A Framework and Architecture for Multirobot Coordination

Rajeev Alur, University of Pennsylvania
Aveek J. Das, University of Pennsylvania
Joel Esposito, University of Pennsylvania
Rafael Fierro, University of Pennsylvania
Gregory Grudic, University of Pennsylvania
Yerang Hur, University of Pennsylvania
R. Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania
Insup Lee, University of Pennsylvania
James Ostrowski, University of Pennsylvania
George J. Pappas, University of Pennsylvania
B. Southall, University of Pennsylvania
John R. Spletzer, University of Pennsylvania
Camillo J. Taylor, University of Pennsylvania

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Copyright Sage Publications. Postprint version. Published in International Journal of Robotics Research, Volume 21, Issue 10-11, October-November 2002, pages 977-995.

Abstract

In this paper, we present a framework and the software architecture for the deployment of multiple autonomous robots in an unstructured and unknown environment with applications ranging from scouting and reconnaissance, to search and rescue and manipulation tasks. Our software framework provides the methodology and the tools that enable robots to exhibit deliberative and reactive behaviors in autonomous operation, to be reprogrammed by a human operator at run-time, and to learn and adapt to unstructured, dynamic environments and new tasks, while providing performance guarantees. We demonstrate the algorithms and software on an experimental testbed that involves a team of car-like robots using a single omnidirectional camera as a sensor without explicit use of odometry.