Swarm-based Subterranean Exploration

在这个项目中，我们将开发机器人群，它们相互协作，在访问受限和通信受限的区域实现快速地图绘制、定位和导航。为了最大限度地提高我们方法的灵活性，我们将考虑由无人驾驶地面飞行器(UGV)和无人驾驶飞行器(UAV)组成的异类机器人团队。我们方法的显著特点是使用动态、特别的通信网络、协作定位和完全分散的决策和地图。*我们将专注于：*1)通信：为了允许机器人在探索和*绘制环境时进行通信，我们将使用八卦通信。地图、任务和命令将使用一种类似于分布式数据库的健壮方法进行传播，但需要较低的带宽。机器人中将嵌入一个连接维护控制器，以便它们可以在不脱离团队和丢失风险的情况下执行任务；*2)本地化：我们提出了一种基于仅距离超宽带(UWB)传感器和视觉的去中心化协作定位方法，不需要任何先前的基础设施。我们将使用通信来就全球坐标系达成共识，UWB测距用于机器人的相对定位，视觉里程测量用于环境中的绝对定位；*3)地图绘制：将使用基于视觉和激光的协作技术实现区域地图绘制，将传感数据合并到单一地图中。然后，这张地图将用于定位热点，进行搜索，并相对于兴趣点定位蜂群。我们与Masachussetts理工学院合作的初步成果非常有希望。*我们的研究成果将在西班牙兰萨罗特岛的蒂古阿顿试验场与欧洲航天局(ESA)合作进行测试，可能还会与加拿大航天局(CSA)合作。我们需要四种类型的机器人来执行我们对GPS拒绝环境的勘探和测绘的研究。由于我们的研究集中在地面和空中机器人之间的合作上，我们要求月球车和四轴飞行器。最近，我们的团队在开发许多集群机器人算法方面取得了高度成功，其中许多算法只是在数据集上或在实验室条件下进行测试，因为我们无法获得现场部署所需的设备。如今，吸引优秀学生已经是一项挑战，因此我们认为，我们必须为他们提供设备，使他们能够充分发展他们的研究项目，才能对研究格局产生重大影响。考虑到8名学生接近最后一年，时间至关重要：如果没有所需的设备，该领域的进步可能会失去。此外，学生们将被剥夺在廷加顿一个独特的学习机会，加拿大将失去唯一参与这项运动的国家。

In this program we will develop robot swarms that collaborate to implement rapid mapping, localization, and navigation in limited-access and communication-restricted areas. To maximize the flexibility of our approach, we will consider a heterogeneous robotic team composed of both unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The distinctive trait of our approach is the use of a dynamic, ad-hoc communication network, collaborative localization, and fully decentralized decision making and mapping.******We will focus on: ***1) Communication: to allow the robots to communicate as they explore and***map the environment, we will use gossip communication. Maps, tasks, and commands will be diffused using a robust approach similar to that of distributed databases, but requiring low bandwidth. A connectivity maintenance controller will be embedded in the robots, so that they can execute explore the environment without getting separated from the team and risk being lost;***2) Localization: we propose a decentralized collaborative localization approach based on range-only Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) sensors and vision that does not require any prior infrastructure. We will use communication to achieve a consensus on a global coordinate frame, UWB ranging for relative localization of the robots, and visual odometry for absolute localization in the environment;***3) Mapping: the mapping of the area will be achieved using a collaborative vision- and laser-based techniques, merging the sensed data into a single map. This map will then serve to locate hot spots, conduct searches, and locate the swarm with respect to points of interest. Our initial results in collaboration with the Masachussetts Institute of Technology are very promising.******Our research output will be tested in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and, possibly, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in the test site of Tiguaton, on the island of Lanzarote, Spain. We request four types of robots for performing our research on exploration and mapping of GPS-denied environments. As our research is axed on the collaboration between ground and aerial robots, we request both rovers and quadcopters. Recently, our team had a high degree of success in developing many swarm-robotics algorithms, many of which were tested on datasets or in laboratory conditions only because we don't have access to the equipment necessary for field deployment. Nowadays it is already a challenging to attract excellent students, therefore we believe we must provide them with equipment that allows to fully develop their research projects to have a substantial impact on the research landscape. Considering 8 students close to final year, time is of essence: advancements in the field may be lost without the requested equipment. In addition, students would be deprived of a unique learning opportunity in Tinguaton, and Canada would lose its only participant in the campaign.**