A Framework and Architecture for Multi-Robot Coordination

In this paper, we present a framework and the software architecture for the deployment of multiple autonomous robots in an unstructured and unknown environment with applications ranging from scouting and reconnaissance, to search and rescue and manipulation tasks. Our software framework provides the methodology and the tools that enable robots to exhibit deliberative and reactive behaviors in autonomous operation, to be reprogrammed by a human operator at run-time, and to learn and adapt to unstructured, dynamic environments and new tasks, while providing performance guarantees. We demonstrate the algorithms and software on an experimental testbed that involves a team of car-like robots using a single omnidirectional camera as a sensor without explicit use of odometry

Distributed Simulation of Multi-Agent Hybrid Systems

Systems such as coordinating robot systems, automobiles, aircrafts, and chemical process control systems can be modeled as interacting hybrid systems, where hybrid systems are finite state machines with continuous dynamics. The language CHARON and its simulator have been developed to model and analyze interacting hybrid systems as communicating agents. Simulations are widely used for the analyses of hybrid systems. The simulation of a complex system is, however, usually very slow. This paper proposes four algorithms for distributed simulations of hybrid systems. The idea behind distributed simulations is to achieve a speedup by utilizing multiple computing resources. The agents of a modeled system are distributed over multiple processors to simulate the agents more efficiently. Since the state of the agent is affected by the input from other agents, they synchronize to update their local states. The challenge here is how to reduce the agent synchronization overhead. We present two approaches for resolving the problem: conservative and optimistic approaches. For the optimistic approach, we present three different algorithms for distributed simulations of hybrid systems, and compare them

CHARON: a Language for Modular Specification of Hybrid Systems

We propose a language, called Charon, for modular speci cation of interacting hybrid systems. For hierarchical description of the system architecture, Charon supports building complex agents via the operations of instantiation, hiding, and parallel composition. For hierarchical description of the behavior of atomic components, Charon supports building complex modes via the operations of instantiation, scoping, and encapsulation. Features such as weak preemption, history retention, and externally de ned Java functions, facilitate the description of complex discrete behavior. Continuous behavior can be speci ed using dierential as well as algebraic constraints, and invariants restricting the ow spaces, all of which can be declared at various levels of the hierarchy. The modular structure of the language is not merely syntactic, but can be exploited during analysis. We illustrate this aspect by presenting a scheme for modular simulation in which each mode can be compiled solely based on the locally declared information to execute its discrete and continuous updates, and furthermore, submodes can integrate at a ner time scale than the enclosing modes

Generating Reliable Code from Hybrid-Systems Models

Hybrid systems have emerged as an appropriate formalism to model embedded systems as they capture the theme of continuous dynamics with discrete control. Under this paradigm, distributed embedded systems can be modeled as a network of communicating hybrid automata. Several techniques for code generation from these models have also been proposed and commercially implemented. Providing formal guarantees of the generated code with respect to the model, however, has turned out to be a hard problem. While the model is set in continuous time with concurrent execution and instantaneous switching, the code running on an inherently discrete platform, can be affected by the sampling interval, round-off errors, and communication delays between the sensor, controller, and actuators. Consequently, semantic differences between the model and its code can arise with potentially different system behavior. This paper proposes a criterion for faithful implementation of the hybrid-systems model with a focus on its switching semantics. We discuss different techniques to ensure a faithful implementation of the model, and test the feasibility of our concepts by implementing a model heater system. In this heater case study, we successfully eliminate all fault transitions and, thereby, generate code with correct behavior complying with the specification

Hierarchical Modeling and Analysis of Embedded Systems

This paper describes the modeling language CHARON for modular design of interacting hybrid systems. The language allows specification of architectural as well as behavioral hierarchy and discrete as well as continuous activities. The modular structure of the language is not merely syntactic, but is exploited by analysis tools and is supported by a formal semantics with an accompanying compositional theory of refinement. We illustrate the benefits of CHARON in the design of embedded control software using examples from automated highways concerning vehicle coordinatio

George Pappas

In this paper, we present a framework and the software architecture for the deployment of multiple autonomous robots in an unstructured and unknown environment, with applications ranging from scouting and reconnaissance, to search and rescue, to manipulation tasks, to cooperative localization and mapping, and formation control. Our software framework allows a modular and hierarchical approach to programming deliberative and reactive behaviors in autonomous operation. Formal definitions for sequential composition, hierarchical composition, and parallel composition allow the bottom-up devel