CPS:Medium:Ant-Like Microrobots - Fast, Small, and Under Control

本研究的目的是发现新的基本原理，设计方法和技术，实现分布式网络的亚厘米3，蚂蚁大小的移动的微型机器人，自组织成合作的配置。 该方法本质上是跨学科的，并组织沿着四个主要的推力：（1）算法的分布式协调和控制下严重的电力，通信和移动性的限制。 (2)使用基于事件的通信和计算、超低功耗无线电和自适应模数集成电路的机器人控制电子器件。 (3)采用快速原型和MEMS技术的运动设备和高效执行器，可在真实条件下稳健运行。 (4)将算法、电子设备和执行器集成到蚂蚁大小的微型机器人中。目前还没有亚厘米3级的机器人，因为它们的发展面临着许多挑战。这项研究将查明和确定解决这些挑战的手段。此外，它还将为资源受限算法、架构和执行器等突出问题提供新的解决方案，这些问题可以在其他应用中广泛利用。这些机器人将采用共同设计的理念，促进跨学科研究和紧密合作。蚂蚁大小的机器人网络预计将在救灾、制造、仓库管理和生态监测以及新的不可预见的应用中发挥作用。此外，这里提出的新方法和原则可以过渡到其他高度分布式和资源受限的工程问题，如空中交通管制系统。 这个研究项目将培养博士。该项目旨在培养在混合分布式网络设计方面具有独特技能的学生，并将涉及本科生，特别是代表性不足的少数民族和妇女。

The objective of this research is to discover new fundamental principles, design methods, and technologies for realizing distributed networks of sub-cm3, ant-sized mobile micro-robots that self-organize into cooperative configurations. The approach is intrinsically interdisciplinary and organized along four main thrusts: (1) Algorithms for distributed coordination and control under severe power, communication, and mobility constraints. (2) Electronics for robot control using event-based communication and computation, ultra-low-power radio, and adaptive analog-digital integrated circuits. (3) Locomotion devices and efficient actuators using rapid-prototyping and MEMS technologies that can operate robustly under real-world conditions. (4) Integration of the algorithms, electronics, and actuators into a fleet of ant-size micro-robots.No robots at the sub-cm3 scale exist because their development faces a number of open challenges. This research will identify and determine means for solving these challenges. In addition, it will provide new solutions to outstanding questions about resource-constrained algorithms, architectures, and actuators that can be widely leveraged in other applications. The PIs will adopt a co-design philosophy that promotes cross-disciplinary research and tight collaboration.Networks of ant-sized robots are expected to be useful in disaster relief, manufacturing, warehouse management, and ecological monitoring, as well as in new unforeseen applications. In addition, the new methods and principles proposed here can be transitioned to other highly-distributed and resource-constrained engineering problems, such as air-traffic control systems. This research program will train Ph.D. students with unique skills in the design of hybrid distributed networks and it will involve undergraduate students, particularly underrepresented minorities and women.