Adoption of vehicular ad hoc networking protocols by networked robots

This paper focuses on the utilization of wireless networking in the robotics domain. Many researchers have already equipped their robots with wireless communication capabilities, stimulated by the observation that multi-robot systems tend to have several advantages over their single-robot counterparts. Typically, this integration of wireless communication is tackled in a quite pragmatic manner, only a few authors presented novel Robotic Ad Hoc Network (RANET) protocols that were designed specifically with robotic use cases in mind. This is in sharp contrast with the domain of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET). This observation is the starting point of this paper. If the results of previous efforts focusing on VANET protocols could be reused in the RANET domain, this could lead to rapid progress in the field of networked robots. To investigate this possibility, this paper provides a thorough overview of the related work in the domain of robotic and vehicular ad hoc networks. Based on this information, an exhaustive list of requirements is defined for both types. It is concluded that the most significant difference lies in the fact that VANET protocols are oriented towards low throughput messaging, while RANET protocols have to support high throughput media streaming as well. Although not always with equal importance, all other defined requirements are valid for both protocols. This leads to the conclusion that cross-fertilization between them is an appealing approach for future RANET research. To support such developments, this paper concludes with the definition of an appropriate working plan

Controle de topologia em redes de robôs móveis cooperativos utilizando consenso

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Automação e Sistemas, Florianópolis, 2015.Em grupos de robôs móveis cooperativos, os chamados sistemas multi-robôs, a comunicação é um fator de extrema importância para a correta alocação e realização das tarefas. Essa comunicação é determinada diretamente pela disposição geográfica dos robôs uns em relação aos outros, a chamada topologia de comunicação. O controle da topologia de comunicação em um grupo de robôs permite que certas características da rede de comunicação sejam enfatizadas ou anuladas de acordo com a movimentação dos robôs que a compõem. Neste trabalho são apresentadas duas abordagens para controle de topologia em redes de robôs móveis, em função de quais propriedades dessas redes se deseja exaltar: o controle de topologia para a minimização da comunicação, que possibilita a redução do consumo de energia e da interferência causada pelos processos de comunicação; e o controle de topologia para a manutenção da conectividade, que garante condições para a não desconexão da rede, mesmo que esta esteja sob a influência de instabilidades. Através de um controle de conectividade baseado em consenso, a ação dos algoritmos de controle da topologia é aplicada aos robôs de maneira descentralizada, garantindo que as propriedades desejadas ocorram. São realizados simulações e testes com robôs reais, comprovando a eficiência dos algoritmos propostos em garantir as propriedades topológicas a eles associadas.Abstract : In cooperative robot systems, also known as multi-robot systems, the communication is an extremely important factor for the correct allocation and execution of the robot tasks. This communication is directly determined by the geographic position of the robots in relation each other, which is called communication topology. The topology control can be used to change aspects of the communication topology, allowing that some network characteristics are canceled or exalted, according with the robot's movement in the network. This work presents two approaches for topology control in mobile robot networks that ensure certain properties: the topology control for minimization of the communication, reducing the consumption of energy and the interference caused by radio communication; and the topology control for the connectivity maintenance, ensuring conditions for do not disconnection, even under unstable environments. Through of a connectivity control based on consensus, the action of topology control algorithms is applied to the robots in a decentralized way, ensuring the existence of the desired properties. Finally, are made simulations and tests with real robots, proving the efficiency of the proposed algorithms to ensure the functions assigned to them

A localized algorithm for bi-connectivity of connected mobile robots

ISSN:1018-4864ISSN:1572-945