Communications of the ACM
In Sync: Researchers Discover Way to Coordinate Different Types of Robots
Researchers at the University of New Mexico say they have developed a method to permit different types of robots to interact in a coordinated manner.
Credit: UNM Newsroom
University of New Mexico (UNM) researchers have developed a method to enable different types of robots to interact with each other in a coordinated manner, leading to improvements in a wide range of areas, such as search and rescue after a disaster.
"This research is different because we are taking into account robots of different types," says UNM professor Francesco Sorrentino. "It has both a technological importance and a scientific importance because of the heterogeneity."
The researchers realized the breakthrough by developing a controlled strategy that minimizes the differences in position between ground and aerial vehicles. They note the technology relies on optical communications, which provides advantages over more traditional methods, such as wireless radio, especially in locations where there may not be Internet capability or in underwater environments.
"There are so many potential applications, because developing optical communications could be extremely beneficial in underwater exploration since in that environment, you cannot use radio," says UNM professor Rafael Fierro. Other potential applications include the transmission of high-definition video and images in space.
The research is being underwritten by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
From UNM Newsroom
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