We address the Collection and Delivery Problem (CDP) with multiple vehicles, such that each collects a set of items at different locations and delivers them to a dropoff point. The goal is to minimize either delivery ...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
We address the Collection and Delivery Problem (CDP) with multiple vehicles, such that each collects a set of items at different locations and delivers them to a dropoff point. The goal is to minimize either delivery time or the total distance traveled. We introduce an extension to the CDP: what if a vehicle can transfer items to another vehicle before making the final delivery? By dividing the labor among multiple vehicles, the delivery time and cost may be reduced. However, introducing transfers increases the number of feasible schedules exponentially. In this paper, we investigate this Collection and Delivery Problem with Transfers (CDP-T), discuss its theoretical underpinnings, and introduce a two-approximate polynomial time algorithm to minimize total distance travelled. Furthermore, we show that allowing transfers to take place at any location for the CDP-T results in at most a factor of two improvement. We demonstrate our approximation algorithms on large simulated problem instances. Finally, we deploy our algorithms on robots that transfer and deliver items autonomously in an office building.
This paper describes the distributed self-assembly of a multi-robot 'organism' from a swarm of autonomous heterogeneous modular mobile robots. A distributed self-assembly strategy based on a symbol sequence re...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
This paper describes the distributed self-assembly of a multi-robot 'organism' from a swarm of autonomous heterogeneous modular mobile robots. A distributed self-assembly strategy based on a symbol sequence representation is proposed. Constructed from a tree representation of an organism, the symbol sequence is presented as a well organised nested structure in a compact format. It includes not only information on the topology of the organism but also how the organism will be self-assembled. The proposed approach has been tested with real robot prototypes. Results show that robots can successfully self-assemble to required target body plans within certain time frames.
This paper focuses on Direct Policy Search (DPS) for cooperative path planning of a single beacon vehicle supporting Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) performing surveying missions. Due to the lack of availability...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
This paper focuses on Direct Policy Search (DPS) for cooperative path planning of a single beacon vehicle supporting Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) performing surveying missions. Due to the lack of availability of GPS signals underwater, the position errors of the AUVs grow with time even though they are equipped with proprioceptive sensors for dead reckoning. One way to minimize this error is to have a moving beacon vehicle with good positioning data transmit its position acoustically from different locations to other AUVs. When the position is received, the AUVs can fuse this data with the range measured from the travel time of acoustic transmission to better estimate their own positions and keep the error bounded. In this work, we address the beacon vehicle's path planning problem which takes into account the position errors being accumulated by the supported survey AUVs. We represent the path planning policy as state-action mapping and employ Variable-Length Genetic Algorithm (VLGA) to automatically discover the number of representative states and their corresponding action mapping. We show the resultant planned paths using the learned policy are able to keep the position errors of the survey AUVs bounded over the mission time.
We present a model of construction using iterative amorphous depositions and give a distributed algorithm to reliably build ramps in unstructured environments. The relatively simple local strategy for interacting with...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
We present a model of construction using iterative amorphous depositions and give a distributed algorithm to reliably build ramps in unstructured environments. The relatively simple local strategy for interacting with irregularly shaped, partially built structures gives rise robust adaptive global properties. We illustrate the algorithm in both the single robot and multi-robot case via simulation and describe how to solve key technical challenges to implementing this algorithm via a robotic prototype.
A feasibility study was made for self-assembly and self-reproduction using an M-TRAN modular robotic system. Presuming that many stand- alone modules are scattered on a flat plane, various models of self-organizing sy...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
A feasibility study was made for self-assembly and self-reproduction using an M-TRAN modular robotic system. Presuming that many stand- alone modules are scattered on a flat plane, various models of self-organizing systems have been examined;(1) randomly driven self-assembly, (2) self-assembly accelerated by worker, seed, and mold robots, and (3) self-reproduction based on a universal constructor. Basic functions for the universal constructor were tested by experimentation.
In this paper, we develop a technique to discriminate ground moving targets when viewed from cameras mounted on different fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). First, we develop a extended kalman filter (EKF) te...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
In this paper, we develop a technique to discriminate ground moving targets when viewed from cameras mounted on different fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). First, we develop a extended kalman filter (EKF) technique to estimate position and velocity of ground moving targets using images taken from cameras mounted on UAVs. Next, we use Bayesian detection theory to derive a log likelihood ratio test to determine if the estimates of moving targets computed at two different UAVs belong to a same target or to two different targets. We show the efficacy of the log likelihood ratio test using several simulation results.
A technique to obtain high resolution atmospheric data using small mobile sensors is presented. A fluid based control scheme using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is implemented to perform field measurements in ...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
A technique to obtain high resolution atmospheric data using small mobile sensors is presented. A fluid based control scheme using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is implemented to perform field measurements in a leader-follower arrangement for a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with environmental sensors. A virtual leader is created by using a reduced density SPH particle to guide the unmanned aerial vehicles along a desired path. Simulations using the control scheme demonstrate excellent measurement ability, swarm coherence, and leader following capability for large swarms. A K-means algorithmis used to reduce the measurement error and provide accurate interpolation of the field measurement data. Experimental results are presented which demonstrate the guidance and collision avoidance properties of the control scheme using real UAVs. Readings from the UAV's temperature and humidity sensor suite are used with the K-means algorithm to produce a smooth estimation of the respective distribution fields.
Distributed robotics is a rapidly growing and maturing interdisciplinary research area lying at the intersection of computer science, network science, control theory, and electrical and mechanical engineering. The goa...
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ISBN:
(数字)9783642551468
ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551451;9783642551468
Distributed robotics is a rapidly growing and maturing interdisciplinary research area lying at the intersection of computer science, network science, control theory, and electrical and mechanical engineering. The goal of the Symposium on Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems (DARS) is to exchange and stimulate research ideas to realize advanced distributed robotic *** volume of proceedings includes 31 original contributions presented at the 2012 International Symposium on Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems (DARS 2012) held in November 2012 at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD USA. The selected papers in this volume are authored by leading researchers from Asia, Europa, and the Americas, thereby providing a broad coverage and perspective of the state-of-the-art technologies, algorithms, system architectures, and applications in distributed robotic systems. The book is organized into five parts, representative of critical long-term and emerging research thrusts in the multi-robot community: Coordination for Perception, Coverage, and Tracking; Task Allocation and Coordination Strategies; Modular Robots and Novel Mechanisms and Sensors; Formation Control and Planning for Robot Teams; and Learning, Adaptation, and Cognition for Robot Teams.
We propose a novel method for object transport using granular convection, in which the granular material is a robot swarm consisting of small robots with minimal sensors. Granular convection is commonly observed in th...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9783642551468;9783642551451
We propose a novel method for object transport using granular convection, in which the granular material is a robot swarm consisting of small robots with minimal sensors. Granular convection is commonly observed in the "Brazil Nut Effect". In this work, we consider the transported object to be passive, however, and not actuated like the surrounding granular material. We show that the passive object can be transported to a given destination in spite of the fact that each robot does not know the location of the object being transported nor the location of the destination. Each robot moves based solely on a weak repulsive force from the destination and stochastic perturbations. We first show fundamental characteristics of a system with no communication between robots. We observe that very high or very low robot densities are detrimental to object transport. We then show that heterogeneous swarms increase performance. We propose two types of heterogeneous swarm systems: a swarm in which robots switch states probabilistically, and a swarm in which state propagates using local communication. The signal propagation system shows the best performance in terms of success rate and accuracy in a wide range of densities.
FSR, the International Conference on Field and Service robotics, is the leading single track conference of robotics for field and service applications. This book presents the results of FSR2012, the eighth conference ...
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ISBN:
(数字)9783642406867
ISBN:
(纸本)9783642406850;9783642406867
FSR, the International Conference on Field and Service robotics, is the leading single track conference of robotics for field and service applications. This book presents the results of FSR2012, the eighth conference of Field and Service robotics, which was originally planned for 2011 with the venue of Matsushima in Tohoku region of Japan. However, on March 11, 2011, a magnitude M9.0 earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, and a large-scale disaster was caused by the Tsunami which resulted, therefore the conference was postponed by one year to July, 2012. In fact, this earthquake raised issues concerning the contribution of field and service robotics technology to emergency scenarios. A number of precious lessons were learned from operation of robots in the resulting, very real and challenging, disaster environments. Up-to-date study on disaster response, relief and recovery was then featured in the conference. This book offers 43 papers on a broad range of topics including: Disaster Response, Service/Entertainment Robots, Inspection/Maintenance Robots, Mobile Robot Navigation, Agricultural Robots, Robots for Excavation, Planetary Exploration, Large Area Mapping, SLAM for Outdoor Robots, and Elemental Technology for Mobile Robots.
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