An evolutionary algorithm for online, resource constrained, multi-vehicle sensing mission planning

Mobile robotic platforms are an indispensable tool for various scientific and industrial applications. Robots are used to undertake missions whose execution is constrained by various factors, such as the allocated time or their remaining energy. Existing solutions for resource constrained multi-robot sensing mission planning provide optimal plans at a prohibitive computational complexity for online application [1],[2],[3]. A heuristic approach exists for an online, resource constrained sensing mission planning for a single vehicle [4]. This work proposes a Genetic Algorithm (GA) based heuristic for the Correlated Team Orienteering Problem (CTOP) that is used for planning sensing and monitoring missions for robotic teams that operate under resource constraints. The heuristic is compared against optimal Mixed Integer Quadratic Programming (MIQP) solutions. Results show that the quality of the heuristic solution is at the worst case equal to the 5% optimal solution. The heuristic solution proves to be at least 300 times more time efficient in the worst tested case. The GA heuristic execution required in the worst case less than a second making it suitable for online execution.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations on Air, Sea, Land

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land is our fourth textbook in a series covering the world of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS). (Nichols R. K., 2018) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2019) (Nichols R. , et al., 2020)The authors have expanded their purview beyond UAS / CUAS systems. Our title shows our concern for growth and unique cyber security unmanned vehicle technology and operations for unmanned vehicles in all theaters: Air, Sea and Land – especially maritime cybersecurity and China proliferation issues. Topics include: Information Advances, Remote ID, and Extreme Persistence ISR; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles & How They Can Augment Mesonet Weather Tower Data Collection; Tour de Drones for the Discerning Palate; Underwater Autonomous Navigation & other UUV Advances; Autonomous Maritime Asymmetric Systems; UUV Integrated Autonomous Missions & Drone Management; Principles of Naval Architecture Applied to UUV’s; Unmanned Logistics Operating Safely and Efficiently Across Multiple Domains; Chinese Advances in Stealth UAV Penetration Path Planning in Combat Environment; UAS, the Fourth Amendment and Privacy; UV & Disinformation / Misinformation Channels; Chinese UAS Proliferation along New Silk Road Sea / Land Routes; Automaton, AI, Law, Ethics, Crossing the Machine – Human Barrier and Maritime Cybersecurity.Unmanned Vehicle Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. Unmanned Vehicle (UV) Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land discusses state-of-the-art technology / issues facing U.S. UV system researchers / designers / manufacturers / testers. We trust our newest look at Unmanned Vehicles in Air, Sea, and Land will enrich our students and readers understanding of the purview of this wonderful technology we call UV.https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1035/thumbnail.jp

Sensing and connection systems for assisted and autonomous driving and unmanned vehicles

The special issue, “Sensors, Wireless Connectivity and Systems for Autonomous Vehicles and Smart Mobility” on MDPI Sensors presents 12 accepted papers, with authors from North America, Asia, Europe and Australia, related to the emerging trends in sensing and navigation systems (i.e., sensors plus related signal processing and understanding techniques in multi-agent and cooperating scenarios) for autonomous vehicles, including also unmanned aerial and underwater ones

An Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Long Term Operations

Environmental monitoring of marine environments presents several challenges: the harshness of the environment, the often remote location, and most importantly, the vast area it covers. Manual operations are time consuming, often dangerous, and labor intensive. Operations from oceanographic vessels are costly and limited to open seas and generally deeper bodies of water. In addition, with lake, river, and ocean shoreline being a finite resource, waterfront property presents an ever increasing valued commodity, requiring exploration and continued monitoring of remote waterways. In order to efficiently explore and monitor currently known marine environments as well as reach and explore remote areas of interest, we present a design of an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) with the power to cover large areas, the payload capacity to carry sufficient power and sensor equipment, and enough fuel to remain on task for extended periods. An analysis of the design and a discussion on lessons learned during deployments is presented in this paper.Comment: In proceedings of MTS/IEEE OCEANS, 2018, Charlesto

Intelligent Escape of Robotic Systems: A Survey of Methodologies, Applications, and Challenges

Intelligent escape is an interdisciplinary field that employs artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to enable robots with the capacity to intelligently react to potential dangers in dynamic, intricate, and unpredictable scenarios. As the emphasis on safety becomes increasingly paramount and advancements in robotic technologies continue to advance, a wide range of intelligent escape methodologies has been developed in recent years. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art research work on intelligent escape of robotic systems. Four main methods of intelligent escape are reviewed, including planning-based methodologies, partitioning-based methodologies, learning-based methodologies, and bio-inspired methodologies. The strengths and limitations of existing methods are summarized. In addition, potential applications of intelligent escape are discussed in various domains, such as search and rescue, evacuation, military security, and healthcare. In an effort to develop new approaches to intelligent escape, this survey identifies current research challenges and provides insights into future research trends in intelligent escape.Comment: This paper is accepted by Journal of Intelligent and Robotic System

ISME research trends: Marine robotics for emergencies at sea

One of the main recent research trends of the Italian Interuniversity Research Center on Integrated Systems for Marine Environment (ISME) is the use of marine cooperative teams of autonomous robots within the fields of security, prevention and management of emergencies at sea. Such fields are of worldwide interest for obvious reasons, but they have recently gained relevance in the current historical moment, especially in the Mediterranean sea. Within such a dramatic context, the use of robots could certainly provide helpful for the execution of patrolling and detection, identification and classification of interesting elements, such as people to be saved or oil leaks, as well as the successive execution of the intervention/rescue strategy. This paper presents the Key Enabling Technologies as well as some Key Research Areas that are being currently investigated by ISME toward the ambitious objective of employing robotic solutions for the management of emergencies at sea