Distributed Energy-Efficient Mobile Robots

移动机器人(Mobots)在包括搜救行动在内的人道主义行动中有着广泛的应用。为了成功地完成这些任务，移动机器人必须通过携带自己的能源来保持高机动性，并且它们必须有效地利用有限的能源资源，以便能够长时间运行。在这个项目中，PI和他的团队将研究一种构建分布式节能机器人的新方法。他们将设计、实施和评估一个由生物启发的工程原理控制的移动机器人团队，其中移动机器人之间的通信通过使用对等覆盖协议的无线自组织网络进行。具体地说，该团队将研究：(1)受生物启发的感知、规划、协调和控制算法。这是因为观察到许多生物通过自然选择有效地利用了能量。将采用软计算和多智能体系统来管理团队协调以及单个移动机器人的活动。神经模糊逻辑将被用来控制多个机器人的能源效率。(2)用于移动机器人之间通信的节能、可扩展和健壮的无线网络。对等覆盖网络将构建在移动自组织网络上，以支持高移动性和应对任务期间丢失或添加移动机器人的可能性。分组将通过节能路径进行传输；这些路径将根据移动机器人的当前位置和剩余能量动态确定。(3)移动机器人中每个组件的能量模型、每个移动机器人内部组件之间的交互以及移动机器人之间的交互。这些模型将用于评估(1)中开发的控制算法和(2)中提出的通信机制的能效。此外，还将构建一个综合的模拟器来研究大量的移动机器人：团队运动、构形、协调以及它们之间的交流。该模拟器还将验证生物系统是否真的有效地利用能源。这项研究的结果将包括：(I)受生物启发的神经模糊控制算法，以提高能源效率；(Ii)高效的移动机器人之间的通信机制；(Iii)用于实验和仪器的三个移动机器人原型；以及(Iv)一个详细的模拟器，用于研究具有大量模拟机器人团队的各种场景。Broader影响：该项目对社会、教育和推广具有更广泛的影响。机器人将能够在人道主义任务和外层空间探索中工作更长的时间。研究成果将被纳入普渡大学的研究生和本科课程，该实验室将每年为当地K-12学生举办一次公开会议，展示Mobot原型，并鼓励学生参与工程和科学活动。

Mobile robots (mobots) have a wide range of applications in humanitarian operations, including search and rescue operations. To successfully accomplish these missions, mobots must maintain high mobility by carrying their own energy sources, and they must make efficient use of their limited energy resources in order to be capable of operating for extended periods of time. In this project, the PI and his team will investigate a new methodology of constructing distributed energy-efficient mobots. They will design, implement, and evaluate a team of mobots controlled by using biologically inspired engineering principles, and where inter-mobot communication is conducted through wireless ad hoc networks with peer-to-peer overlay protocols. Speci?cally, the team will study:(1) Biologically inspired algorithms for sensing, planning, coordination, and control. This is motivated by the observation that many creatures, through natural selection, use energy efficiently. Soft computing and multi-agent systems will be adopted to manage the team coordination as well as the activities of individual mobots. Neuro-fuzzy logic will be used to control multiple robots with energy efficiency.(2) Energy-efficient, scalable, and robust wireless networks for inter-mobot communication. Peer-to-peer overlay networks will be constructed on mobile ad hoc networks to support the high mobility and to handle the possibility of losing or adding mobots during missions. Packets will be transmitted through energy-efficient routes; these routes will be dynamically determined based on the current locations and the remaining energy of the mobots.(3) Energy models for each component in a mobot, the interactions among the components inside each mobot, and the interactions among mobots. These models will be used to evaluate the energy efficiency of the control algorithms developed in (1) and the communication mechanism presented in (2). In addition, a comprehensive simulator will be constructed to study a large number of mobots: the team movement, con?guration, coordination, and the communication among them. The simulator will also validate whether biological systems indeed use energy efficiently.The outcomes of this research will consist of: (i) biologically inspired neuro-fuzzy control algorithms to improve energy efficiency; (ii) efficient inter-mobot communication mechanisms; (iii) three mobot prototypes for experiments and instrumentation; and (iv) a detailed simulator to study various scenarios with a large team of mobots.Broader Impacts: This project has broader impacts on society, education, and outreach. Mobots will be able to operate for signi?cantly longer times in humanitarian missions and outer space exploration. Research results will be incorporated into graduate and undergraduate courses at Purdue, and the lab will host an open session to local K-12 students every year to demonstrate the mobot prototypes and to encourage participation by students in engineering and science activities.