System architectures for communication-aware multi-robot navigation

Abstract

In this paper, we present a hybrid system architecture that enables a team of robots to self-organize into a multi-hop ad-hoc network allowing for the completion of a given task while providing the desired end-to-end data rates between designated robots. This architecture consists of a two stage feedback loop in which an outer loop provides infrequent global coordination and an inner loop, operating locally, controls the motion and network routing of each robot. The resulting system is able to operate dynamically in complex environments with minimal global coordination as demonstrated through multiple experiments. We conclude with a realistic application of our system, namely patrolling a set of hallways.