An approach to time- and space-differentiated pattern formation in multi-robot systems

Publication details

An approach to time- and space-differentiated pattern formation in multi-robot systems

Tim Taylor, Peter Ottery, John Hallam

2007

Abstract

We consider the problem of non-trivial pattern formation in decentralised multi-robot systems, and, in particular, how to achieve time- and space-varying behaviour. To tackle the problem, we explore the idea of evolving the fine-level regulation of an underlying self-organising controller. Results from simulation show the promise of the approach: we demonstrate a robot cluster that can stably maintain two different spatial patterns, switching between the two upon sensing an external signal; we also demonstrate a cluster in which individual robots develop differentiated states despite having identical controllers (which could be used as a starting point for functional specialisation of robots within the cluster). The controller was developed with a particular hardware platform in mind—the underwater HYDRON robots developed by the HYDRA consortium (an EU Fifth Framework project). We discuss the implementation of the controller on this and other multi-robot platforms comprising free-moving individual robots, and suggest possible simplifications of the design. This work could eventually have applications in various situations that require robust, complex self-organising behaviour in a collection of free-moving robots, e.g. in space, underwater and nano-scale systems.

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Reference

Taylor, T., Ottery, P., & Hallam, J. (2007). An approach to time- and space-differentiated pattern formation in multi-robot systems. In M. S. Wilson, F. Labrosse, U. Nehmzow, C. Melhuish, & M. Witkowski (Eds.), TAROS 2007: Proceedings of Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems 2007 (pp. 160–167). Department of Computer Science, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

BibTeX

@inproceedings{taylor2007approach,
  author = {Taylor, Tim and Ottery, Peter and Hallam, John},
  title = {An approach to time- and space-differentiated pattern formation in multi-robot systems},
  booktitle = {TAROS 2007: Proceedings of Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems 2007},
  year = {2007},
  editor = {Wilson, Myra S. and Labrosse, Fr\'{e}d\'{e}eric and Nehmzow, Ulrich and Melhuish, Chris and Witkowski, Mark},
  pages = {160--167},
  isbn = {0903878267},
  publisher = {Department of Computer Science, University of Wales, Aberystwyth},
  category = {conference},
  keywords = {grn, hydra, robots}
}

Related publications

Taylor, T., Ottery, P., & Hallam, J. (2007). Pattern formation for multi-robot applications: Robust, self-repairing systems inspired by genetic regulatory networks and cellular self-organisation (Informatics Research Report No. EDI-INF-RR-0971). University of Edinburgh.
PDF Full details
```
@techreport{taylor2007pattern,
  author = {Taylor, Tim and Ottery, Peter and Hallam, John},
  title = {Pattern formation for multi-robot applications: Robust, self-repairing systems inspired by genetic regulatory networks and cellular self-organisation},
  institution = {University of Edinburgh},
  year = {2007},
  type = {Informatics Research Report},
  number = {EDI-INF-RR-0971},
  category = {techreport},
  keywords = {grn, hydra, robots}
}
```

Konidaris, G., Taylor, T., & Hallam, J. (2007). HydroGen: Automatically Generating Self-Assembly Code for Hydron Units. In R. Alami, H. Asama, & R. Chatila (Eds.), Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems 6 (Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems, DARS04) (pp. 33–42). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-35873-2_4

PDF Full details

@inproceedings{konidaris2007hydrogen,
  author = {Konidaris, George and Taylor, Tim and Hallam, John},
  title = {HydroGen: Automatically Generating Self-Assembly Code for Hydron Units},
  booktitle = {Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems 6 (Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems, DARS04)},
  year = {2007},
  editor = {Alami, R. and Asama, H. and Chatila, R.},
  pages = {33-42},
  address = {Toulouse, France},
  doi = {10.1007/978-4-431-35873-2_4},
  note = {DARS04 took place in Toulouse, France, 23-25 June 2004. The proceedings were published by Springer in 2007.},
  publisher = {Springer},
  category = {conference},
  keywords = {hydra}
}

Stewart, F., Taylor, T., & Konidaris, G. (2005). METAMorph: Experimenting with Genetic Regulatory Networks for Artificial Development. In M. S. Capcarrère, A. A. Freitas, P. J. Bentley, C. G. Johnson, & J. Timmis (Eds.), Advances in Artificial Life — 8th European Conference, ECAL 2005 (pp. 108–117). https://doi.org/10.1007/11553090_12

PDF Full details

@inproceedings{stewart2005metamorph,
  author = {Stewart, Finlay and Taylor, Tim and Konidaris, George},
  title = {{METAMorph}: Experimenting with Genetic Regulatory Networks for Artificial Development},
  booktitle = {Advances in Artificial Life --- 8th European Conference, ECAL 2005},
  editor = {Capcarr\`{e}re, Mathieu S. and Freitas, Alex A. and Bentley, Peter J. and Johnson, Colin G. and Timmis, Jon},
  year = {2005},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address = {Berlin},
  series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
  volume = {3630},
  pages = {108--117},
  doi = {10.1007/11553090_12},
  category = {conference},
  keywords = {grn}
}

Østergaard, E. H., Christensen, D. J., Eggenberger, P., Taylor, T., Ottery, P., & Lund, H. H. (2005). HYDRA: From Cellular Biology to Shape-Changing Artefacts. In W. Duch, J. Kacprzyk, E. Oja, & S. Zadrożny (Eds.), Artificial Neural Networks: Biological Inspirations – ICANN 2005 (pp. 275–281). https://doi.org/10.1007/11550822_44

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@inproceedings{ostergaard2005hydra,
  author = {{\O}stergaard, Esben H. and Christensen, David J. and Eggenberger, Peter and Taylor, Tim and Ottery, Peter and Lund, Henrik H.},
  title = {{HYDRA}: From Cellular Biology to Shape-Changing Artefacts},
  booktitle = {Artificial Neural Networks: Biological Inspirations {\textendash} {ICANN} 2005},
  editor = {Duch, W{\l}odzis{\l}aw and Kacprzyk, Janusz and Oja, Erkki and Zadro\.{z}ny, S{\l}awomir},
  year = {2005},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address = {Berlin},
  series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
  volume = {3696},
  pages = {275--281},
  doi = {10.1007/11550822_44},
  category = {conference},
  keywords = {hydra, robots}
}

Taylor, T. (2004). A Genetic Regulatory Network-Inspired Real-Time Controller for a Group of Underwater Robots. In F. Groen, N. Amato, A. Bonarini, E. Yoshida, & B. Kröse (Eds.), Intelligent Autonomous Systems 8 (Proceedings of IAS-8) (pp. 403–412). Amsterdam: IOS Press.
PDF Full details
```
@inproceedings{taylor2004genetic,
  author = {Taylor, Tim},
  title = {A Genetic Regulatory Network-Inspired Real-Time Controller for a Group of Underwater Robots},
  booktitle = {Intelligent Autonomous Systems 8 (Proceedings of IAS-8)},
  year = {2004},
  editor = {Groen, Frans and Amato, Nancy and Bonarini, Andrea and Yoshida, Eiichi and Kr\"{o}se, Ben},
  pages = {403-412},
  address = {Amsterdam},
  publisher = {{IOS} Press},
  category = {conference},
  keywords = {grn, hydra, robots}
}
```
Taylor, T. (1993). Learning to Coordinate Behaviours on a Four-Legged Robot (Master's thesis). Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh.
PDF Full details
```
@mastersthesis{taylor1993learning,
  author = {Taylor, Tim},
  title = {Learning to Coordinate Behaviours on a Four-Legged Robot},
  school = {Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh},
  year = {1993},
  category = {dissertation},
  keywords = {robots}
}
```