Web-based communication and control for multiagent robots

Abstract

In this paper we describe a Web-based method for communication with and control of heterogeneous robots in a unified manner, including mobile robots and vision sensors. We base this method on recent Web technologies such as browsers, Java language and socket communication. It allows users to connect to robots through a Web server, using their hand-held computers, and to monitor and control the robots via various input devices. As a model of an everyday working environment, we configured mobile robots and cameras that work autonomously and cooperatively. The Web technologies provide a general framework for integrating robot control, communication between robots and humans, and Web-page access. This framework can extend the robot-based intelligent office as a new direction of the intranet.