Multi-agent planning and sensor data fusion
Academic Institution: University of Strathclyde
Academic Supervisor: Professor Xiu-Tian Yan
Industry Partner: Space Applications Services NV/SA
PhD Student: Sanghyun Wang
Start Date: 1st October 2020
Abstract
Robotic solutions for extreme environments, such as space, nuclear and underwater face many technical challenges. There is an increasing interest and urgent need to investigate more capable, robust and reliable robotic solutions for any applications in these environments. In particular, the domain of space and underwater robotics have unique, yet similar, challenges when compared with conventional terrestrial robotics applications. The level of on-board mission planning autonomy required for both space and underwater applications is also demanding and complex. This is due to the communication constraints and potential delays, on-board processing capability and associated power constraints. This is further complicated by adverse and often unforeseen environmental conditions. These challenges become magnified and augmented when heterogeneous teams of robots have to cooperate to achieve desired goals.
The proposed scope of research addresses the above challenges in heterogeneous multi-robot task planning for planetary and possibly underwater robotic navigation, enabled by associated sensor data fusion for cooperative localization, mapping and detection/tracking of assets. The research investigation aims to derive a generic suite of key algorithms for smart and integrated sensory data fusion, building on the data fusion framework derived from H2020-Infuse project. The work is intended to advance the key functional modules of the facilities developed in InFuse, coupled with multi-agent mission planning. Mission planning will need to consider the selection of an appropriate sensor fusion capability (and sensors) along with each task and its eventual allocation or distribution among the fleet of heterogeneous robots.
Once these new capabilities are developed, they will be evaluated and validated in these mission scenarios such as ongoing space robotics projects - PRO-ACT and underwater robotics projects –ENDURUNS or ATLANTIS (to start in Jan 2020) supported by SpaceApps.