DOCSLIB.ORG

Graphs and Networks for the Analysis of Autonomous Agent Systems

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Graphs and Networks for the Analysis of Autonomous Agent Systems Universite´ catholique de Louvain Ecole Polytechnique de Louvain Departement´ d’Ingenierie´ Mathematique´ Center for Systems Engineering and Applied Mechanics Graphs and Networks for the Analysis of Autonomous Agent Systems Julien M. Hendrickx Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Docteur en sciences appliqu´ees Dissertation committee: Prof. Brian D.O. Anderson, ANU (Australia) Prof. Vincent D. Blondel, Advisor, UCL Prof. Karl Henrik Johansson, KTH (Sweden) Prof. Rodolphe Sepulchre, ULg Prof. Paul Van Dooren, Chair, UCL Prof. Sandro Zampieri, University of Padova (Italy) February 2008 2 Acknowledgments First of all, I would like to thank my advisor Vincent Blondel for his invaluable support and help, for providing me so much useful advice, many ideas and op- portunities, and giving me a great liberty in my research at the same time. I am also very grateful for his careful reading of the thesis, especially when time was running short for me. I would also like to thank all the members of my thesis committee for their questions and feedback, which have helped me greatly in improving this thesis. My gratitude goes to Brian Anderson and his team, and to John Tsitsiklis, with whom I had the pleasure to collaborate during this PhD, and thanks to whom I could spend some months at A.N.U. and at M.I.T. Visiting other labs and teams is always an enjoyable and interesting ex- perience from which much can be learned. I am therefore also thankful to Rodolphe Sepulchre (ULg), Stephen Morse (Yale), Magnus Egerstedt (Georgia Tech), Pierre-Alexandre Bliman (INRIA) and Karl Henrik Johansson (KTH) who did me the honor of inviting me in their universities or research centers. Working at Cesame has been a pleasure, and I would like to thank all the people who made these years enjoyable. In particular, I am grateful to Chris- tel, Sergey, Emmanuel and Tzvetan with whom I have shared my office, and to Brieux and Thomas with whom I have often shared the building at some im- probable times. Mich`ele, Isabelle and Lydia of the secretary staff also deserve a special attention for their great work. Writing a thesis takes several iterations. I would like to thank Rapha¨el Jungers for his careful reading of the first draft, and for his many suggestions. I am also grateful to him for the different collaborations and the many inter- esting discussions we had. I also really appreciated the detailed remarks and suggestions of Paul Van Dooren and Sandro Zampieri concerning both the text and the mathematical notations and proofs. The advices of Laure Ninove and Jean-Charles Delvenne during the writing and the whole PhD were very useful too. Besides, Brainstorming sessions with Jean-Charles were very rewarding experiences. It would have been very difficult to accomplish this work without the sup- port of my parents, family and friends, who I would like to thank all. Last but certainly not least, I am extremely grateful to Sylvie for her con- stant understanding, help and support throughout these last years, and for the many hours spent rereading this thesis. 3 Pecunia nervus belli: This thesis has been financially supported by a F.R.S.- FNRS (Fund for Scientific Research) fellowship. On various occasions, the support of the Concerted Research Action “Large Graphs and Networks” of the Communaut´efran¸caise de Belgique, and of the Belgian Programme on Interuniversity Attraction Poles (initiated by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office) has been appreciated. 4 Contents 1 General Introduction 9 Key Contributions 14 List of Publications 16 Preliminary 21 I Rigidity and Persistence of Directed Graphs 25 Prologue 27 2 Introduction to Rigidity and Persistence 29 2.1 Shape maintenance in formation control . 29 2.2 Rigidity and distances preservation . 30 2.3 Persistence and unilateral distance constraints . 31 2.4 OutlineofpartI .......................... 38 3 Rigidity of Graphs 39 3.1 Rigidity ............................... 40 3.2 Infinitesimal rigidity . 42 3.3 Generic rigidity of graphs . 45 3.4 Minimal rigidity for a characterization of rigid graphs . 47 3.5 Force based approach to rigidity matrix . 50 3.6 Tensegrity.............................. 51 3.7 Historyandliterature ....................... 55 4 Persistence of Directed Graphs 57 4.1 Agentbehavior ........................... 58 4.2 Persistence and constraint consistence . 61 4.3 Infinitesimal persistence . 63 5 6 CONTENTS 4.4 Characterization and generic character . 65 4.5 Degrees of freedom . 70 4.6 Minimal persistence . 74 4.7 Double edges . 75 4.8 Historyandliterature ....................... 76 5 Structural Persistence 77 5.1 Convergence to equilibrium . 77 5.2 Structural persistence . 79 5.3 Characterizing structural persistence . 80 5.4 Toward a simpler characterization . 83 5.5 Historyandliterature ....................... 86 6 Particular Classes of Graphs 87 6.1 Acyclicgraphs ........................... 87 6.2 2-dimensional minimally persistent Graphs . 93 6.3 Two-dimensional graphs with three d.o.f. 104 6.4 Historyandliterature . 108 7 Further Research Directions 109 7.1 Formation control research issues . 109 7.2 Open questions in graph theory . 127 8 Conclusions 133 II Consensus in Multi-Agent Systems with Distance Dependent Topologies 135 9 Introduction 137 9.1 Examples of systems involving consensus . 138 9.2 Representative convergence results . 149 9.3 State-dependent communication topology . 155 9.4 OutlineofpartII.......................... 158 10 Continuous-time Opinion Dynamics 161 10.1 Finite number of discrete agents . 161 10.2 System on a continuum . 169 11 Discrete-Time Opinion Dynamics 183 11.1 Finite number of discrete agents . 183 11.2 System on a continuum . 189 11.3 Relation between discrete and continuous . 195 CONTENTS 7 12 Extensions 199 12.1 Typeofextensions ......................... 199 12.2Convergence............................. 204 12.3 Equilibrium stability . 207 12.4 Order preservation . 215 13 Conclusions 223 13.1 On our analysis of opinion models . 223 13.2 On the mathematical analysis . 225 13.3 On practical applications . 226 Bibliography 231 List of Figures 243 A Definitions related to Part I 247 8 CONTENTS Chapter 1 General Introduction A natural trend when designing a system is either to make it monolithic or hierarchic. A monolithic system is one designed as a whole to accomplish a certain task. A hierarchic system is one in which blocks are designed to accom- plish particular tasks, and those blocks are articulated and controlled according to a certain hierarchy. Many of the complex devices that we use are hierar- chical. Think for example of a computer where the controller leads the CPU, computing unit of the processor, and where the CPU itself controls all other devices such has the hard-disk or the screen. Large computer programs are also designed hierarchically, with large functions implemented by many smaller ones. Similarly, the main decisions about an airplane in flight are made by the pilot that transmits them to the appropriate actuators via piloting devices. This thesis is also written in a hierarchical way, with a main file containing different parts that contains chapters etc. Finally many industrial plants also work in a hierarchical (and often centralized) way with a control room where all measures outputs are shown and where levers and buttons (or computers) can be used to control the plant. Nature provides however many examples of sophisticated group behaviors that would never be achievable by individual members of the group, and that are produced in the absence of clear or fixed hierarchy. Fish and birds move sometimes as a group with such an efficient and smooth coordination that they can give the impression of being one single large animal (see Figure 1.1). There is no obvious leader or commanding chain in such groups, and the member interactions depend on the opportunity of the moment, and not according to some pre-specified order. Group of ants are also known to accomplish impres- sive tasks without clear organization. In addition to what they are able to build and move, they can also find as a group acceptable solutions to shortest paths problems, something that no single ant could do. As an other example, think 9 10 CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION of the kind of problems a group of persons can tackle as opposed to what a single person can do. Such systems have a large robustness with respect to the addition or removal of agents. A school of fish remains approximately the same when the number of fish is increased or decreased by 25%, but removing (or adding) one single piece of a computer may lead to dramatic consequences. Whoever had to fight with insects also knows that removing 75% of them may decrease but certainly not suppress the nuisance. Finally, the complementarity between different agent may also improve the efficiency. Characteristics offering an advantage for one task may be a draw- back for other tasks. The collaboration between different agents having different characteristics may thus lead to the accomplishment of different tasks that no single agent would be able to do. This specialization may however lead to a decrease in robustness if some sort of agent has too few representatives. The use of multi-agent systems and of its increased robustness properties comes however at a cost: that of complexity. Describing and predicting the behavior of a system of equal entities interacting with each other without clear hierarchy may be extremely difficult, even if the systems observed in nature are sometimes simple. In mechanics for example, describing the behavior of a single point mass body is usually a simple task, but describing the evolution of a sys- tem with three or more bodies interacting with each other may be delicate, as it can present chaotic behavior. This inherent complexity might actually be the reason why hierarchical structures are often designed, while non-hierarchical structures are often rather observed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Angela Schoellig Page 1/59
    Angela Schoellig page 1/59 University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies email: [email protected] 4925 Dufferin Street phone: (+1) 416-667-7518 Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T6, Canada web: www.schoellig.name (Last updated: June 8, 2021.) Research Interests Machine Learning for Robotics and Control. Combining models and data in a closed-loop system architecture to improve the safety, performance and reliability of robotic systems. Algorithms that enable robots to safely and effectively operate in increasingly unstructured, uncertain and changing environments, alongside humans, and over long periods of time. Algorithms that enable a seamless interaction between technical systems and the physical world. Academic Appointments Associate Professor (With Tenure), University of Toronto, Canada. since 07/2020 Institute for Aerospace Studies, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), University of Toronto, Canada. 2013–2020 Institute for Aerospace Studies, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. 2012 Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, with Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea. Five-month appointment. Research Assistant, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. 2008–2012 Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, with Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea. Education Dr. sc. (Ph.D.), Robotics and Control, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. 2013 Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, Dept. of Mechanical and Process Engineering. Advisor: Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea. Referee: Prof. Andrew Alleyne. Thesis title: “Improving tracking performance by learning from past data.” Awards: ETH Medal, Dimitris N. Chorafas Foundation Prize. Dipl.-Ing. (M.Sc.), Engineering Cybernetics, University of Stuttgart, Germany. 2008 Advisor: Prof. Frank Allg¨ower. With highest honors, GPA1: 1.0.
    [Show full text]
  • Fall 2009 Fall 2009 Fall Non-Profit Org
    41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540-5237 Fall 2009 Fall 2009 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540-5237 PAID HAMMOND, IN PERMIT #197 Fall 2009 Fall 2009 Princeton University Press Princeton University Press Information for Booksellers Information for Individuals C ONTENTS A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR c/o California / Princeton Domestic discount codes are: New Jersey residents include 7% sales n TRADE 1 Fulfillment Services, Inc. T=Trade; S=Short; J=Special series; tax. California residents include 9.25% A great editor once said that good publishing is always about 1445 Lower Ferry Road X=Text sales tax. Canadian customers add n NATURAL HISTORY 28 something. At Princeton, what we’re about is meeting the challenge Ewing, NJ 08618 5% GST. For mail order, individuals n PRINCETON REFERENCE 35 of creating a list with a singular personality, while drawing books Agency Plan must include payment in cash, check, Toll-Free Order Line Princeton University Press also offers or money order, or charge to Visa or n ACADEMIC TRADE 36 from fields as different and divergent as applied mathematics, clas- (U.S. & Canada only) a preferred discount plan to book- MasterCard. Include $4 postage for n PAPERBACKS 51 sics, natural history, and financial economics. We seek to publish a 1 (800) 777 4726 stores that meet minimum stocking the first book and $1 for each n LITERATURE 71 list that, as John Henry Newman described the work of education, Monday through Friday requirements. For details, contact your additional book. “takes a connected view of old and new, past and present, far and 8 A.M.–7:30 P.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Science of Signatures Advanced Studies Scholars Program 2014
    Science of Signatures Advanced Studies Scholars Program 2014 Speaker: Magnus Egerstedt, Schlumberger Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology Title: The Mechanics of an Engineering MOOC: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Abstract: Bridging the theory-practice gap in engineering education is a well-known hard nut to crack. In this talk, I will discuss how this can be approached both in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) setting and in a flipped classroom. Based on my recent MOOC, Control of Mobile Robots, I have flipped the classroom in a senior robotics and controls class at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The students take the MOOC and come to class prepared to program robots. I will discuss why engineering classes make ideal flipped classes yet present real challenges for meaningful online learning. Bio: Magnus Egerstedt is the Schlumberger Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he serves as Associate Chair for Research. He received the M.S. degree in Engineering Physics and the Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, the B.A. degree in Philosophy from Stockholm University, and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Harvard University. Dr. Egerstedt conducts research in the areas of control theory and robotics, with particular focus on control and coordination of complex networks, such as multi-robot systems, mobile sensor networks, and cyber-physical systems. Magnus Egerstedt is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Transactions on Network Control Systems, the director of the Georgia Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (GRITS Lab), a Fellow of the IEEE, and a recipient of the ECE/GT Outstanding Junior Faculty Member Award, the HKN Outstanding Teacher Award, the Alum of the Year Award from the Royal Institute of Technology, and the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Control Group Seminar Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Control Group Seminar Tokyo Institute of Technology Long-Range Autonomy and Constraint-Based Coordination of Multi-Robot Systems Date: 17:00-18:00 July 9th (Mon.), 2018 Room: S5-207 Prof. Magnus Egerstedt Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Abstract: By now, we have a fairly good understanding of how to design coordinated control strategies for making teams of mobile robots achieve geometric objectives in a distributed manner, such as assembling shapes or covering areas. But, the mapping from high-level tasks to these objectives is not particularly well understood. In this talk, we investigate this topic in the context of long-range autonomy, i.e., we consider teams of robots, deployed in an environment over a sustained period of time, that can be recruited to perform a number of different tasks in a distributed, safe, and provably correct manner. This development will involve the composition of multiple barrier certificates for encoding the tasks and safety constraints, as well as a detour into ecology as a way of understanding how persistent environmental monitoring, as a special instantiation of the long-range autonomy concept, can be achieved by studying animals with low- energy life-styles, such as the three-toed sloth. Control Group Seminar Tokyo Institute of Technology Long-Range Autonomy and Constraint-Based Coordination of Multi-Robot Systems Date: 17:00-18:00 July 9th (Mon.), 2018 Room: S5-207 Prof. Magnus Egerstedt Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Biography : Magnus Egerstedt is the Executive Director for the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Professor and the Julian T.
    [Show full text]
  • A Mathematical Perspective on Cyber-Physical Systems
    Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach Report No. 12/2015 DOI: 10.4171/OWR/2015/12 Control Theory: A Mathematical Perspective on Cyber-Physical Systems Organised by Frank Allg¨ower, Stuttgart Uwe Helmke, W¨urzburg Naomi Leonard, Princeton 22 February – 28 February 2015 Abstract. Control theory is an interdisciplinary field that is located at the crossroads of pure and applied mathematics with systems engineering and the sciences. Recently the control field is facing new challenges motivated by ap- plication domains that involve networks of systems. Examples are interacting robots, networks of autonomous cars or the smart grid. In order to address the new challenges posed by these application disciplines, the special focus of this workshop has been on the currently very active field of Cyber-Physical Systems, which forms the underlying basis for many network control applica- tions. A series of lectures in this workshop was devoted to give an overview on current theoretical developments in Cyber-Physical Systems, emphasizing in particular the mathematical aspects of the field. Special focus was on the dynamics and control of networks of systems, distributed optimization and formation control, fundamentals of nonlinear interconnected systems, as well as open problems in control. Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): 93xx. Introduction by the Organisers Control theory is an interdisciplinary field that is located at the crossroads of pure and applied mathematics with systems engineering and the sciences. Traditionally, the interaction with systems engineering and signal processing has been particu- larly strong. More recently, deep interactions are emerging with new application areas, such as network sciences, robotics and information technology. The field therefore covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from fundamental mathematical 598 Oberwolfach Report 12/2015 aspects and new control paradigms in the sciences to real world engineering appli- cations of industrial relevance.
    [Show full text]
  • PROCEEDINGS Welcome on Behalf of the Organizing Committee of MTNS 2010, I Welcome You Sessions
    19th International Symposium on [exit] Mathematical Theory of Networks and Systems 5–9 July, 2010 „Mathematics – a key technology in the 21st century” Budapest, Hungary  Welcome  CommiƩ ees  Program-at-a-Glance General Chair:  Plenary Lecturers GYÖRGY MICHALETZKY  Papers IPC Chair: LÁSZLÓ GERENCSÉR  Authors Editor:  Search ANDRÁS EDELMAYER ISBN 978-963-311-370-7 PROCEEDINGS Welcome On behalf of the Organizing Committee of MTNS 2010, I welcome you sessions. Members of the Steering Committee were actively involved in to MTNS 2010 to the 19th International Symposium on the Mathematical Theory of organizing the program and I would like to thank for all members of the Networks and Systems (MTNS2010 in short). Committee for the eff orts provided during the review process of MTNS Welcome from the 2010 conference. Chair of the IPC The series of MTNS conferences has already a long history, full of highlights. The fi rst conference was held 37 years ago, in 1973 at College MTNS 2010 is held at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. The university In memoriam Park, Maryland, USA. celebrates in this year the 375th anniversary of its foundation. The Christopher I. Byrnes Campus of the Faculty of Science is situated in a picturesque environment Unfortunately this year a very tragic event casts a shadow on MTNS on the bank of the Danube, in a walking distance from the city center. 2010. Christopher I. Byrnes, dean at Washington University of St. Louis, This wide and majestic river divides Budapest into two parts creating a from 1991 to 2006, who was always vivacious and very energetic, full of perfect contrast between the right and left banks.
    [Show full text]
  • Magnus Egerstedt
    ME 250 SEMINAR Long Duration Autonomy With Applications to Persistent Environmental Monitoring When robots are to be deployed over long time scales, optimality should take a backseat to "survivability", i.e., it is more important that the robots do not break or completely deplete their energy sources than that they perform certain tasks as effectively as possible. For example, in the context of multi-agent robotics, we have a fairly good understanding of how to design coordinated control strategies for making teams of mobile robots achieve geometric objectives, such as assembling shapes or covering areas. But, what happens when these geometric objectives no longer matter all that much? In this talk, we consider this question of long duration autonomy for teams of robots that are deployed in an environment over a sustained period of time and that can be recruited to perform a number of different tasks in a distributed, safe, and provably correct manner. This development will involve the composition of multiple barrier certificates for encoding tasks and safety constraints through the development of non-smooth barrier functions, as well as a detour into ecology as a way of understanding how persistent environmental monitoring can be achieved by studying animals with low-energy life-styles, such as the three-toed sloth. THURSDAY, February 4, 2021 ZOOM 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM Magnus Egerstedt is a Professor and School Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also holds secondary faculty appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Interactive Computing.
    [Show full text]
  • Entraining a Robot to Its Environment with an Artificial Circadian System Copyright © 2021 by Matthew J O'brien
    ENTRAINING A ROBOT TO ITS ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ARTIFICIAL CIRCADIAN SYSTEM A Dissertation Presented to The Academic Faculty by Matthew J O’Brien In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineer Georgia Institute of Technology August 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY MATTHEW J O’BRIEN ENTRAINING A ROBOT TO ITS ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ARTIFICIAL CIRCADIAN SYSTEM Approved by: Dr. Ronald C. Arkin, Advisor Dr. Magnus Egerstedt School of Interactive Computing School of Electrical and Computer Georgia Institute of Technology Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Ayanna Howard Dr. Zsolt Kira College of Engineering School of Interactive Computing Ohio State University Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Céderic Pradalier School of Interactive Computing Georgia Institute of Technology Date Approved: May 04, 2021 To my parents and fiancé, who supported and encouraged me through this long journey ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The person whom I’d like to thank the most is my advisor, Dr. Ronald C. Arkin, for providing the incredible opportunity to work on both this dissertation and other research projects during my time at Georgia Tech. His thoughts helped inspire the research questions driving this work, and his advice on technical work, scientific research, and writing have helped make this dissertation far better. I also wish to thank my committee: Dr. Ayanna Howard, Dr. Cédric Pradalier, Dr. Magnus Egerstedt, and Dr. Zsolt Kira. Despite their busy schedules, each promptly met with me when asked, providing critical feedback to this work. Specific thanks to Dr. Pradalier for being so flexible on scheduling when committee members were spread across several time zones.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae
    Curriculum Vitae Dimos V. Dimarogonas, PhD PhD in Automatic Control & Robotics, NTUA, 2006 Diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering, NTUA, 2001 Office Address School of Electrical Engineering Automatic Control KTH Royal Institute of Technology Osquldas v. 10 SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden Floor 6, Room B:608 Phone: +46-8-790 8442 Fax: +46-8-790 7329 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.s3.kth.se/~dimos/ th Date of Birth: June 17 , 1978, Athens, GREECE Marital Status: Single Citizenship: Greek EDUCATION PhD in Mechanical Engineering: National Technical University of Athens Athens, GREECE (3/2002-12/2006) Dissertation Title: “Development of Decentralized Hybrid Control Methodologies with Application to the Collision Avoidance Problem” Advisor: Prof. Kostas Kyriakopoulos Eng. Diploma: National Technical University of Athens Athens, GREECE Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Telecommunications Section (9/1996-9/2001) Dipl. Thesis Title: “Max-Plus Control of Discrete-Event Dynamical Systems” Advisor: Prof. Petros Maragos GPA: 8.15/10.0. RESEARCH INTERESTS Multi-Agent Systems, Robot Navigation, Networked Control, Event-Based Control, Air Traffic Control, Hybrid Systems and Control. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Automatic Control Lab, School of Electrical Eng., Royal Inst. Of Technology (KTH) Stockholm, SWEDEN 10/2010-: Assistant Professor (Swedish: Forskarassistent) Greek Army (Στρατός Ξηράς), fulfillment of compulsory military service Greece 5/2010-9/2010 Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, Massachusetts Inst. Of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, MA, USA 2/2009-3/2010: Post Doctoral Research Associate Basic research field: Networked and multi-agent control, cooperative vehicle routing, air traffic control. Research on event and self-triggered control of distributed networked systems, bioinspired control of robotic swarms, complexity issues in high density decentralized air traffic control systems.
    [Show full text]
  • Distinguished Lecture Series Distinguished Lectures
    UTC INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING Upcoming Distinguished Lecture Series Distinguished Lectures Monday April 2nd, 2018 1:00 – 2:00PM UConn, Storrs Campus – ITEB 336 To view live webcast click here Long Duration Autonomy With Applications to Persistent Environmental Monitoring By now, we have a fairly good understanding of how to design coordinated control strategies for making teams of mobile robots achieve geometric objectives in a distributed manner, such as assembling shapes or covering areas. But, the mapping from high-level tasks to geometric Upcoming Seminars objectives is not well understood. In this talk, we investigate this topic in the context of Christine Zhang, persistent autonomy, i.e., we consider teams of robots, deployed in an environment over a United Technologies Research sustained period of time, that can be recruited to perform a number of different tasks in a Center – Software Systems, distributed, safe, and provably correct manner. This development will involve the composition April 9, 2018 of multiple barrier certificates for encoding the tasks and safety constraints, as well as a detour into ecology as a way of understanding how persistent environmental monitoring can be achieved by studying animals with low-energy life-styles, such as the three-toed sloth. Jingang Yi, Rutgers University, April 16, 2018 Magnus Egerstedt Magnus Egerstedt is the Executive Director for the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a Professor and the Julian T. Hightower Chair in Systems and Controls in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with secondary appointments in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Interactive Computing, and the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering.
    [Show full text]
  • Specification and Optimization of Interconnected Switched Systems
    The Center for Control, Dynamical Systems, and Computation University of California at Santa Barbara Winter 2009 Seminar Series Presents Specification and Optimization of Interconnected Switched Systems with Applications to Robotic Marionettes Magnus Egerstedt Georgia Institute of Technology Friday, March 13, 2009 3:00 - 4:00pm Chem 1171 Abstract: When specifying and designing controllers for complex systems, high-level languages are needed in order to manage the complexity. However, the price one has to pay for this abstraction-level is a lack of physical detail, that must be provided at a lower level. We address this problem within the context of robotic marionettes by proposing a so-called motion description language for specifying and encoding autonomous puppetry plays in a manner that is faithful to the way puppetry choreography is currently formulated. In particular, what results is a formal language whose strings, when parsed by a dynamical system (the puppet) produces optimized, hybrid control laws corresponding to strings of motions, locations, and temporal durations for each agent. And, even though the global performance objectives are centralized, by locally optimizing the timing of the different movements (based on so-called team theory for min-max optimization), entire plays can be performed. Experimental results illustrate the operation of the proposed method. About the Speaker: Magnus Egerstedt was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he has been on the faculty since 2001. He also holds an adjunct appointment in the Division of Interactive and Intelligent Computing with the College of Computing at Georgia Tech and a visiting position with the School of Computer Science and Communication at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
    [Show full text]