Related papers: Designing for Distributed Heterogeneous Modularity…
A generic architecture for a class of distributed robotic systems is presented. The architecture supports openness and heterogeneity, i.e. heterogeneous components may be joined and removed from the systems without affecting its basic…
Homogeneity and heterogeneity represent a well-known trade-off in the design of modular robot systems. This work addresses the heterogeneity concept, its rationales, design choices and performance evaluation. We introduce challenges for…
The development of autonomous aerial systems, particularly for multi-robot configurations, is a complex challenge requiring multidisciplinary expertise. Unlike ground robotics, aerial robotics has seen limited standardization, leading to…
The allure of lunar surface exploration and development has recently captured widespread global attention. Robots have proved to be indispensable for exploring uncharted terrains, uncovering and leveraging local resources, and facilitating…
In this paper, we present the development of 4-DOF robot limbs, which we call Moonbots, designed to connect in various configurations with each other and wheel modules, enabling adaptation to different environments and tasks. These modular…
Heterogeneous robots equipped with multi-modal sensors (e.g., UAV, wheeled and legged terrestrial robots) provide rich and complementary functions that may help human operators to accomplish complex tasks in unknown environments. However,…
This paper introduces a conceptual, yet quantifiable, architecture framework by extending the notion of system modularity in its broadest sense. Acknowledging that modularity is not a binary feature and comes in various types and levels,…
The advantage of modular self-reconfigurable robot systems is their flexibility, but this advantage can only be realized if appropriate configurations (shapes) and behaviors (controlling programs) can be selected for a given task. In this…
Field robotics applications, such as search and rescue, involve robots operating in large, unknown areas. These environments present unique challenges that compound the difficulties faced by a robot operator. The use of multi-robot teams,…
In this paper, we consider the dynamic multi-robot distribution problem where a heterogeneous group of networked robots is tasked to spread out and simultaneously move towards multiple moving task areas while maintaining connectivity. The…
Designing multi-agent robotic systems requires reasoning across tightly coupled decisions spanning heterogeneous domains, including robot design, fleet composition, and planning. Much effort has been devoted to isolated improvements in…
This paper address the challenges encountered by developers when deploying a distributed decision-making behavior on heterogeneous robotic systems. Many applications benefit from the use of multiple robots, but their scalability and…
An efficient communication mechanism forms the backbone for any multi-robot system to achieve fruitful collaboration and coordination. Limitation in the existing asynchronous transmission based strategies in fast dissemination and…
Robotic systems are more connected, networked, and distributed than ever. New architectures that comply with the \textit{de facto} robotics middleware standard, ROS\,2, have recently emerged to fill the gap in terms of hybrid systems…
In this paper a modular and scalable architecture for heterogeneous swarm-based Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UASs) built on PX4-Autopilot and Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) framework is presented. The proposed architecture…
This paper presents the design of a small aerial robot for inhabited microgravity environments, such as orbiting space stations (e.g., ISS). In particular, we target a fleet of robots, called Space CoBots, for collaborative tasks with…
Modern hardware environments are becoming increasingly heterogeneous, leading to the emergence of applications specifically designed to exploit this heterogeneity. Efficiently adopting locks in these applications poses distinct challenges.…
MoleMOD is a heterogeneous self-reconfigurable modular robotic system to be employed in architecture and civil engineering. In this paper we present two components of the MoleMOD infrastructure - a test environment and a planning algorithm.…
The increasing complexity of distributed robotics has driven the need for platforms that seamlessly integrate edge, fog, and cloud computing layers while meeting strict real-time constraints. This paper introduces BlazeAIoT, a modular…
Natural organisms utilize distributed actuation through their musculoskeletal systems to adapt their gait for traversing diverse terrains or to morph their bodies for varied tasks. A longstanding challenge in robotics is to emulate this…