Oregon State University (OSU) researchers have made significant progress in autonomous robotics, demonstrating that a single operator can effectively manage a "swarm" of over 100 ground and aerial robots. This development paves the way for large-scale, practical applications of robot swarms in various fields such as wildland firefighting, package delivery, and urban disaster response.
The study, recently published in the journal Field Robotics, is part of the Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program initiated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The research focused on deploying swarms of up to 250 autonomous vehicles, including multi-rotor drones and ground rovers, in urban settings where traditional, satellite-based communication systems are hindered by buildings. The ability of these swarms to collect data in "concrete canyon" environments could significantly enhance the safety of both military personnel and civilians.
Julie A. Adams, associate director for deployed systems and policy at OSU's Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute and co-principal investigator of the project, emphasizes the study's implications for the future of drone delivery and other applications requiring large-scale drone operations. According to Adams, while delivery drones are not yet widespread in the United States, their deployment at scale in other countries suggests a move towards systems where a single individual could oversee vast numbers of drones.
The OFFSET project entailed integrating off-the-shelf technologies with new autonomy and control systems to allow a single "swarm commander" to deploy large numbers of autonomous vehicles. A significant part of this integration involved developing a user interface that enables the commander to issue high-level commands to the swarm, akin to a quarterback calling plays in a football game.
Collaboration with Smart Information Flow Technologies led to the creation of a virtual reality interface, dubbed I3, that facilitates this high-level control. The interface allows the swarm commander to select and slightly modify "plays" or tactics for the swarm to execute, reducing the complexity of managing each unit individually.
Adams' work demonstrates that with the right technology and interface design, it is feasible for a single person to effectively control a large number of robots in complex environments. This breakthrough has far-reaching implications, potentially transforming how robotic swarms are used in a variety of settings, from combat and emergency scenarios to commercial and environmental applications.
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