Modeling and Optimization of a Swarm-Intelligent Inspection System

Abstract

We present a simple, behavior-based, distributed control algorithm to inspect a regular structure with a swarm of autonomous, miniature robots, using only on-board, local sensors. To estimate intrinsic advantages and limitations of the proposed control solution, we capture its characteristics at a higher abstraction level using non-spatial probabilistic microscopic and macroscopic models. Both models achieve consistent prediction on the chosen swarm metric and deliver a series of interesting qualitative and quantitative insights on further, counterintuitive, improvement of the distributed control algorithm. Modeling results were validated by experiments with one to twenty robots using a realistic simulator in the framework of a case study concerned with the inspection of a jet turbine.