Swarm Robotics: Dynamic and self-organising mobile robot systems

移动的机器人越来越多地成为创造更具活力的制造系统的推动者。预计这些系统将快速适应不断变化的要求，并对干扰做出更有弹性的反应。这对于大型结构、高度复杂的产品装配过程尤其重要，这些过程传统上依赖于具有非常刚性的高成本结构的专用且不灵活的自动化解决方案。大批的移动的机器人有望使装配、物流和检查活动的调度更加动态。然而，这种动态系统的复杂的相互作用和紧急属性尚未得到充分理解，需要深入调查。这个博士项目将提供一个优秀的候选人，探索新的分布式控制方法来管理越来越大的舰队互动移动的机器人与各种不同的技能（过程能力）的机会。将探索群机器人的最新算法，以设计具有航空航天和汽车应用所需的高弹性新兴行为的移动的系统。动态使命规划（中央一级）与当地自力更生（独立的移动的机器人控制）的结合可能会在这个项目中发挥关键作用。基于代理的技术以及机器人操作系统将用于通知未来的动态制造控制系统。

Mobile robots are increasingly emerging as enablers to create more dynamic manufacturing systems. These systems are expected to quickly adjust to changing requirements and respond more resiliently to disturbances. This is particularly interesting for large structures, highly complex product assembly processes that traditionally rely on dedicated and inflexible automation solutions with very rigid high cost structures. Swarms of mobile robots are expected to allow more dynamic scheduling of assembly, logistics and inspection activities. However, the complex interactions and emergent properties of such dynamic systems have not yet been fully understood and need in depth investigation.This PhD project will provide the opportunity for an excellent candidate to explore new distributed control methods to manage an increasingly larger fleets of interacting mobile robots with various different skills (process capabilities). Latest algorithms from swarm robotics will be explored to design mobile systems with highly resilient emerging behaviours required for aerospace and automotive applications. A combination of dynamic mission planning (central level) with local self-reliance (independent mobile robot control) will likely play a key role in this project. Agent-based technology as well as the Robot Operating System will be used to inform future dynamic manufacturing control systems.