Abstract
We present a general solution for steering microrobotic
swarm by dynamic actuating fields. In our approach, the
motion of micro-robots is controlled by changing the actuating
direction of a field applied to them. The time-series sequence
of actuating field’s directions can be computed automatically.
Given a target position in the domain of swarm, a governing
field is first constructed to provide optimal moving directions at
every points. Following these directions, a robot can be driven
to the target efficiently. However, when working with a crowd of
micro-robots, the optimal moving directions on different agents
can contradict with each other. To overcome this difficulty, we
develop a novel steering algorithm to compute a statistically
optimal actuating direction at each time frame. Following a
sequence of these actuating directions, a crowd of micro-robots
can be transported to the target region effectively. Our steering
strategy of swarm has been verified on a platform that generates
magnetic fields with unique actuating directions. Experimental
tests taken on aggregated magnetic micro-particles are quite
encouraging.
swarm by dynamic actuating fields. In our approach, the
motion of micro-robots is controlled by changing the actuating
direction of a field applied to them. The time-series sequence
of actuating field’s directions can be computed automatically.
Given a target position in the domain of swarm, a governing
field is first constructed to provide optimal moving directions at
every points. Following these directions, a robot can be driven
to the target efficiently. However, when working with a crowd of
micro-robots, the optimal moving directions on different agents
can contradict with each other. To overcome this difficulty, we
develop a novel steering algorithm to compute a statistically
optimal actuating direction at each time frame. Following a
sequence of these actuating directions, a crowd of micro-robots
can be transported to the target region effectively. Our steering
strategy of swarm has been verified on a platform that generates
magnetic fields with unique actuating directions. Experimental
tests taken on aggregated magnetic micro-particles are quite
encouraging.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 2016 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation |
| Place of Publication | Piscataway |
| Publisher | IEEE Society |
| Pages | 5230-5235 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-4673-8026-3 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-4673-8025-6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Event | IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2016) - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 16 May 2016 → 21 May 2016 |
Conference
| Conference | IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2016) |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Sweden |
| City | Stockholm |
| Period | 16/05/16 → 21/05/16 |
Bibliographical note
Author accepted manuscriptKeywords
- microrobots
- mobile robots
- motion control
- multi-robot systems
- position control
- time series