Pioneer 2 / PeopleBot manual Operating the Saphira Demonstration Client, Connected

Figure 16. The main window of a robot-

connected Saphira client

Quick Start

Connected

P2OS v1.F 13.2*

Operating the Saphira Demonstration Client

When communications between the Saphira client and your robot’s servers are established, the robot becomes responsive and intelligent. For example, although it may drive toward an obstacle, your Pioneer 2-DXe will not crash (unless its obstacle- avoidance behaviors have been disabled) because it can detect and actively avoid collisions.

Engage the robot’s motors (white MOTORS button) after connecting

or it won’t move, no matter how excited you get.

Collision avoidance is just one of the many mobile robot behaviors available through Saphira and other client software available from ActivMedia Robotics, including the ActivMedia Robotics Basic Suite, ARIA, and others. Remember, this section is meant to familiarize you with your new robot. Please read the respective software manuals for how to get the most out of your robot and software.

Table 1. Keyboard-controlled behaviors

KEY	ACTION
i, ↑	Increment forward velocity
m, ↓	Decrement forward velocity
j, ←	Incremental left turn
l, →	Incremental right turn
k, space	All stop
g	Toggle constant velocity
c	Toggle obstacle avoidance

The main window of the Saphira client displays a sonar map built by Saphira as the robot moves around its environment. Landmarks may be defined as Saphira recognizes and classifies certain sensor data patterns—walls and openings, for example.

In Figure 17, for example, a Pioneer 2- DX (center octagon) has identified a corridor and several doors. Notice the small dots, which are recent reflections detected by the front sonar array? The long lines through the onscreen sonar artifacts are the calculated corridor’s geometry. The rectangles directly ahead of the robot represent an obstacle “detected and of interest” to the robot. One of Saphira’s behaviors, by the way, is to have your robot seek and traverse the center of a corridor.

You may enable and disable Saphira behaviors that intelligently guide your ActivMedia robot by selecting or deselecting them from menu items in

the Saphira client and from the client keyboard. These include manual drive operation and disabling/enabling obstacle avoidance and constant velocity behaviors.

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