CPS: Synergy: Collaborative Research: Cyborg Insect Networks for Exploration and Mapping (CINEMa)

在未知和动态环境中的自主导航一直是合成移动的机器人代理的主要挑战。另一方面，昆虫可以很容易地解决这些复杂的导航问题，并在几乎任何环境中表现出非常稳定和优化的运动技能。该项目旨在开发一个移动的传感器网络，其中昆虫被用作移动的生物机器人（biobotic）节点。事实上，昆虫通过使用它们的生物传感器官和释放化学、机械和光学线索来建立一个“自然”传感器网络，以将信息传达给群体的其他成员。在该项目的范围内，除了上述自然网络之外，还将在昆虫个体之间建立一个新型的网络物理通信网络。为此，昆虫将配备合成电子传感器来感知额外的线索，神经肌肉刺激系统来指导昆虫的控制，以及带有无线电的微控制器来建立昆虫之间的RF链路。这种新型网络将使昆虫生物机器人能够在复杂和不确定的动态环境中运行，用于环境传感和自然灾害后的搜救行动等应用。该项目独特的跨学科性质将帮助工程师接触年轻一代，并培训他们能够从网络物理系统的角度看待工程问题。计划的活动包括由本科生和研究生开发实验室模块和演示，通过我们与教育合作伙伴的持续合作来教授K-12学生及其教师。这些演示也将有助于在国家一级的努力，以促进研究生教育的代表性不足的少数民族学生。

Autonomous navigation in unknown and dynamic environments has been a major challenge for synthetic mobile robotic agents. On the other hand, insects can easily solve such complex navigational problems and demonstrate remarkably stable and optimized locomotion skills in almost any environment. This project aims to develop a mobile sensor network where insects are used as mobile biological-robotic (biobotic) nodes. Insects, in fact, build a "natural" sensor network through the use of their biological sensing organs and release of chemical, mechanical and optical cues to communicate the information to the rest of the group. In the scope of this project, a novel cyber-physical communication network will be established among the individual insect in addition to the aforementioned natural one. For this, insects will be equipped with synthetic electronic sensors to sense additional cues, neuromuscular stimulation systems to direct the control of the insect and microcontrollers with radios to establish an RF link between the insects. This novel network will enable operation of insect biobots in complicated and uncertain dynamic environments for applications such as environmental sensing and search-and-rescue operations after natural disasters. The unique interdisciplinary nature of this project will help engineers to reach to younger generations and train them to be able to look at engineering problems from a cyberphysical systems point of view. Planned activities include development of lab modules and demos by undergraduate and graduate students to teach K-12 students and their teachers through our on-going collaborations with educational partners. These demos will also be instrumental during nation level efforts to promote graduate education to underrepresented minority students.