Self–organised multi agent system for search and rescue operations

Autonomous multi-agent systems perform inadequately in time critical missions, while they tend to explore exhaustively each location of the field in one phase with out selecting the pertinent strategy. This research aims to solve this problem by introducing a hierarchy of exploration strategies. Agents explore an unknown search terrain with complex topology in multiple predefined stages by performing pertinent strategies depending on their previous observations. Exploration inside unknown, cluttered, and confined environments is one of the main challenges for search and rescue robots inside collapsed buildings. In this regard we introduce our novel exploration algorithm for multi–agent system, that is able to perform a fast, fair, and thorough search as well as solving the multi–agent traffic congestion. Our simulations have been performed on different test environments in which the complexity of the search field has been defined by fractal dimension of Brownian movements. The exploration stages are depicted as defined arenas of National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). NIST introduced three scenarios of progressive difficulty: yellow, orange, and red. The main concentration of this research is on the red arena with the least structure and most challenging parts to robot nimbleness

Trapped on the seashore, seaborne evacuation, and impact of exposure to PM2.5: Live demonstration of the urbanEXODUS large-scale evacuation model

Wildfires can trigger large-scale pedestrian, vehicle and seaborne evacuations, and cause injuries and fatalities. Evacuation models are employed to better understand the involved processes and their interactions. During the final exercise of the European Commission’s H2020 IN-PREP project, urbanEXODUS was used within a training platform, by incident managers, to aid their response to a simulated disaster. The scenario involved a traffic accident escalating to a wildfire, causing the local community to evacuate. The model combined pedestrian and vehicle evacuation, and through a flow model, a simplistic representation of boat evacuation. The effects of wildfire on escape routes and possible fatalities were evaluated using fire perimeter data. The development of a novel fractional dose model allowed the software to determine agents’ acute exposure to PM2.5, in relation to the WHO daily mean Air Quality Guidelines (AQG). The simulation results comprise key evacuation performance parameters including evacuation times, fatalities, and escape route usage. Results indicate that 6% of the population was unable to leave the area and are treated as fatalities. The road network and boats were used by 69% and 31% of the evacuees respectively. PM2.5 exposure was zero for 84% of the evacuees, and below the AQG, for 1%, while 15% received, on average, a dosage of 7.6 times the AQG (range 1.0 – 28.3, SD = 5.8), which may cause respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. The model offers detailed evacuation information that is practically impossible to obtain otherwise, allowing crisis managers to take risk-informed decisions when planning for a crisis

Mobile Robots Navigation

Mobile robots navigation includes different interrelated activities: (i) perception, as obtaining and interpreting sensory information; (ii) exploration, as the strategy that guides the robot to select the next direction to go; (iii) mapping, involving the construction of a spatial representation by using the sensory information perceived; (iv) localization, as the strategy to estimate the robot position within the spatial map; (v) path planning, as the strategy to find a path towards a goal location being optimal or not; and (vi) path execution, where motor actions are determined and adapted to environmental changes. The book addresses those activities by integrating results from the research work of several authors all over the world. Research cases are documented in 32 chapters organized within 7 categories next described

Recent Advances in Multi Robot Systems

To design a team of robots which is able to perform given tasks is a great concern of many members of robotics community. There are many problems left to be solved in order to have the fully functional robot team. Robotics community is trying hard to solve such problems (navigation, task allocation, communication, adaptation, control, ...). This book represents the contributions of the top researchers in this field and will serve as a valuable tool for professionals in this interdisciplinary field. It is focused on the challenging issues of team architectures, vehicle learning and adaptation, heterogeneous group control and cooperation, task selection, dynamic autonomy, mixed initiative, and human and robot team interaction. The book consists of 16 chapters introducing both basic research and advanced developments. Topics covered include kinematics, dynamic analysis, accuracy, optimization design, modelling, simulation and control of multi robot systems

Robotics 2010

Without a doubt, robotics has made an incredible progress over the last decades. The vision of developing, designing and creating technical systems that help humans to achieve hard and complex tasks, has intelligently led to an incredible variety of solutions. There are barely technical fields that could exhibit more interdisciplinary interconnections like robotics. This fact is generated by highly complex challenges imposed by robotic systems, especially the requirement on intelligent and autonomous operation. This book tries to give an insight into the evolutionary process that takes place in robotics. It provides articles covering a wide range of this exciting area. The progress of technical challenges and concepts may illuminate the relationship between developments that seem to be completely different at first sight. The robotics remains an exciting scientific and engineering field. The community looks optimistically ahead and also looks forward for the future challenges and new development

Natural and Technological Hazards in Urban Areas

Natural hazard events and technological accidents are separate causes of environmental impacts. Natural hazards are physical phenomena active in geological times, whereas technological hazards result from actions or facilities created by humans. In our time, combined natural and man-made hazards have been induced. Overpopulation and urban development in areas prone to natural hazards increase the impact of natural disasters worldwide. Additionally, urban areas are frequently characterized by intense industrial activity and rapid, poorly planned growth that threatens the environment and degrades the quality of life. Therefore, proper urban planning is crucial to minimize fatalities and reduce the environmental and economic impacts that accompany both natural and technological hazardous events

EG-ICE 2021 Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering

The 28th EG-ICE International Workshop 2021 brings together international experts working at the interface between advanced computing and modern engineering challenges. Many engineering tasks require open-world resolutions to support multi-actor collaboration, coping with approximate models, providing effective engineer-computer interaction, search in multi-dimensional solution spaces, accommodating uncertainty, including specialist domain knowledge, performing sensor-data interpretation and dealing with incomplete knowledge. While results from computer science provide much initial support for resolution, adaptation is unavoidable and most importantly, feedback from addressing engineering challenges drives fundamental computer-science research. Competence and knowledge transfer goes both ways