Maintaining the relative positions and orientations of multiple robots using vision

Abstract

To keep several robots in geometric formation several issues have to be considered. This paper describes an experimental system for controlling multiple robots in geometric formation. This system has a mixed control structure, where both a central coordinator is used and also each robot has a high level of autonomy. The relative locations of the robots are estimated using vision. The central coordinator is used to decide the type of formation and to inform the robots about the formation type. Each robot is autonomous to make any decisions relative to the control of its position and velocity. Any of the robots can act as the central coordinator, but at any instant of time there is only one coordinator. The type of geometric formation can be dynamically changed and it depends on the overall goal of the system or on dynamic changes of the environment. To keep the robots in geometric formation their relative positions and orientations have to be known and they are estimated using vision.