Adaptive Motion Coordination and Control of Robotic and Vehicular Networks

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Most of the robotic applications of today for industrial automation, indoor (cleaning, manipulation, kitchen, etc) services, and surveillance involve multiple robots interacting with each other, due to insufficiency of single robot solutions. For safe and efficient run of these applications, reliable cooperation among the robots is needed, via distributed coordination and control over a communication and sensing network. Similar situation holds for cooperation of intelligent passenger and mission vehicles for enhancing traffic and mission performance. To address this need with better performance more reliably than the existing solutions, this research program will investigate new motion coordination and control system designs, including (1) cooperative and adaptive parameter identification and control systems of intelligent vehicles and automation/service robots, via onboard sensor networks, (2) distributed cooperative optimal motion planners, (3) distributed adaptive motion coordination and formation control systems for (a) cooperative target localization and tracking, (b) cooperative terrain mapping and navigation, (c) optimal robotic service coverage, (4) adaptive and learning based motion planning, path tracking, and maneuver control systems for collaborative driving via intelligent vehicular networks. The designs will have interacting layers for learning based dynamic cooperative motion planning, network coordination, on-line parameter and state estimation, and adaptive low-level motion/maneuver control. The program outcomes will foster new system identification and adaptive control methods as advantageous alternatives to the existing ones; they will form bridges among robotic motion planning, vehicle motion control and multi-agent system coordination, leading to integrated high-performance solutions for complex motion coordination and control problems. Further, these outcomes will initiate new eras in cooperative target seeking and surveillance. The systems and algorithms developed in the program will advance the state-of-art in capabilities and applications of a wide range of Canadian industries and governmental technology organizations, within the highly demanding sectors of manufacturing, automotive, surveillance, and emergency response, along several strategic areas of Canadian and global interest, including collaborative (semi-)autonomous driving and driver assistance systems, coordination of manufacturing, automation, and service robots, networked detection of ecosystem interventions and climate change effects, waste and contamination monitoring of air and water, networked surveillance. They will  advance such industries and organizations, enabling the next generation of autonomous and user/driver assistance products to be developed by them. The HQP trained through the program will be ideal candidates to work in these sectors, bringing in the skill-sets, experience, technical background they gain through the program.