A method for transporting a team of miniature robots

The Scouts, developed at the University of Minnesota, are miniature robots designed mainly for reconnaissance and surveillance tasks. The Scout’s small size and multiple mobility and sensing modes allow it to efficiently navigate and carry out certain missions in indoor environments and on relatively smooth surfaces. However, like many other small-sized robots, its miniature size and limited battery life become a bottleneck when it comes to cover long distances, particularly on rough, outdoor surfaces. In order to address this issue, we present a method to carry the Scouts to and from their main mission locations by adding a larger robot, a Pioneer 2-AT, to the team. The Pioneer carries a team of Scouts in a color marked box that it holds with its grippers. The Scouts jump out of the box, carry out their mission, and autonomously find the box and jump back in.