Kilogrid: A Modular Virtualization Environment for the Kilobot Robot

Anthony Antoun,¹ Gabriele Valentini,¹ Etienne Hacquard,² Bernát Wiandt,³ Vito Trianni,⁴ Marco Dorigo¹ (2016)

¹IRIDIA, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
²IRT Jules Verne, Nantes, France
³Department of Networked Systems and Services, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
⁴Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy

Abstract

We introduce the Kilogrid, a modular and scalable virtualization environment aimed at swarm robotics research with the Kilobot robot. The main purpose of the Kilogrid is to complement the Kilobots by overcoming some of their limitations (i.e., limited sensors and actuators), making it easier to experiment and to collect data with large groups of robots. The Kilogrid allows researchers to study scenarios featuring a level of complexity that cannot be reached using the Kilobots alone. The Kilogrid is composed of several modules, where each module contains four cells of 50x50 mm². The cells allow for bi-directional communication with the Kilobots. Our first version of a Kilogrid is composed of 64 cells and covers a total area of 400x400 mm². We demonstrate the features of the Kilogrid with two case studies in which: (1) we extend the sensory system of the Kilobots, (2) we allow the Kilobots to modify the environment, and (3) we gather data (e.g., position, state) from the Kilobots while the experiment is running.

Case Study 1

The following video shows how the Kilogrid can be used to augment the sensory system of the Kilobots by virtualizing sensors that are not otherwise present on this robot. The cells of the Kilogrid that are lighted up in red function as wall beacons alerting the Kilobots on top of the presence of a wall. The cells that are lighted up in light blue do not broadcast messages. The video also shows the evolution over time of the spatial distribution of the robots on the Kilogrid.

Case Study 2

The following video shows how the Kilogrid can be used to virtualize actuators on the Kilobots that are not otherwise present on this robot. In this scenario, the Kilobots are tasked with watering a garden divided into different patches. Kilobots can water each patch of the garden while water deposited into a patch evaporates after a constant amount of time. The video also shows the evolution over time of the number of watered patches for two different evaporation rates.