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Controlling Formations of Robots with Graph Theory

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Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 194))

Abstract

A number of techniques that allow autonomous multi-robot systems to be held within formation-like structures exist but they are limited by a high communication load, high energy usage and a lack of robustness. This research improves on state-of-the-art formation control schemes for leader-follower type multi-robot systems by employing mechanisms that enable groups of robots to move in two-dimensional formations without the need for inter robot communication. We also incorporate techniques that enable the robots to move back into formation in a precise manner when external interferences have caused the formation shape to deteriorate. The control system is derived through the use of graph theory and has been tested rigorously in a realistic simulator to prove its applicability to multi-robot control.

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Correspondence to Jan Carlo Barca .

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Barca, J.C., Sekercioglu, A., Ford, A. (2013). Controlling Formations of Robots with Graph Theory. In: Lee, S., Cho, H., Yoon, KJ., Lee, J. (eds) Intelligent Autonomous Systems 12. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 194. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33932-5_52

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33932-5_52

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33931-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33932-5

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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