Knowledge environment for Interacting ROBOt SWARMs

Objective

The general objective of the project is to develop an open knowledge environment for self-configurable, low cost and robust robot swarms useable in everyday applications. Advances in the state-of-the-art of networked robotics are proposed through introduction of a local and global knowledge base for ad hoc communication within a low-cost swarm of autonomous robots operating in the surrounding smart IT infrastructure.

The work will address the development of flexible, cost-effective, dependable, and user-driven robot swarm, which possesses a higher intelligence collectively than each member of the swarm independently. Demonstration of the proposed approach will be made by means of self-organizing robot swarm (composed of 10-15 devices) carrying out a cleaning task in a emulated hospital environment, which is chosen as an application test-bed.

In particular, the project validates the self-organizing task-sharing exercise between individual members of the swarm to capitalize on the availability of a larger number of simple and cost-efficient robots. Reuse of the local and global level knowledge is pursued by creating on-site (near to objects of interest) distributed data environment, developing a universal inter-robot communication, database access language, and a global robot database solution for knowledge reuse. System is kept scalable and manageable by decentralization of control and manipulation to local level.

The proposed system will allow simple robots to:

1. Communicate on a large scale to divide individual tasks for increasing the functionality of the swarm (scalability);
2. Learn from the experience of individual swarm members via the global and/or local knowledge base, which brings together the scattered knowledge of the swarm on the local level to assure the optimal behaviour in difficult situations (self learning);
3. Operate successfully with minimal sensing capabilities (cost efficiency).

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › robotics › autonomous robots
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › robotics › swarm robotics
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › databases

Programme(s)

• FP6-IST - Information Society Technologies: thematic priority under the specific programme "Integrating and strengthening the European research area" (2002-2006).

Topic(s)

• IST-2005-2.6.1 - Advanced Robotics

Funding Scheme

STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project

Coordinator

TALLINNA TEHNIKAUELIKOOL

Address

Ehitajate Tee 5
19086 Tallinn
Estonia

Participants (8)

FUNDACION FATRONIK

Spain

Address

Pa Mikeletegi 7
20009 Donostia Ss

IDMIND - ENGENHARIA DE SISTEMAS LDA

Portugal

Address

Polo Tecnologico De Lisboa Ee3
1600546 Lisboa

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET EN AUTOMATIQUE

France

Address

Domaine De Voluceau
78153 Le Chesnay

KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOGSKOLAN

Sweden

Address

Valhallavagen 79
100 44 Stockholm

OU ELIKO TEHNOLOOGIA ARENDUSKESKUS

Estonia

Address

Ehitajate Tee 5
Tallinn

OULUN YLIOPISTO

Finland

Address

Pentti Kaiteran Katu 1
PL 8000 Oulu

TEKNILLINEN KORKEAKOULU

Finland

Address

Otakaari 1
02015 Espoo

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA

Italy

Address

Via Balbi 5
Genova