Communication Network Construction Behaviors for Robotic Convoying

We develop a set of communications-aware behaviors that enable formations of robotic agents to travel through communications-deprived environments while remaining in contact with a central base station. These behaviors enable the agents to operate in environments common in dismounted and search and rescue operations. By operating as a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), robotic agents can respond to environmental changes and react to the loss of any agent. We demonstrate in simulation and on custom robotic hardware a methodology that constructs a communications network by “peeling-off” individual agents from a formation to act as communication relays. We then present a behavior that reconfigures the team’s network topology to reach different locations within an environment while maintaining communications. Finally, we introduce a recovery behavior that enables agents to reestablish communications if a link in the network is lost. Our hardware trials demonstrate the systems capability to operate in real-world environments.