Article
Automation & Control Systems
Junyan Hu, Barry Lennox, Farshad Arvin
Summary: This paper proposes a consensus-based formation tracking scheme for multi-robot systems utilizing the Negative Imaginary (NI) theory. The proposed scheme applies to networked robotic systems that consist of single integrator agents with stable uncertainties connected via an undirected graph. It offers robustness to model uncertainties and fault-tolerance to a sudden loss of robots.
Article
Robotics
Paulo Rezeck, Luiz Chaimowicz
Summary: This paper presents a novel stochastic approach that allows a swarm of self-organized robots to create emergent patterns using local information. Simulated experiments and experiments with physical robots demonstrate the versatility and feasibility of this method.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Computer Science, Information Systems
Jean-Paul A. Yaacoub, Hassan N. Noura, Benoit Piranda
Summary: The rise of modular robotic systems has led to a more digitized world. As a crucial part of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), the modular robotic domain has become essential due to the increasing demands and needs for robotics. These self-configurable robotic systems, such as swarms, are considered smart autonomous machines with interconnected links, modules, and algorithms that achieve complex shapes or hierarchical structures. The concept of this intelligent system has made it suitable for deployment in the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT), establishing itself as the revolutionary Internet of Modular Robotic Things (IoMRT). This paper presents a survey that discusses the criteria, characteristics, architecture, and design of self-reconfigurable modular robots and robotic systems. It also addresses the aspects of security, safety, and privacy, making it one of the first papers to focus on this topic and its future. Additionally, it highlights the challenges and available solutions, providing a brief analysis and insight into future work. The paper also covers the security aspects of modular robotic systems to protect against possible cyber or physical attacks, presenting a comprehensive view of IoMRT.
INTERNET OF THINGS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kastor Felsner, Klaus Schlachter, Sebastian Zambal
Summary: The proposed method involves calculating sub-paths, streamlines, and ray tracing to plan a complete inspection path for ultrasonic inspection. Experiment results show that using ray tracing can achieve shorter paths while maintaining coverage.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Xiaojie Liu, Xingwei Wang, Jie Jia, Min Huang
Summary: The study investigates the 3-dimensional coverage deployment problem in Wireless Robotic Networks (WRNs) and proposes a distributed deployment algorithm that maximizes coverage area by decoupling the problem in altitude and horizontal dimensions. The algorithm utilizes Particle Swarm Optimization for local deployment and evaluates local coverage area using Voronoi Diagram. Performance evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
JOURNAL OF NETWORK AND COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haibin Duan, Mengzhen Huo, Yanming Fan
Summary: This article discusses the inspiration of swarm robotics from the collective behaviors of animals and their application in unmanned swarm systems and human-machine systems. Collective behaviors in animals, driven by simple interaction rules, exhibit intelligent properties such as self-organization, robustness, adaptability, and expansibility. These properties have inspired the design of autonomous unmanned swarm systems. The article reviews typical natural collective behaviors, introduces the concept of swarm intelligence, and presents application cases of animal collective behaviors. It also focuses on the progress and bionic achievements of aerial, ground, and marine robotics swarms, mapping biological cooperative mechanisms to cooperative unmanned cluster systems. The significance of coexisting-cooperative-cognitive human-machine systems is considered, and key technologies to be solved are identified as reference directions for future exploration.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Vu Phi Tran, Matthew A. Garratt, Kathryn Kasmarik, Sreenatha G. Anavatti
Summary: This paper proposes a novel swarm-based control algorithm for multi-robot exploration and repeated coverage in environments with unknown, dynamic obstacles. The algorithm combines frontier-led swarming for driving exploration and pheromone-based stigmergy for controlling repeated coverage while avoiding obstacles. Through comparison experiments, it is demonstrated that the proposed strategy outperforms other existing multi-robot repeated coverage methodologies.
IEEE-CAA JOURNAL OF AUTOMATICA SINICA
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Yinhua Liu, Wenzheng Zhao, Hongpeng Liu, Yinan Wang, Xiaowei Yue
Summary: This study proposes a novel coverage path planning (CPP) method for free-form surface inspection in robotic quality inspection, taking into account the measurement uncertainty and using an optimal viewpoint sampling strategy to improve the scanning precision of key measurement points.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Yinhua Liu, Wenzheng Zhao, Hongpeng Liu, Yinan Wang, Xiaowei Yue
Summary: A novel CPP method incorporating the measurement uncertainty of key MPs into free-form surface inspection is proposed in this study. By calculating the feasible ranges of measurement uncertainty and using an enhanced rapidly exploring random tree algorithm for viewpoint sampling, the scanning precision of key MPs is significantly improved compared with the benchmark method.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zixuan Zhang, Bo Zhang, Yunlong Wu
Summary: This article proposes a joint communication-motion planning (JCMP) framework to enhance the capability of networked robotic systems. By exploiting the adaptive communications and mobility control of autonomous robots, the JCMP framework optimizes both motion and communication aspects. The results demonstrate the positive impact of JCMP on improving the performance of robotic systems.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Zvezdan Loncarevic, Andrej Gams, Simon Rebersek, Bojan Nemec, Jure Skrabar, Jure Skvarc, Ales Ude
Summary: The paper introduces a new method for specifying visual inspection trajectories based on CAD models and optimizing robot speed, achieving up to 53% cycle time reduction without degrading image quality. The proposed approach combines iterative learning control and reinforcement learning to achieve better results compared to other policy learning approaches.
ROBOTICS AND COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Hannes Hornischer, Joshua Cherian Varughese, Ronald Thenius, Franz Wotawa, Manfred Fuellsack, Thomas Schmickl
Summary: Robotic swarms and mobile sensor networks are utilized for environmental monitoring, with the CIMAX algorithm facilitating collective decision-making to maximize information gathering in the swarm. The algorithm has been tested in underwater swarm robots for addressing oxygen depletion issues.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Phillip Smith, Aldeida Aleti, Vincent C. S. Lee, Robert Hunjet, Asad Khan
Summary: The research introduces a novel form of Hierarchical Graph Neurons (HGN) for behaviour selection in robotic swarms, providing the ability to predict environments and select appropriate behaviours, resulting in improved task flexibility for robots.
EXPERT SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jack Connor, Matthew Joordens, Benjamin Champion
Summary: This study proposes a novel flocking algorithm for robotic fish, called FIRA, which incorporates various fish behaviors and utilizes high-latency, non-guaranteed communication methods for simulation and study of biological fish. Experimental results show that FIRA outperforms other algorithms in collision avoidance and exploration.
BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Maria Mannone, Valeria Seidita, Antonio Chella
Summary: This study applies quantum computing to swarm robotics and develops a model using quantum circuits to capture the relationship between local and global behavior. By choosing the foraging behavior of ants as an example, the effectiveness of this model is tested. This research is significant in uncovering the potential of quantum computing in swarm robotics.
SWARM AND EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Faezeh Rahbar, Ali Marjovi, Alcherio Martinoli
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Alicja Wasik, Pedro U. Lima, Alcherio Martinoli
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Bahar Haghighat, Hala Khodr, Alcherio Martinoli
ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
(2019)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Cyrill Baumann, Alcherio Martinoli
Summary: The work addresses the design of integrated control, estimation, and allocation algorithms for a group of robots to move collectively. A modular framework is leveraged to define functional components and compare algorithmic solutions. Results show the framework's effectiveness in spatial coordination challenges and its impact on localization, communication constraints, and real-time control law switching.
ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Robotics
Chiara Ercolani, Lixuan Tang, Ankita Arun Humne, Alcherio Martinoli
Summary: Constructing an accurate gas distribution map is crucial for monitoring and coordinating rescue missions in emergency situations. This study investigates the effect of a random walk and adaptive path planning approach on gas mapping in a 3D environment using a micro aerial vehicle with flight time constraints. The study also introduces a clustering strategy to enhance environment exploration. The strategies are compared and evaluated against a ground truth map, both in simulation and physical experiments, to determine their ability to provide accurate gas maps under time constraints while achieving satisfactory coverage.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Anwar Quraishi, Alcherio Martinoli
Summary: Accurate localization is a major challenge in underwater robotics due to the lack of satellite-based positioning and clear features in natural water bodies. This paper introduces an acoustic range based navigation system with floating, movable beacons for external position referencing. An information theoretic approach is used to plan the trajectory of acoustic beacons in order to minimize position uncertainty for a group of underwater vehicles. The approach is evaluated through realistic simulations calibrated with real-world data.
2021 IEEE/RSJ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AND SYSTEMS (IROS)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Anwar Quraishi, Alcherio Martinoli
Summary: This paper introduces a framework for estimating parameters used in inertial navigation for underwater robots, improving trajectory estimation accuracy, correcting errors in past trajectories, and providing better geo-references. Experimental results demonstrate that with optimal parameter estimates, robots can tolerate longer intervals in external positioning updates.
2021 IEEE/RSJ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AND SYSTEMS (IROS)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Faezeh Rahbar, Alcherio Martinoli
2020 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION (ICRA)
(2020)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Chiara Ercolani, Alcherio Martinoli
2020 IEEE/RSJ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ROBOTS AND SYSTEMS (IROS)
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xinxing Chen, Ali Marjovi, Jian Huang, Alcherio Martinoli
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2020)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Steven Roelofsen, Denis Gillet, Alcherio Martinoli
DISTRIBUTED AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC SYSTEMS
(2019)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Felix Schill, Alexander Bahr, Alcherio Martinoli
DISTRIBUTED AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC SYSTEMS
(2019)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Anwar Quraishi, Alexander Bahr, Felix Schill, Alcherio Martinoli
2019 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION (ICRA)
(2019)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Faezeh Rahbar, Ali Marjovi, Alcherio Martinoli
2019 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION (ICRA)
(2019)
Article
Robotics
Zeynab Talebpour, Alcherio Martinoli
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2019)
