Heterogeneous network of cooperating mobile robots

Aim of project
Heterogeneous robots are defined as robots being members of a group in which at least some of them have differing abilities to sense and infl uence the environment. Networks of such robots are capable of:

Cooperative transport of awkward loads;

Search for e.g., mines, intruders;

Patrol e.g., storage areas, airports;

Clean public places;

Forming robust variable confi guration sensor/communication
networks.

Robots within the network can cooperate communicating explicitly or implicitly. Implicit communication enhances autonomy and produces systems immune to failure of some units, but the goal is emergent (not well defined) and their efficiency can be low. Explicit communication suffers from the problem of scaling. Use of coordinator produces a system susceptible to disintegration due to failure of the coordinator. Thus, hybrid systems are studied. Heterogeneous networks of mobile robots using hybrid communication are the focus of this project.

Expected results
The result of the project will be the design of both heterogeneous robots with adequate sensing abilities for implicit communication and the development of specific control algorithms for the operation of the network composed of them.

In particular, the project will focus on:

Creation of a novel manipulator for a mobile robot;

Active vision algorithms assessing the state of the environment
and interpreting the current situation;

Sensor modules for the localization of a mobile platform;

A method of navigation for a mobile robot utilizing data obtained from a laser 3D range finder, cameras and wheel position encoders;

A method for motion synthesis for wheeled robots and walking machines, taking into account ground reaction forces;

Analysis of the usefulness of the Robotics Studio software platform for building a control system for a group of heterogeneous mobile robots;

Algorithms for designing energy-efficient ad hoc networks (Topology Control protocols);

Hierarchic control with periodic coordination of an ad hoc network (Power Save protocols);

Algorithms for two-phase localization of nodes in an ad hoc network;

Enhancing the capabilities of the simulator for mobile ad hoc networks;

Protocol of information exchange between network nodes enabling association of the transmitted information with the geographical location of the node;

Modification of an ant routing algorithm enabling its utilization in the environment of ad hoc mobile robots.