Entrapment/escorting and patrolling missions in multi-robot cluster space control

— The tasks of entrapping/escorting and patrolling around an autonomous target are presented making use of the multi-robot cluster space control approach. The cluster space control technique promotes simplified specification and monitoring of the motion of mobile multi-robot systems of limited size. Previous work has established the conceptual foundation of this approach and has experimentally verified and validated its use for 2-robot, 3-robot and 4-robot systems, with varying implementations ranging from automated trajectory control to human-in-the-loop piloting. In this publication, we show that the problem of entrapping/escorting/patrolling is trivial to define and manage from a cluster space perspective. Using a 3-robot experimental testbed, results are shown for the given tasks. We also revise the definition of the cluster space framework for a three-robot formation and incorporate a robotlevel obstacle avoidance functionality.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: IROS
• Authors: Ignacio Mas, Steven Li, Jose Acain, Christopher Kitts
• Keywords: Cluster Space, Cluster Space Control, IROS 2009, Multi-robot Cluster Space, Robotics