Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to cover large areas searching for targets. However, sensors on UAVs are typically limited in their accuracy of localization of targets on the ground. On the other hand, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) can be deployed to accurately locate ground targets, but they have the disadvantage of not being able to move rapidly or see through such obstacles as buildings or fences. In this article, we describe how we can exploit this synergy by creating a seamless network of UAVs and UGVs. The keys to this are our framework and algorithms for search and localization, which are easily scalable to large numbers of UAVs and UGVs and are transparent to the specificity of individual platforms. We describe our experimental testbed, the framework and algorithms, and some results.
Comments
The field of marriage and family therapy is evolving toward theoretical and practical models with an ecosystemic focus which encourage an awareness of different levels of system interaction yet therapists have rarely been encouraged to explore the spiritual dimension of their clients' lives, even though doing so may enrich the understanding of the metaphors and meanings which inform their existence and perhaps, their problems. This paper challenges therapists to consider the spiritual belief systems of their clients which have contributed to the development or maintenance of the presenting problem. The authors present case examples and specific suggestions for clinical practice.
In this paper, we present the component technologies and the integration of these technologies for the development of an adaptive system of heterogeneous robots for urban surveillance. In our integrated experiment and demonstration, aerial robots generate maps that are used to design navigation controllers and plan missions for the team. A team of ground robots constructs a radio signal strength map that is used as an aid for planning missions. Multiple robots are to establish a mobile, ad-hoc communication network that is aware of the radio signal strength between nodes and adapts to changing conditions to maintain connectivity. Finally, the team of aerial and ground robots is able to monitor a small village, and search for and localize human targets by the color of the uniform, while ensuring that the information from the team is available to a remotely located human operator. The key component technologies and contributions include (a) mission specification and planning software; (b) decentralized control for navigation in an urban environment while maintaining communication; (c) programming abstractions and composition of controllers for multi-robot deployment; (d) cooperative control strategies for search, identification, and localization of targets; and (e) three-dimensional mapping in an urban setting.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.