Abstract
This article describes a joint trajectory optimized controller developed in a humanoid robot simulator following the real robot characteristics. As simulation is a powerful tool for speeding up the control software development, the proposed accurate simulator allows to fulfill this goal. The simulator, based on the Open Dynamics Engine and GLScene graphics library, provides instant visual feedback. The proposed simulator, with realistic dynamics, allows to design and test behaviors and control strategies without access to the real hardware in order to carry out research on robot control without damaging the real robot. The low-level joints controller techniques, such as acceleration, speed, and energy consumption minimization, are discussed and experimental results are presented in order to validate the proposed simulator.

Abstract
This paper presents a visual localization approach that is suitable for domestic and industrial environments as it enables accurate, reliable and robust pose estimation. The mobile robot is equipped with a single camera which update sits pose whenever a landmark is available on the field of view. The innovation presented by this research focuses on the artificial landmark system which has the ability to detect the presence of the robot, since both entities communicate with each other using an infrared signal protocol modulated in frequency. Besides this communication capability, each landmark has several high intensity light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that shine only for some instances according to the communication, which makes it possible for the camera shutter and the blinking of the LEDs to synchronize. This synchronization increases the system tolerance concerning changes in brightness in the ambient lights over time, independently of the landmarks location. Therefore, the environment's ceiling is populated with several landmarks and an Extended Kalman Filter is used to combine the dead-reckoning and landmark information. This increases the flexibility of the system by reducing the number of landmarks required. The experimental evaluation was conducted in a real indoor environment with an autonomous wheelchair prototype.

Abstract
In this paper it is presented a new robot competition that is going to be included in Robotica 2011, the main Robotics Portuguese Competition. The robot competition takes place in an emulated factory plant, where Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) must cooperate to perform tasks. To accomplish their goals the AGVs must deal with localization, navigation, scheduling and cooperation problems, that must be solved autonomously. One option of prototyping the AGVs is the use of the Lego Mindstorms NXT technology. The presented example can play an important role in education due to the inherent multi-disciplinary concepts that are involved, motivating students to technological areas. It also plays an important role in research and development, because it is expected that the outcomes that will emerge here, will later be transfered to other application areas, such as service robots and manufacturing. © 2011 IFAC.

Abstract
This paper presents a nonlinear model-based predictive controller (NMPC) for trajectory tracking of a four-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot. Methods of numerical optimization to perform real-time nonlinear minimization of the cost function are used. The cost function penalizes the robot's position error, the robot's orientation angle error, and the control effort. Experimental results of the trajectories following and the performances of the methods of optimization are presented. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract
This article presents a design of a four-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot for RoboCup Middle Size League. The mobile robot was built for the 5dpo-2000 Robotic Soccer team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Porto, Portugal. The robot's architecture and communication structure are presented. A nonlinear modeling and a motion analysis based on the dynamics, kinematics, and DC motors are analyzed. This model could find the nonlinear saturation elements, such as limits of current of the motors, amplitude of the applied voltage in the motors, and frictions related to equation of motion. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed project.

Abstract
This paper presents a nonlinear modeling approach of an omnidirectional mobile robot to predict the robot behavior in a model-based predictive controller (MPC). Parameters related to dynamic equations of the robot and restriction of the robot's motors are considered in the modeling. Simulation results and real results of navigation are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed modeling approach. Copyright 2009 ACM.