Collective robotics

越来越多的人开始寻求多机器人系统（MRS）来解决偏远（月球或火星）和危险环境（水下或灾区）中的一些挑战，这些挑战无法通过单机器人系统来充分解决。一个MRS享有巨大的优势，其单机器人同行，由于其效率，通过并行执行，其鲁棒性通过冗余，其多功能性通过空间分布和异构性。在这个建议中描述的研究将集中在开发分散控制算法的多机器人系统（MRS）通过检查两个重要的任务：集体决策和集体建设。由于集中式控制算法的MRS是已知的数学上是棘手的，目前的研究大多是针对分散的解决方案。幸运的是，大自然为我们提供了存在性证明和特定的算法，以解决各种感兴趣的问题，并在此基础上构建分散的MRS算法。 该建议概述了两个MRS算法的发展步骤：集体决策算法（CDMA）-动机的蚂蚁物种的巢搬迁算法-和信息素辅助集体建设（PACC）的启发，社会昆虫在筑巢中使用的两个基本机制：柱头和信息素。 研究活动将涉及一些研究生。

Increasingly, people are looking to multi-robot systems (MRS) for solutions to some of the challenges in remote (Moon or Mars) and dangerous environments (underwater or disaster zones) that can not be adequately addressed by single-robot systems. A MRS enjoys tremendous advantages over its single-robot counterpart due to its efficiency through parallel execution, its robustness through redundancy, and its versatility through spatial distribution and heterogeneity. The research described in this proposal will focus on developing decentralized control algorithms for a multi-robot system (MRS) through the examination of two important tasks: collective decision making and collective construction. Because centralized control algorithms for a MRS are known to be mathematically intractable, most of the current research is directed toward decentralized solutions. Fortunately, nature has provided us with both existence proof and specific algorithms to follow for various problems of interest on which to build decentralized MRS algorithms.  This proposal outlines the steps toward the development of two MRS algorithms: Collective Decision Making Algorithm (CDMA) - motivated by the nest relocation algorithm of an ant species - and Pheromone Assisted Collective Construction (PACC) inspired by the two basic mechanisms used by social insects in building their nests: stigmergy and pheromone.  The research activities will involve a number of graduate students.