NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Japan

Jensen Elizabeth A, New Brighton MN

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Elizabeth A. Jensen of the University of Minnesota to conduct a research project in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering area during the summer of 2013 at Tohoku Gakuin University in Sendai, Japan. The project title is "Distributed Algorithms for Multi-Robot Dispersion and Exploration." The host scientist is Dr. Ken Sugawara. In recent years, using a team of robots has become a popular method for exploring both known and unknown environments. In particular, teams of robots are being used with increasing frequency in areas such as surveillance or search and rescue. In this research, the primary interest is in scenarios in which there are too few robots to completely cover an environment simultaneously, where communication is limited in range, and where the robots are required to maintain communication with at least one other robot at all times. These restrictions make the exploration and coordination of the team more complicated, but simplify the robots needed, thus making team of these robots more attainable and easier to maintain or replace. This project includes the development of one or more distributed algorithms for dispersion of a multi-robot team into an unknown environment. The performance of the algorithms is being tested in both simulation and experiments with physical robots in a variety of environments, including office building and open cave scenarios. This project will lead to increases in the ability of simple, inexpensive robots to explore large and complex indoor environments, making them more useful in real life situations, such as search and rescue or Mars exploration. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, this research will also provide algorithms for multi-robot exploration, disseminated through publications and participation in conferences and workshops, which can be used in courses to teach about distributed systems and robotics.