Multi-robot gradient based adaptive navigation system

• US 10,754,352 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2018
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Santa Clara University
• Original Assignee: Santa Clara University
• Inventors: Kitts, Christopher A., Adamek, Thomas, Mas, Ignacio, Neumann, Michael, McDonald, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US15/951,829
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-264
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127

Abstract

Systems and methods for multi-robot gradient-based adaptive navigation are provided.

Claims

1. A system for navigation of mobile robots, comprising:

(a) a cluster of spatially-distributed mobile robots each robot equipped with sensors, the robots navigating in a space with a desired navigation task;

(b) a robot formation spatial control system to ensure spatial distribution of synchronized sensor measurements among the cluster of spatially-distributed mobile robots;

(c) a primitive adaptive navigation controller to allow the cluster of spatially-distributed mobile robots to efficiently navigate to/along locations of interest within a scalar parameter field; and

(d) a state-based application-specific sequencer to invoke different adaptive navigation primitives to perform a navigation application by the mobile robots, wherein the different adaptive navigation primitives are defined as extrema-finding, contour following, ridge/trench following, saddle point positioning or a combination thereof.