Communications of the ACM
Boston University Engineers Trying to Improve UAVs
Boston University (BU) engineers are implementing a theoretical approach to optimize automated mission control, which describes mid-level control approaches that go further than improving stability and tracking trajectories, and decision-making for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"We were interested in automating functions such as partitioning of tasks among members of teams of UAVs . . . monitoring the success of the individual activities, and re-planning to accommodate contingencies or failures in executing the planned tasks," says BU's David Castanon. Automating these functions would enable UAVs to adapt their actions more quickly in response to unpredictable events and require less human supervision.
The team has developed mathematical algorithms that can make nearly optimal decisions under realistic conditions. The team also has developed a robotics test scenario to analyze their approach. In the test, the robots must function in a mid-level control environment while being distracted by unforeseen events.
From Asian News International
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