently become a popular component in mobile robots. This compact processing device with its touch screen, variety of built-in features, wireless technologies and affordability can perform various roles within a robotic system. Applications include low-cost prototype development, rapid prototyping, low-cost humanoid robots, robot control, robot vision systems, algorithm development, human-robot interaction, mobile user interfaces as well as wireless robot communication schemes. Limits on processing power, memory, battery life and screen size impact the usefulness of a PDA in some applications. In addition various implementation strategies exist, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. No comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the different strategies and resulting architectures exist. This makes it difficult for designers to decide on the best use of a PDA within their mobile robot system. This dissertation examines and compares the available mobile robot architectures. A thorough literature study identifies robot projects using a PDA and examines how the designs incorporate a PDA and what purpose it fulfils within the system it forms part of. The dissertation categorises the architectures according to the role of the PDA within the robot system. The hypothesis is made that using a distributed control system architecture makes optimal use of the rich feature set gained from including a PDA in a robot system’s design and simultaneously overcomes the device’s inherent shortcomings. This architecture is developed into a novel distributed intelligence framework that is supported by a hybrid communications architecture, using two wireless connection schemes. A prototype implementation illustrates the framework and communications architecture in action. Various performance measurements are taken in a test scenario for an office robot. The results indicate that the proposed framework does deliver performance gains and is a viable alternative for future projects in this area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
User-interface evaluation metrics for a typical M-Learning application
- Authors: Kantore, Adelin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: User interfaces (Computer systems) , Mobile communication systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9749 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1452 , User interfaces (Computer systems) , Mobile communication systems
- Description: Usability is seen as an important aspect for the quality of an M-learning application. Yet very little research has been conducted in this area – particularly in South Africa. Even though the trials of M-learning projects have been witnessed in the country during the last five years, very little is known about the systems that were implemented as regards their usability. Additionally, metrics and measures used in evaluating usability have not been reported. A need exists for relevant metrics to M-learning usability. The primary objective of this work was to propose metrics and measures – for the purpose of evaluating the User-Interfacedesign usability of M-learning application. The research included a literature review of M-learning, as well as the development of metrics and measures based on the Goal Question Metric (GQM) Model. This model has helped provide a reference model and measurements for evaluating the User-InterfaceUsability. A case study was used as a research strategy. An application called Kontax was selected for evaluation by users and expert reviewers. Data-collection methods consisted of User Testing and Heuristics evaluations. Data-gathering instruments included the use of surveys and user- satisfaction questionnaires based on the proposed metrics, task scenarios and expert-reviewed questionnaires based on the proposed metrics; all these instruments were developed. It was found that, although the users thought the system was very interesting, and they wished to hear more about it in the future, the system nevertheless had usability flaws which made it difficult to use. All the users failed to register so that they could use the system; additionally, the system-error messages did not help the users recognize, and recover from an error – leaving the user to simply log out. Help was not adequate, thus making it difficult for first-time users to know what to do when they needed support. The system was also said to have a lot of information presented on its home page, which caused the user to be disoriented. The Kontax application has usability flaws which should be III attended to, in order to improve its usability. The proposed metrics proved to be very useful in evaluating the usability of the tool.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Kantore, Adelin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: User interfaces (Computer systems) , Mobile communication systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9749 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1452 , User interfaces (Computer systems) , Mobile communication systems
- Description: Usability is seen as an important aspect for the quality of an M-learning application. Yet very little research has been conducted in this area – particularly in South Africa. Even though the trials of M-learning projects have been witnessed in the country during the last five years, very little is known about the systems that were implemented as regards their usability. Additionally, metrics and measures used in evaluating usability have not been reported. A need exists for relevant metrics to M-learning usability. The primary objective of this work was to propose metrics and measures – for the purpose of evaluating the User-Interfacedesign usability of M-learning application. The research included a literature review of M-learning, as well as the development of metrics and measures based on the Goal Question Metric (GQM) Model. This model has helped provide a reference model and measurements for evaluating the User-InterfaceUsability. A case study was used as a research strategy. An application called Kontax was selected for evaluation by users and expert reviewers. Data-collection methods consisted of User Testing and Heuristics evaluations. Data-gathering instruments included the use of surveys and user- satisfaction questionnaires based on the proposed metrics, task scenarios and expert-reviewed questionnaires based on the proposed metrics; all these instruments were developed. It was found that, although the users thought the system was very interesting, and they wished to hear more about it in the future, the system nevertheless had usability flaws which made it difficult to use. All the users failed to register so that they could use the system; additionally, the system-error messages did not help the users recognize, and recover from an error – leaving the user to simply log out. Help was not adequate, thus making it difficult for first-time users to know what to do when they needed support. The system was also said to have a lot of information presented on its home page, which caused the user to be disoriented. The Kontax application has usability flaws which should be III attended to, in order to improve its usability. The proposed metrics proved to be very useful in evaluating the usability of the tool.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
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