Information-Control Aspects of Sensor Systems for Intelligent Robotics

Abstract In order to discuss sensor systems in intelligent robotics or manufacturing systems it is necessary to classify tasks, controller requirements, as well as the information-control aspects. This paper classifies tasks as deterministic (principally driven by geometry considerations) and non-deterministic. The latter are the problems done by people requiring skill involving processes whose process models either do not exist or are poorly understood. Other non-deterministic tasks involve inspection or data interpretation. The process tasks require adaptive-learning type control systems and are rich in sensor needs. Automated inspection tasks can be implemented by Engineering-Based Expert systems with more modest sensor system requirements.