Multiple mobile robots system with network-based subsumption architecture

Abstract

In this paper, a unique multiple mobile robots system is proposed to enable engineering students and engineers in the field to efficiently learn subsumption architecture and develop swarm intelligence. The subsumption architecture is known as one of the behaviour-based artificial intelligence. Each of multiple mobile robots within the system has three wheels driven by DC motors and six position sensitive detector (PSD) sensors. Network-based subsumption architecture is considered to realise a schooling behaviour by using only information from the PSD sensors. Further, a server supervisory control is introduced for poor hardware platforms with limitations of software development, i.e., the mobile robots can only behave based on the most simply subdivided reaction behaviours, i.e., reflex actions, generated from agents. Experimental results show interesting behaviour among the multiple mobile robots, such as following, avoidance and schooling.