Closed-Loop Aerial Robot-Assisted Navigation of a Cohesive Ground-Based Robot Swarm

PAPER #383

Submitted to AAMAS 2012

[ Abstract ] [ Video ]

  Abstract

We study how a swarm of ground-based robots, with no knowledge of the environment, can be guided to destination by a group of aerial robots. We show that, if the groundbased robots maintain group cohesion, it is possible to create a closed-loop among aerial robots and ground-based robots that results in robust navigation even in presence of high sensory noise. We validate our results through extensive experiments in simulation and provide proof-of-concept experiments with real robots.


  Videos with real robots

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In this video, the capabilities of the algorithm with shared reference frame are demonstrated. The video shows an eye-bot robot attached to the ceiling controlling a swarm of three foot-bots on the ground. The foot-bots move along a square trajectory on the ground, controlled in closed-loop by the eye-bot.
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In this video, we used the same experimental setup used above. We show the view from the eye-bot camera.
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In this video, the capabilities of the algorithm with non-shared reference frame are demonstrated. The video shows an eye-bot robot attached to the ceiling controlling a swarm of three foot-bots on the ground. The foot-bots move along a square trajectory on the ground, controlled in closed-loop by the eye-bot.
Download the video
In this video, we used the same experimental setup used above. We show the view from the eye-bot camera.