Unknown closed spaces are a big challenge for the navigation of robots since there no global and pre-defined positioning options in area. One simplest most efficient algorithms, artificial potential field algorithm (APF), may provide real-time those places but fall into local minimum some cases. To overcome this problem to present alternative escape routes robot, possible crossing points buildi...

Future very large space structures, such as solar power stations and space telescopes, will need to be assembled in orbit by teams of cooperating space robots. Controlling these space robots is difficult due to the dynamic interactions forces between the robots and the large and very flexible structures. Sensing and actuation are also limited in space. A number of control algorithms have been p...

O uter space is an ultimate field for the application of robotics technology. As outer space is a harsh environment with extreme temperatures, vacuum, radiation, gravity, and great distances, human access is very difficult and hazardous and is therefore limited. To assist human activities in space for constructing and maintaining space modules and structures, robotic manipulators have been play...

1. Introduction: Wheeled ground robots are limited from exploring extreme environments such as caves, lava tubes and skylights. Small robots that utilize un-conventional mobility through hopping, flying and rolling can overcome many roughness limitations and thus extend exploration sites of interest on Moon and Mars. In this paper we introduce a network of 3 kg, 0.30 m diameter ball robots (pit...

The problems of convergence to a desired configuration for a set of robots and leader-following in formation are considered in a framework where the robots have nonholonomic constraints, move in a plane and are observed by a calibrated flying camera, which provides the only sensory information used for the control. We propose a homography-based visual control method only requiring a priori sing...

The problem consists in defining the precise sequence of rototranslations of a rigid holonomic object of arbitrary shape that has to be transported from an initial to a final location through a large, cluttered environment. We propose a distributed planning system modeled as a swarm of flying robots, each equipped with a camera and wireless communications, that are initially deployed in the env...

Urban environments are time consuming, labor intensive and possibly dangerous to safe guard. Accomplishing tasks like bomb detection, search-andrescue and reconnaissance with aerial robots could save resources. This paper describes a prototype called CQAR: Closed Quarter Aerial Robot, which is capable of flying in and around buildings. The prototype was analytically designed to fly safely and s...