Biobotic insect swarm based sensor networks for search and rescue

Alper Bozkurt; Edgar Lobaton; Mihail Sichitiu; Tyson Hedrick; Tahmid Latif; Alireza Dirafzoon; Eric Whitmire; Alexander Verderber; Juan Marin; Hong Xiong

doi:10.1117/12.2053906

20 June 2014 Biobotic insect swarm based sensor networks for search and rescue

Alper Bozkurt, Edgar Lobaton, Mihail Sichitiu, Tyson Hedrick, Tahmid Latif, Alireza Dirafzoon, Eric Whitmire, Alexander Verderber, Juan Marin, Hong Xiong

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9091, Signal Processing, Sensor/Information Fusion, and Target Recognition XXIII; 90911L (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2053906
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2014, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

The potential benefits of distributed robotics systems in applications requiring situational awareness, such as search-and-rescue in emergency situations, are indisputable. The efficiency of such systems requires robotic agents capable of coping with uncertain and dynamic environmental conditions. For example, after an earthquake, a tremendous effort is spent for days to reach to surviving victims where robotic swarms or other distributed robotic systems might play a great role in achieving this faster. However, current technology falls short of offering centimeter scale mobile agents that can function effectively under such conditions. Insects, the inspiration of many robotic swarms, exhibit an unmatched ability to navigate through such environments while successfully maintaining control and stability. We have benefitted from recent developments in neural engineering and neuromuscular stimulation research to fuse the locomotory advantages of insects with the latest developments in wireless networking technologies to enable biobotic insect agents to function as search-and-rescue agents. Our research efforts towards this goal include development of biobot electronic backpack technologies, establishment of biobot tracking testbeds to evaluate locomotion control efficiency, investigation of biobotic control strategies with Gromphadorhina portentosa cockroaches and Manduca sexta moths, establishment of a localization and communication infrastructure, modeling and controlling collective motion by learning deterministic and stochastic motion models, topological motion modeling based on these models, and the development of a swarm robotic platform to be used as a testbed for our algorithms.

Citation Download Citation

Alper Bozkurt, Edgar Lobaton, Mihail Sichitiu, Tyson Hedrick, Tahmid Latif, Alireza Dirafzoon, Eric Whitmire, Alexander Verderber, Juan Marin, and Hong Xiong "Biobotic insect swarm based sensor networks for search and rescue", Proc. SPIE 9091, Signal Processing, Sensor/Information Fusion, and Target Recognition XXIII, 90911L (20 June 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2053906

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