Dynamite: A Testbed for Multiple Mobile Robots1

Abstract

We are experimenting with multiple mobile robots under visual control. The current goal of our work is to construct an architecture for robots engaged in cooperative and competitive behaviour. Multiple robots have recently been the focus of much attention; however, the little work that has been done with implemented systems has involved simple tasks and behaviours. We have initiated the Dynamo (Dynamics and Mobile Robots) Project to provide a link between theory and practice. One part of this project is the Dynamite testbed which consists of a fleet of radio controlled vehicles that receive commands from a remote computer. Robot position and orientation is determined using off-board visual sensing. We have chosen soccer playing as a domain for our experiments since it requires real-time interaction with a dynamic environment. It involves inter-robot cooperation as well as competition between teams. We outline two complementary approaches taken in our laboratory to robot control. The first, Constraint Nets, is a model for robotic systems and behaviours, which provides a theoretical foundation for systems design and analysis. The second