In this paper we show how non-linear attractor dynamics can be used as a framework to control teams of autonomous mobile robots that should navigate according to a predefined geometric formation. The environment does not need to be known a priori and may change over time. Implicit to the control architecture are some important features such as establishing and moving the formation, split and join of formations (when necessary to avoid obstacles). Formations are defined by a formation matrix. By manipulating this formation matrix it is also possible to switch formations at run time. Examples of simulation results and implementations with real robots (teams of Khepera robots and medium size mobile robots), demonstrate formation switch, static and dynamic obstacle avoidance and split and join formations without the need for any explicit coordination scheme. Robustness against environmental perturbations is intrinsically achieved because the behaviour of each robot is generated as a time series of asymptotically stable states, which contribute to the asymptotic stability of the overall control system. ; This work was supported through COOP-DYN (POSI/SRI/38051/2001), financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and project fp6-IST2 EU-project JAST-Joint Action Science and Technology (project number 003747). We thank Miguel Vaz and Nzoji Hipolito for their help in the implementations with real robots. We would like also to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments which helped improving the paper.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Attractor dynamics approach to formation control : theory and application


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2010-01-01


    Remarks:

    doi:10.1007/s10514-010-9198-8



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    DDC:    629



    Attractor dynamics approach to formation control: theory and application

    Monteiro, S. r. | British Library Online Contents | 2010


    Control of floating robots using attractor dynamics

    Bicho, E. / Moreira, André / Carvalheira, Manuel Pereira | BASE | 2004

    Free access

    Attractor dynamics approach to joint transportation by autonomous robots: theory, implementation and validation on the factory floor

    Machado, Toni Daniel Neto / Malheiro, Tiago / Monteiro, Sérgio et al. | BASE | 2019

    Free access

    Hippocampal attractor dynamics predict memory-based decision making

    Steemers, B. / Vicente-Grabovetsky, A. / Barry, C. et al. | BASE | 2016

    Free access

    Hippocampal Attractor Dynamics Predict Memory-Based Decision Making

    Steemers, B / Vicente-Grabovetsky, A / Barry, C et al. | BASE | 2016

    Free access