Coordinating Aerial Robots and Sensor Networks for Localization and Navigation

Abstract

We consider multi-robot systems that include sensor nodes and aerial or ground robots networked together. We describe two cooperative algorithms that allow robots and sensors to enhance each other's performance. In the first algorithm, an aerial robot assists the localization of the sensors. In the second algorithm, a localized sensor network controls the navigation of an aerial robot. We present physical exper- iments with an flying robot and a large Mica Mote sensor network.