Research seminar "Formation algorithm in swarms of fixed wing flying robots"

Abstract:

Fixed wing robots can be used in formations to provide wide area coverage or relay data in wireless ad-hoc networks. The main challenge is that fixed wing robots have reduced manoeuvrability, that is,  they cannot perform sharp turns or hover on the spot. In this paper we present a distributed and decentralised control strategy that allows the fixed wing robots to fly in formation. It relies only on local information between robots. The formation algorithm is based on Reynolds flocking rules. In simulation we show that using our algorithm flying robots create flocks and can adapt to user-specified requirements.
 
CV:
Maja Varga received the M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 2008 from Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. From 2008 to 2011 she was employed as research assistant at LARICS, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb. Currently she is a PhD student at Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL, Switzerland. Her research interests include developing behavioural patterns and  control algorithms for swarms of flying robots that could enable cooperation and efficient communication within heterogeneous swarms.  She is working on the Swarmix project which aims at providing each component of the mixed swarm consisted of humans, rescue dogs and flying robots with a high level of autonomy in order to allow it to fully exploit its own unique skills and abilities. Maja is an author of two journal and four conference publications.