SBIR-STTR Award

In nature, there are numerous examples of complex architectures constructed by relatively simple insects, such as termites and wasps, which cooperatively assemble their nests. Emulating this biological model, a new cooperative multi-robot control architecture suitable for the eventual construction of large space structures is proposed. In the proposed system, the actions of each of the autonomous robotic construction agents are only indirectly coordinated, thus mimicking the distributed construction processes of various social insects. The proposed robotic construction agents will perform their primary duties stigmergically, i.e., without direct inter-agent communication and without a preprogrammed global blueprint of the final design. Communication and coordination between individual agents occurs indirectly through the sensed modifications that each agent makes to the structure. The global stigmergic building algorithm proposed assumes that the robotic builders only perceive the current state of the structure under construction; however, the incorporation of additional agent interaction algorithms such as collision avoidance and queuing is required for successful application to real world robotics. The simulation tools resulting from the proposed research are intended to address the system architecture design and assembly requirements for future large space structures using biologically inspired algorithms.

A prototype cooperative multi-robot control architecture suitable for the eventual construction of large space structures has been developed. Inspired by the biological example of cooperative nest building by social insects, the architecture's robotic construction agents perform their construction duties stigmergically, i.e., without direct inter-agent communication and without a preprogrammed global blueprint of the final design. Communication and coordination between individual agents occurs indirectly through sensed modifications made to the structure by each agent. Phase I simulations have established that an idealized form of the proposed architecture was indeed capable of producing representative large space structures with autonomous robots. During Phase II, the prototype multi-robot architecture will be comprehensively developed. The idealized robot subsystem models utilized in Phase I will be replaced with detailed engineering models. Phase II research objectives include the development of a comprehensive simulation of the cooperative multi-robot control architecture, development of parametric design relationships between the key robotic subsystems, and a system demonstration using commercial robotic hardware. It is anticipated that the Phase II research program will lead to a robust multi-robot control strategy that will make the use of autonomous robots a viable option for the assembly of future large space structures.