Control Architecture for Cooperative Mobile Robots using Multi-Agent based Coordination Approach

National audienceThis paper is about a Multi-Agent based solution to control and coordinate team-working mobile robots moving in unstructured environments. Two main contributions are considered in our approach. The rst contribution of this paper is about the Multi-Agents System to Control and Coordinate teAmworking Robots (MAS2CAR) architecture, a new architecture to control a group of coordinated autonomous robots in unstructured environments. MAS2CAR covers three main layers: (i) the Physical Layer (ii) the Control Layer and (iii) the Coordination Layer. The second contribution of this paper is about the multi-agent system (MAS) organisational models aiming to solve the key cooperation issues in the coordination layer, the software components designed based on Utopia a MAS framework which automatically build software agents, thanks to a multi-agent based organisational model called MoiseInst . We provide simulation results that exhibit robotics cooperative behavior related to our scenario, such as multi-robots navigation in presence of obstacles (including trajectory planning, and reactive aspects) via a hybrid control

A Generic Multi-Layer Architecture Based on ROS-JADE Integration for Autonomous Transport Vehicles

The design and operation of manufacturing systems is evolving to adapt to different challenges. One of the most important is the reconfiguration of the manufacturing process in response to context changes (e.g., faulty equipment or urgent orders, among others). In this sense, the Autonomous Transport Vehicle (ATV) plays a key role in building more flexible and decentralized manufacturing systems. Nowadays, robotic frameworks (RFs) are used for developing robotic systems such as ATVs, but they focus on the control of the robotic system itself. However, social abilities are required for performing intelligent interaction (peer-to-peer negotiation and decision-making) among the different and heterogeneous Cyber Physical Production Systems (such as machines, transport systems and other equipment present in the factory) to achieve manufacturing reconfiguration. This work contributes a generic multi-layer architecture that integrates a RF with a Multi-Agent System (MAS) to provide social abilities to ATVs. This architecture has been implemented on ROS and JADE, the most widespread RF and MAS framework, respectively. We believe this to be the first work that addresses the intelligent interaction of transportation systems for flexible manufacturing environments in a holistic form.This work was financed by MINECO/FEDER, UE (grant number DPI2015-68602-R) and by UPV/EHU (grant number PPG17/56)

Análisis de arquitecturas existentes para robótica colectiva y desarrollo de nuevas soluciones que mejoren las identificadas

Programa Oficial de Doutoramento en Tecnoloxías da Información e as Comunicacións. 5032V01[Resumo] A presente tese está orientada a arquitecturas de sistemas multi-robot en xeral, sen restricións de tamaño do colectivo de robots ou do eido de aplicación. En primeiro lugar identifica e describe os atributos destes sistemas así como das arquitecturas que lles dan soporte para logo propoñer un sistema de avaliación que permite cuantificar as capacidades destas últimas. Este sistema está baseado en probas e simulacións de diferentes aspectos como son (entre outros) a coordinación, a adaptación ou a interoperabilidade. Os resultados do sistema de avaliación permiten a comparación e selección da arquitectura máis axeitada dependendo das necesidades do novo sistema a desenvolver. Ademais este sistema permite a avaliación de forma rápida de modificacións na arquitectura. A arquitectura proposta trata de cubrir todas as posibilidades útiles en sistemas multi-robot permitindo a reutilización de calquera compoñente do sistema. Ademais facilita a interoperabilidade con outros sistemas e define un protocolo de mensaxes (a modo de linguaxe) que deben usar os membros do colectivo. Esta linguaxe representa o conxunto mínimo de operacións para que un colectivo poida desenvolver calquera tarefa. A esta proposta aplícaselle o sistema de avaliación dando mellores resultados na maioría das métricas que as outras arquitecturas avaliadas.[Resumen] La presente tesis está orientada a las arquitecturas de sistemas multi-robot en general, sin restricciones de tamaño del colectivo de robots o del ámbito de aplicación. Primeramente identifica y describe los atributos de estos sistemas así como los de las arquitecturas que les dan soporte para luego desarrollar un sistema de evaluación que permita identificar las capacidades de estas últimas, basado en la prueba y simulación de diferentes aspectos como son (entre otros) la coordinación, la adaptación o la interoperabilidad. Los resultados del sistema de evaluación permiten comparar y seleccionar de entre las arquitecturas la más idónea según las necesidades un nuevo sistema a desarrollar. Además permite evaluar, de forma rápida, modificaciones. La arquitectura propuesta trata de cubrir todas las posibilidades útiles en sistemas muti-robot permitiendo la reutilización de cualquier componente del sistema. Además facilita la interoperabilidad con otros sistemas y define un protocolo de mensajes básico, a modo de idioma, que deben usar los miembros del colectivo multi-robot. Este idioma representa el conjunto de operaciones mínimo para que un colectivo pueda cooperar desarrollando cualquier tarea. A esta propuesta se le ha aplicado el sistema de evaluación con resultados que, en su mayoría, mejoran las arquitecturas existentes.[Abstract] This thesis is aimed to multi-robot architectures in general, without size of collective or application environment restrictions. The attributes that describe the architectures and multi-robot systems are identified and documented. These attributes contribute to generate metrics of the architectures’ relevant aspects that, in turn, are used to quantify the capacities. The metrics compose an evaluation system that rely on the simulation of the relevant aspects such as coordination, adaption, or interoperability. Results from the evaluation system allow architectures comparison and selection in order to implement a new multi-robot system. The evaluation system enables the quick evaluation of an architecture modifications. This thesis also propose a new architecture trying to cover all multi-robot systems based on reusing the system components as needed; This architecture makes easy to operate with other systems. A message protocol (a kind of language between the robots) is defined containing the minimal set of operations that the individuals must implement in order to carry any task. The evaluation system is applied to this new architecture yielding better results in most of the metrics than the other architectures evaluated

Architecture Controlling Multi-Robot System using Multi-Agent based CoordinationApproach

International audience—This paper is about a Multi-Agent based solution to control and coordinate team-working mobile robots moving in unstructured environments. Two main contributions are considered in our approach. The first contribution of this paper is about the Multi-Agents System to Control and Coordinate teAmworking Robots (MAS2CAR) architecture, a new architecture to control a group of coordinated autonomous robots in unstructured environments. MAS2CAR covers three main layers: (i) the Physical Layer (ii) the Control Layer and (iii) the Coordination Layer. The second contribution of this paper is about the multi-agent system (MAS) or-ganisational models aiming to solve the key cooperation issues in the coordination layer, the software components designed based on U TOPIA a MAS framework which automatically build software agents, thanks to a multi-agent based organisational model called MOISE Inst. We provide simulation results that exhibit robotics cooperative behavior related to our scenario, such as multi-robots navigation in presence of obstacles (including trajectory planning, and reactive aspects) via a hybrid control

Multi-agents based system to coordinate mobile teamworking robots

International audienceThis paper aims at presenting the Multi-Agents System to Control and Coordinate teAmworking Robots (MAS2CAR), a new architecture to control a group of coordinated autonomous robots in un-structured environments. MAS2CAR covers two main layers: (i) the Control Layer and we focus on (ii) the Coordination Layer. The control module is responsible for a part of the decision making process taking into account robot's structural constraints. Despite this autonomy possibility, the Coordination Layer manages the robots in order to bring cooperative behavior and to allow teamwork. In this paper we present a scenario validating our approach based upon the multi-agent systems (MAS). Thanks to its reliability we have chosen the Moise Inst organizational model and we will present how it can be used for this use-case. Moreover, regarding to the implementation part, we have retained Utopia, a framework which automatically build a MAS thanks to a Moise Inst specification. We will present key problematics of the Cooperation Layer implementation solved thanks to Utopia and exhibit robotic cooperative behavior related to our scenario through simulation results