Bio-inspired vision-based leader-follower formation flying in the presence of delays

Flocking starlings at dusk are known for the mesmerizing and intricate shapes they generate, as well as how fluid these shapes change. They seem to do this effortlessly. Real-life vision-based flocking has not been achieved in micro-UAVs (micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to date. Towards this goal, we make three contributions in this paper: (i) we used a computational approach to develop a bio-inspired architecture for vision-based Leader-Follower formation flying on two micro-UAVs. We believe that the minimal computational cost of the resulting algorithm makes it suitable for object detection and tracking during high-speed flocking; (ii) we show that provided delays in the control loop of a micro-UAV are below a critical value, Kalman filter-based estimation algorithms are not required to achieve Leader-Follower formation flying; (iii) unlike previous approaches, we do not use external observers, such as GPS signals or synchronized communication with flock members. These three contributions could be useful in achieving vision-based flocking in GPS-denied environments on computationally-limited agents

Bionic Collapsible Wings in Aquatic-aerial Robot

The concept of aerial-aquatic robots has emerged as an innovative solution that can operate both in the air and underwater. Previous research on the design of such robots has been mainly focused on mature technologies such as fixed-wing and multi-rotor aircraft. Flying fish, a unique aerial-aquatic animal that can both swim in water and glide over the sea surface, has not been fully explored as a bionic robot model, especially regarding its motion patterns with the collapsible pectoral fins. To verify the contribution of the collapsible wings to the flying fish motion pattern, we have designed a novel bio-robot with collapsible wings inspired by the flying fish. The bionic prototype has been successfully designed and fabricated, incorporating collapsible wings with soft hydraulic actuators, an innovative application of soft actuators to a micro aquatic-aerial robot. We have analyzed and built a precise model of dynamics for control, and tested both the soft hydraulic actuators and detailed aerodynamic coefficients. To further verify the feasibility of collapsible wings, we conducted simulations in different situations such as discharge angles, the area of collapsible wings, and the advantages of using ground effect. The results confirm the control of the collapsible wings and demonstrate the unique multi-modal motion pattern between water and air. Overall, our research represents the study of the collapsible wings in aquatic-aerial robots and significant contributes to the development of aquatic-aerial robots. The using of the collapsible wings must a contribution to the future aquatic-aerial robot

Decentralized collaborative transport of fabrics using micro-UAVs

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have generally little capacity to carry payloads. Through collaboration, the UAVs can increase their joint payload capacity and carry more significant loads. For maximum flexibility to dynamic and unstructured environments and task demands, we propose a fully decentralized control infrastructure based on a swarm-specific scripting language, Buzz. In this paper, we describe the control infrastructure and use it to compare two algorithms for collaborative transport: field potentials and spring-damper. We test the performance of our approach with a fleet of micro-UAVs, demonstrating the potential of decentralized control for collaborative transport.Comment: Submitted to 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). 6 page

Developing a low-cost beer dispensing robotic system for the service industry

As the prices of commercially available electronic and mechanical components decrease, manufacturers such as Devantech and Revolution Education have made encoded motor controller systems and microcontrollers very accessible to engineers and designers. This has made it possible to design sophisticated robotic and mechatronic systems very rapidly and at relatively low cost. A recent project in the Autonomous Systems Lab at Middlesex University, UK was to design and build a small, automated, robotic bartender based around the 5 litre Heineken 'Draughtkeg' system, which is capable of patrolling a bar and dispensing beer when signalled to by a customer. Because the system was designed as a commercial product, design constraints focused on keeping the build cost down, and so electronic components were sourced from outside companies and interfaced with a bespoke chassis and custom mechanical parts designed and manufactured on site at the University. All the programming was conducted using the proprietary BASIC language, which is freely available from the PicAXE supplier at no cost. This paper will discuss the restrictions involved in building a robot chassis around 'off-theshelf' components, and the issues arising from making the human-machine interaction intuitive whilst only using low-cost ultrasonic sensors. Programming issues will also be discussed, such as the control of accuracy when interfacing a PicAXE microcontroller with a Devantech MD25 Motor Controller board. Public live testing of the system was conducted at the Kinetica Art Fair 2010 event in London and has since been picked up by websites such as Engadget.com and many others. Feedback on the system will be described, as well as the refinements made as a result of these test

Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Multi-Micro Aerial Vehicle Robust Collision Avoidance

Multiple multirotor Micro Aerial Vehicles sharing the same airspace require a reliable and robust collision avoidance technique. In this paper we address the problem of multi-MAV reactive collision avoidance. A model-based controller is employed to achieve simultaneously reference trajectory tracking and collision avoidance. Moreover, we also account for the uncertainty of the state estimator and the other agents position and velocity uncertainties to achieve a higher degree of robustness. The proposed approach is decentralized, does not require collision-free reference trajectory and accounts for the full MAV dynamics. We validated our approach in simulation and experimentally.Comment: Video available on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot76i9p2ZZo&t=40