A robot swarm assisting a human fire-fighter

Emergencies in industrial warehouses are a major concern for fire-fighters. The large dimensions, together with the development of dense smoke that drastically reduces visibility, represent major challenges. The GUARDIANS robot swarm is designed to assist fire-fighters in searching a large warehouse. In this paper we discuss the technology developed for a swarm of robots assisting fire-fighters. We explain the swarming algorithms that provide the functionality by which the robots react to and follow humans while no communication is required. Next we discuss the wireless communication system, which is a so-called mobile ad-hoc network. The communication network provides also the means to locate the robots and humans. Thus, the robot swarm is able to provide guidance information to the humans. Together with the fire-fighters we explored how the robot swarm should feed information back to the human fire-fighter. We have designed and experimented with interfaces for presenting swarm-based information to human beings

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

GUARDIANS final report part 1 (draft): a robot swarm assisting a human fire fighter

Emergencies in industrial warehouses are a major concern for fire fighters. The large dimensions together with the development of dense smoke that drastically reduces visibility, represent major challenges. The Guardians robot swarm is designed to assist re ghters in searching a large warehouse. In this paper we discuss the technology developed for a swarm of robots assisting re ghters. We explain the swarming algorithms which provide the functionality by which the robots react to and follow humans while no communication is required. Next we discuss the wireless communication system, which is a so-called mobile ad-hoc network. The communication network provides also the means to locate the robots and humans. Thus the robot swarm is able to provide guidance information to the humans. Together with the fire fighters we explored how the robot swarm should feed information back to the human fire fighter. We have designed and experimented with interfaces for presenting swarm based information to human beings

GUARDIANS final report

Emergencies in industrial warehouses are a major concern for firefghters. The large dimensions together with the development of dense smoke that drastically reduces visibility, represent major challenges. The Guardians robot swarm is designed to assist fire fighters in searching a large warehouse. In this report we discuss the technology developed for a swarm of robots searching and assisting fire fighters. We explain the swarming algorithms which provide the functionality by which the robots react to and follow humans while no communication is required. Next we discuss the wireless communication system, which is a so-called mobile ad-hoc network. The communication network provides also one of the means to locate the robots and humans. Thus the robot swarm is able to locate itself and provide guidance information to the humans. Together with the re ghters we explored how the robot swarm should feed information back to the human fire fighter. We have designed and experimented with interfaces for presenting swarm based information to human beings

Cellular Automata Applications in Shortest Path Problem

Cellular Automata (CAs) are computational models that can capture the essential features of systems in which global behavior emerges from the collective effect of simple components, which interact locally. During the last decades, CAs have been extensively used for mimicking several natural processes and systems to find fine solutions in many complex hard to solve computer science and engineering problems. Among them, the shortest path problem is one of the most pronounced and highly studied problems that scientists have been trying to tackle by using a plethora of methodologies and even unconventional approaches. The proposed solutions are mainly justified by their ability to provide a correct solution in a better time complexity than the renowned Dijkstra's algorithm. Although there is a wide variety regarding the algorithmic complexity of the algorithms suggested, spanning from simplistic graph traversal algorithms to complex nature inspired and bio-mimicking algorithms, in this chapter we focus on the successful application of CAs to shortest path problem as found in various diverse disciplines like computer science, swarm robotics, computer networks, decision science and biomimicking of biological organisms' behaviour. In particular, an introduction on the first CA-based algorithm tackling the shortest path problem is provided in detail. After the short presentation of shortest path algorithms arriving from the relaxization of the CAs principles, the application of the CA-based shortest path definition on the coordinated motion of swarm robotics is also introduced. Moreover, the CA based application of shortest path finding in computer networks is presented in brief. Finally, a CA that models exactly the behavior of a biological organism, namely the Physarum's behavior, finding the minimum-length path between two points in a labyrinth is given.Comment: To appear in the book: Adamatzky, A (Ed.) Shortest path solvers. From software to wetware. Springer, 201

Algoritmo bioinspirado a redes de robots para la asistencia en operaciones de busqueda y rescate

ilustraciones, diagramas, fotografíasThis thesis proposes a bio-inspired algorithm for robot networks assisting in the operations of search and rescue scenarios. We consider ants as social animals to study and abstract beha- viors that can be useful in the framework of search and rescue using robots. We consider three main topics to address when using robots to assist rescuers. First, the exploration and mapping of the disaster zones. For this, we consider the mecha- nisms and interactions of ants to explore their environment, look for food, avoid predators, and explore better places to establish a nest. Then, we deploy robots to explore the en- vironment and discourage robots from entering regions other robots have explored using pheromones as markers for the robots. We also abstract the randomness ants use to explore and implement a Q-learning algorithm that allows robots to explore unvisited regions. Second, the navigation and victim detection. Once the environment has been explored, we vi use Reynolds rules to allow the navigation of robots to create cohesion, attraction to target goals, and repulsion to obstacles and inter-agent collisions. Then, we use a neural network to determine whether what robots are detecting is a victim. Lastly, we use a consensus-like approach to classify victims or no victims based on distributed information. Lastly, ants have been famous for carrying loads that surpass their size and payload capacity by cooperating. We consider quadrotors to carry loads cooperatively that can be medical supplies or victims in search and rescue (Texto tomado de la fuente)Esta tesis propone un algoritmo bioinspirado para redes de robots que asisten en las operaciones de escenarios de busqueda y rescate. Consideramos a las hormigas como animales sociales para estudiar y abstraer comportamientos que pueden ser utiles en el marco de la busqueda y rescate mediante robots. Consideramos tres temas principales para abordar cuando se utilizan robots para ayudar a los rescatistas. Primero, la exploracion y mapeo de las zonas de desastre. Para esto, consideramos los mecanismos e interacciones de las hormigas para explorar su entorno, buscar comida, evitar depredadores y explorar mejores lugares para establecer un nido. Luego, desplegamos robots para explorar el entorno y disuadimos a los robots de ingresar a regiones que otros robots han explorado usando feromonas como marcadores para los robots. Tambien abstraemos la aleatoriedad que usan las hormigas para explorar e implementar un algoritmo Q-learning que permite a los robots explorar regiones no visitadas. En segundo lugar, la navegacion y deteccion de vıctimas. Una vez que se ha explorado el entorno, usamos las reglas de Reynolds para permitir que la navegacion de los robots cree cohesion, atraccion hacia los objetivos y repulsion hacia los obstaculos y las colisiones entre agentes. Luego, usamos una red neuronal para determinar si lo que detectan los robots es una vıctima. Por ultimo, utilizamos un enfoque de consenso para clasificar a las vıctimas o no vıctimas en funcion de la informacion distribuida. Por ultimo, las hormigas han sido famosas por llevar cargas que superan su tamano y capacidad de carga al cooperar. Consideramos quadrotors para transportar cargas de manera cooperativa que pueden ser suministros medicos o vıctimas en busqueda y rescate.MaestríaMagister en Ingenieria - Automatizacion IndustrialRobotic

A Survey on Aerial Swarm Robotics

The use of aerial swarms to solve real-world problems has been increasing steadily, accompanied by falling prices and improving performance of communication, sensing, and processing hardware. The commoditization of hardware has reduced unit costs, thereby lowering the barriers to entry to the field of aerial swarm robotics. A key enabling technology for swarms is the family of algorithms that allow the individual members of the swarm to communicate and allocate tasks amongst themselves, plan their trajectories, and coordinate their flight in such a way that the overall objectives of the swarm are achieved efficiently. These algorithms, often organized in a hierarchical fashion, endow the swarm with autonomy at every level, and the role of a human operator can be reduced, in principle, to interactions at a higher level without direct intervention. This technology depends on the clever and innovative application of theoretical tools from control and estimation. This paper reviews the state of the art of these theoretical tools, specifically focusing on how they have been developed for, and applied to, aerial swarms. Aerial swarms differ from swarms of ground-based vehicles in two respects: they operate in a three-dimensional space and the dynamics of individual vehicles adds an extra layer of complexity. We review dynamic modeling and conditions for stability and controllability that are essential in order to achieve cooperative flight and distributed sensing. The main sections of this paper focus on major results covering trajectory generation, task allocation, adversarial control, distributed sensing, monitoring, and mapping. Wherever possible, we indicate how the physics and subsystem technologies of aerial robots are brought to bear on these individual areas