Download or read book Multi Autonomous Robot Exploration System M A R E S written by Aleksandar Stefanovski and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Multi robot Exploration for Environmental Monitoring written by Kshitij Tiwari and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multi-robot Exploration for Environmental Monitoring: The Resource Constrained Perspective provides readers with the necessary robotics and mathematical tools required to realize the correct architecture. The architecture discussed in the book is not confined to environment monitoring, but can also be extended to search-and-rescue, border patrolling, crowd management and related applications. Several law enforcement agencies have already started to deploy UAVs, but instead of using teleoperated UAVs this book proposes methods to fully automate surveillance missions. Similarly, several government agencies like the US-EPA can benefit from this book by automating the process. Several challenges when deploying such models in real missions are addressed and solved, thus laying stepping stones towards realizing the architecture proposed. This book will be a great resource for graduate students in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Machine Learning and Mechatronics. Analyzes the constant conflict between machine learning models and robot resources Presents a novel range estimation framework tested on real robots (custom built and commercially available)

Download or read book CoopExp Cooperative Multi Robot Exploration written by Rui Miguel Pires Carvalho and published by University of Coimbra. This book was released on 2016-09-01 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the years the growing influence of robotics in the human domain has been noticeable from industrial to space and medical applications as well as a tool in adverse environments and even in everyday tasks. Many of these applications require the use of a team of several cooperating mobile robots - Cooperative Multi-Robot System (CMRS) - to make the execution of certain tasks possible and to improve the performance achieved by only one robot.Although the cooperation capacity is innate to humans, the robotic domain features a number of new challenges: communication, timing of the information obtained and the merger of that information.When cooperation among multiple robots is applied in an exploration context challenges increase. It is essential to take the costs and utility of that exploration into account.This dissertation aims to present a solution to the aforementioned problem. Therefore, a method has been developed, capable of assigning to different robots a cooperative behavior in order to explore an environment, following a philosophy of "divide and conquer".The CoopExp, package with the operation algorithm, was developed according to a distributed approach in order to increase resistance to individual failures of the exploration agents. Accordingly, a method that is able to calculate the costs involved in a faster and more efficient way, was created. Furthermore, an approach to exploration utility was also established, based on a compendium of techniques described in the literature.The development of such programs would have practically been impossible without performing tests on its functioning. In the absence of a simulator for this type of operation, the ARENA (cooperAtive multi Robot frontiEr exploratioN simulAtor) was developed. It consists of a set of new packages specifically designed for frontier identification (aap_frontiers) and to optimize the simulation, through simplifications in the process ofachieving the maps (aap_mapping) and their subsequent combination, yielding the global map (aap_map_merger).Such solutions were validated through simulation tests, using mobile units equipped with a LRF (Laser Range Finder). These tests showed that exploration time decreases when the number of robots is increased, presenting a proper performance in terms of scalability and efficiency in exploration. Last but not least, a exploration with a real team of robots was successfully carried out that was able to communicate through a wireless network in order to validate the practical functioning of this project

Download or read book Market driven Multi robot Exploration written by Robert Zlot and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: "For many real-world applications, autonomous robots must execute complex tasks in unknown or partially known unstructured environments. This work presents a novel approach to efficient multi-robot mapping and exploration which exploits a market architecture in order to maximize information gain while minimizing incurred costs. This system is reliable and robust in that it can accommodate dynamic introduction and loss of team members in addition to communication interruptions and failures. Results showing the capabilities of our system on a team of exploring autonomous robots are also given."

Download or read book A Robust and Efficient Autonomous Exploration Methodology of Unknown Environments for Multi robot Systems written by Lillian Goodwin and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multi-robot systems can provide effective solutions for exploring and inspecting environments where it is unpractical or unsafe for humans, however, adequate coordination of the multi-robot system is a challenging initiative. A robust and efficient methodology for exploration of unknown environments is presented using a k-means method to improve traditional task allocation schemes. The k-means method proposed is an efficient technique due to the algorithm's quick convergence time and its ability to segment a previously unknown map in a logical manner. In this method, a global executive receives frontiers from local robots, filters them, clusters them using the k-means method, and then reassigns them to the agents. A framework is developed in Robot Operating System (ROS) to test the effectiveness of the k-means method. The method is tested over a series of simulations and real-world tests, where it provided significant reductions in exploration time and distance travelled compared to other methods.

Download or read book Robotic Communication and Coordination for Autonomous Exploration written by Torsten André and published by Sudwestdeutscher Verlag Fur Hochschulschriften AG. This book was released on 2017-06-02 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mobile multi-robot systems may be deployed in environments initially unknown to them. Their efficient operation requires detailed maps of their surroundings. The robot system charts the environment during initial exploration. Multiple robots collaborate to speed up the exploration by distributing the exploration area. They form a mobile ad hoc network enabling coordination and the exchange of map information. The multi-robot system described herein is fully self-organizing. It does not rely on a central controller increasing scalability and robustness. Scalability allows deployments in large environments such as industry complexes or ramified cave systems. The performance of the system, determined by the time required to fully explore an environment, benefits from integration of additional explorers. By allowing a fully connected robot system to split into multiple independently operating teams, robots may cover larger areas more quickly. Two forms to establish connectivity are discussed: robots may serve as stationary relays forming a multi-hop network. Alternatively, relay robots may carry data between communication end-points freeing robots to support exploration.

Download or read book Multi sensory Autonomous Mapping and Exploration with Application to Robotic Object Rearrangement written by Fredy Tungadi and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate aim of this thesis is to develop an autonomous exploring and mapping mobile robot system to provide a platform for useful applications such as autonomous cleaning or tidying. The first requirement for an autonomous mobile robot is autonomy of navigation which can be assisted by implementing Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM). SLAM enables the robot to incrementally build a map of the environment and localise itself with the map. Unfortunately, SLAM does not encompass motion control that enables the robot to move autonomously to build the map. Therefore, in order to achieve a truly autonomous mapping operation, this thesis also focused on the development of an autonomous exploration approach. In addition, this thesis also included an autonomous online map merging system which allowed the robot to perform intermittent exploration and yet still be able to acquire a globally consistent map. Finally, the robot system with autonomous mapping and exploration capabilities was extended to perform an autonomous object rearrangement. Particularly, this thesis concentrated on the development of a system for the robot to autonomously discover and restore changes in object positions without the assistance of external aids. This thesis made the following original contributions to research. Firstly, a time synchronisation approach was developed, which permitted high speed mobile robot mapping by minimising time synchronisation errors of odometry and range sensors. Secondly, a real-time system for robust and accurate SLAM with fusion of advanced sonar features and laser Polar Scan Matching (PSM) was presented. This resolved the problem of map drifts in corridors resulting from ill-conditioned laser scan matches. In the development of the SLAM system, the PSM was extended for multiple laser rangefinders. This solved the problem of scans overlapping insufficiently in the matching process given the limited field of view of a single laser. Moreover, a method of simultaneously calibrating odometry and fine tuning the local range sensors' pose relative to the robot origin was presented. Thirdly, a Voronoi-loop-based approach for autonomous exploration which facilitated truly autonomous exploration and stable mapping by performing frequent loop closing was presented. Fourthly, an autonomous online map merging system for a single robot performing intermittent explorations was introduced. The map merging was achieved by combining a probabilistic Haar-based place recognition system using omnidirectional vision with an integrated SLAM and autonomous exploration system based on laser scan matching. This system was shown to robustly and autonomously perform map merging in challenging indoor environments. Fifthly, a method that utilised SLAM and autonomous exploration to discover and restore changes in object positions was presented. In the development of the object rearrangement system, a novel electromagnetic based grasping system and a novel path planning technique for transporting objects were introduced. The technical contributions of this thesis were validated with a series of practical experimentations using a real-time robot system with various combinations of sensors in typical indoor environments.

Download or read book Distributed Multi Robot Exploration written by Dominik Haumann and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Multi robot Map Exploration Based on Multiple Rapidly exploring Randomized Trees written by Hassan Abdul-Rahman Umari and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Efficient robotic navigation requires a predefined map. In order to autonomously acquire a map, it is desired that robots have the ability to explore unknown environments with minimum cost and time, while ensuring complete map coverage. Meeting these requirements is challenging, and has attracted a lot of research. Various autonomous map exploration strategies exist, which direct robots to unexplored space by detecting frontiers. Frontiers are boundaries separating known space form unknown space. Usually frontier detection utilizes image processing tools like edge detection, thus limiting it to two dimensional (2-D) exploration. In this work we present a new exploration strategy based on the use of multiple Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRTs). The RRT algorithm is chosen because it is biased towards unexplored regions. Also, using RRT provides a general approach which can be extended to higher dimensional spaces. The proposed strategy is implemented and tested using the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework. Additionally this work uses local and global trees for detecting frontier points, which enables efficient robotic exploration. Further more, a marketbased task allocation strategy for coordination between multiple robots is adopted. Simulations and experimental results show that the proposed strategy can successfully extract frontiers, and explore the entire map in a reasonable amount of time, and with a reduced map exploration cost. It is also shown in this work that the proposed approach has the above mentioned performance benefits without substantially losing performance when compared against image processing-based frontier detection techniques in two dimensional spaces."--Abstract.

Download or read book Planetary Rovers written by Alex Ellery and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-30 with total page 721 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This will be the only book on planetary rover development covering all aspects relevant to the design of systems

Download or read book Contemporary Planetary Robotics written by Yang Gao and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For readers from both academia and industry wishing to pursue their studies and /or careers in planetary robotics, this book represents a one-stop tour of the history, evolution, key systems, and technologies of this emerging field. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the key techniques and technologies that help to achieve autonomous space systems for cost-effective, high performing planetary robotic missions. Main topics covered include robotic vision, surface navigation, manipulation, mission operations and autonomy, being explained in both theoretical principles and practical use cases. The book recognizes the importance of system design hence discusses practices and tools that help take mission concepts to baseline design solutions, making it a practical piece of scientific reference suited to a variety of practitioners in planetary robotics.

Download or read book Autonomous Mobile Robots in Unknown Outdoor Environments written by Xiaorui Zhu and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-12-15 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mobile robots have been increasingly applied in many different scenarios, such as space exploration and search and rescue, where the robots are required to travel over uneven terrain while outdoors. This book provides a new framework and the related algorithms for designing autonomous mobile robotic systems in such unknown outdoor environments.

Download or read book Multi Robot Guided Autonomy for Indoor Exploration written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The effective use of multiple Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) in an indoor environment can be challenging due to the several environmental and technical constraints. It becomes more challenging when a single operator is required to manage more than one UGV. Hence, there is a need to look into how this can be effectively addressed and to develop the necessary approaches to testing and selecting the solutions. One approach is to develop guided autonomy capabilities to reduce the amount of operator interaction. This paper presents work done to develop a system to provide multi-robot guided autonomy for enhancing the performance in indoor exploration. The general focus of the effort was to design an Operator Control Unit (OCU) with Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) considerations to address operator loading issues as well as waypoint navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities to enable guided autonomy. The system was design to allow a single operator to manage two UGVs. User trials were conducted throughout the development phase to iteratively improve the designs. The results were promising and future work will look at developing task level autonomy to further reduce operator workload and enhancing OCU interface design for operational use.

Download or read book Communicative Exploration written by Martijn N. Rooker and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploration is one of the main research topics in the field of mobile robotics. Multiple robots have been applied for different exploration algorithms In most of the these algorithms the robots exchange data via wireless communication assuming perfect data transmission in the whole environment. Unfortunately, this assumption does not always hold, as e.g. the range of wireless communication is limited. In this thesis Communicative Exploration is presented, which is based on Frontier-Based Exploration. For communicative exploration a group of robots is exploring unknown environments and maintain communication throughout the whole exploration process. The robots form a mobile ad-hoc network that is fully connected for the entire exploration. The motion of the robots is controlled via a heuristic utility function which assigns values to a population of configurations. The configuration with the highest utility value defines the motions of the robots. Different versions of communicative exploration are presented. In the first version a basestation is located outside the environment, from where a human operator can control or supervise the group of robots. During exploration the robots also maintain communication with the basestation. An extension to this version is presented where an improved motion control algorithm is implemented. By calculating a distance transform over the environment the robots are guided better towards the unknown areas of the environment. In a different version the basestation is omitted from the setup to enlarge the reachability of the robots. The group of robots explores the environment acting as a robot pack. Surprisingly, this version introduce situations where the robots get stuck in the environment in deadlock situations. Strategies are introduced that try to avoid or recover from these deadlocks.

Download or read book Implementation of a Multiple Robot Frontier Based Exploration System as a Testbed for Battlefield Reconnaissance Support written by Patrick A. Hillmeyer and published by . This book was released on 1998-06-01 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Future military battlefields will see smaller forces responsible for ever increasing geographical areas. In addition, future conflicts will occur more often in urban or built-up areas. Both of these trends argue for some type of augmentation for initial reconnaissance, continued observation, and control of lines of communication and other key terrain features. Multisensor systems, mounted on a variety of robotic platforms, can provide this type of battlefield support where it is needed most. However, before costly decisions concerning the details of such systems can be made, basic research needs to be conducted regarding their most effective composition and utilization. Prior to this time all multiple robot studies at this institution had only taken place in simulated environments. This thesis implements a real-world multiple robot system that uses a technique known as frontier-based exploration to explore and map a laboratory or office environment. In doing so, many previously hidden aspects of multiple robot systems, unnoticeable in simulation-only studies, become evident The results developed here are compared to results obtained elsewhere involving other robotic platforms. This research lays the foundation for future research involving multiple robots interacting as a system in a real-world environment and acting towards a common or shared goal.

Download or read book Intelligent Multi robot Cooperation for Target Searching and Foraging Tasks in Completely Unknown Environments written by Yifan Cai and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multi-robot cooperation can significantly improve work efficiency and provide with better robustness and adaptability than a single robot. This thesis focuses on the effective cooperation strategy for multi-robot systems. Target searching in completely unknown environments is a challenging topic in multi-robot exploration. The multi-robot system has no information about the environments except the total number of targets, and a target searching task is accomplished when all the targets are detected and reached. Autonomous exploration is required to complete the task. In this thesis, a combined Option and MAXQ hierarchical reinforcement learning algorithm is firstly developed to provide with the learning ability to handle tasks in new unknown environments. Though it can work in some situations, the indispensable learning process prevents it from efficiently dealing with dynamic tasks in unknown environments. As a consequence, a potential field-based particle swarm optimization (PPSO) approach to target searching is presented. A novel potential field-based fitness function is developed for the PSO algorithm structure to provide with the exploration priority evaluation for undetected areas. The potential function is based on some designed cooperation rules. Furthermore, an improved PPSO approach with dynamic parameter tuning is developed to handle tasks in complex environments. As extensions, cooperative foraging tasks are investigated, and fuzzy obstacle avoidance is integrated to improve the smoothness of the robot path. The scheme is tested under various scenarios to validate the flexibility and effectiveness. In simulation studies, scenarios with obstacles and uncertainties are considered to demonstrate the robustness and adaptability.

Download or read book Multi robot Exploration Under Non ideal Communication Conditions written by Facundo Benavides Olivera and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The exploration problem is a fundamental subject in autonomous mobilerobotics that deals with achieving the complete coverage of a previously unknown environment.There are several scenarios where completing exploration of a zone is a main part of themission, e.g. planetary exploration, reconnaissance, search and rescue, agriculture, cleaning,or dangerous places as mined lands and radioactive zones. Wireless communication plays animportant role in collaborative multi-robot strategies. Unfortunately, the assumption or requirementof stable communication and end-to-end connectivity may be easily compromised inreal scenarios. In this thesis, two novel approaches to tackle the problem of multi-robot explorationof communication constrained environments are proposed. At first, an auto-adaptivemulti-objective strategy is followed in order to support the selection of tasks regarding bothexploration performance and connectivity level. Secondly, two roles -explorer and communicationrelay- are considered in order to improve the benefits of the previous task selectionstrategy. Based on the communication model, a novel polynomial-time relay placement approachfor multi-robot exploration missions is introduced in detail. Compared with others,the proposed approaches are capable of decreasing the last of disconnection periods withouta noticeable degradation of the completion exploration time.