Autonomous Systems

PROJECTS

CASER

The Coordinated Autonomous Systems for Exploration and Reconnaissance (CASER) project aims to develop fundamental research that can enhance the capabilities of the Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) for exploration and reconnaissance across complex environments (ground and air). Robust multi-robot teams need to implement models of coordinated maneuvers and techniques that support the understanding of the surroundings and their characteristics, as well as to implement self-organizing behaviors and control strategies that generate paths/routes that can maximize cover, while maximizing team’s efficiency. Strategies will enable robot teams to create formations, identify terrain characteristics, obstacles, and environmental conditions, and perform structural assessments without compromising the mission by maximizing tactical maneuvers, minimizing exposure, and reacting successfully to contact. Project will address three main research areas: (1) Distributed Control of Multi-Robot Systems and Multisensory Synthesis, (2) Models and Metrics for Robust Systems, and (3) Information Processing and Fusion. 

CREST-GEIMS

The Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST)-Geospatial and Environmental Informatics, Modeling and Simulation(GEIMS) articulates three research subprojects addressing the challenges of coastal resilience by developing new approaches that integrate remote and autonomous sensing with geospatial computing, Artificial Intelligence/deep learning, and big data analytics for comprehensive coastal zone monitoring at different scales. The focus is on improving resiliency to extreme coastal hazards and episodic and persistent events (e.g., hurricane and sea-level rise). Subproject 1 develops new approaches integrating remote and autonomous sensing with geospatial computing and artificial intelligence to improve coastal zone monitoring and resiliency decision-making. It generates detailed and accurate geographic information systems data for characterization of the built and natural environment. Subproject 2 contributes to the understanding of the urban water cycle and the resilience of water infrastructure through integrated characterization, simulation, and assessments. Subproject 3 investigates how emerging data sources and advanced geospatial computing can be applied to evaluate, assist, and improve a coastal community’s physical, behavioral, and social health after disasters.

No-Fly-Zone 

Unmanned aircraft systems, a.k.a. drones, have recently become quite popular for commercial and recreational purposes. However, no effective solutions exist to restrict drones from flying over sensitive spaces such as homes, schools, hospitals, temporally-restricted areas, etc., either as final destinations or while in-transit. This introduces serious concerns related to: (i) privacy, e.g., drones taking pictures and/or record video without explicit consent; (ii) cyber-security, e.g., drones used as platforms for launching cyberattacks; (iii) safety, e.g., drone collisions that may result in human affectations and financial costs. NFZ, an open-source framework that regulates drone fly-overs by providing the means to: (i) identify and delimit protection zones over sensitive physical spaces; (ii) specify and enforce restrictions on drone flights by means of fly-over policies; (iii) calculate navigation plans for drones; (iv) orchestrate flight plans to limit airspace drone occupancy.

COMPLETED PROJECTS

COMRADES

The main purpose of developing the COMRADES (COoperative Multi-Robot Automated DEtection System) project is for humanitarian demining. The main idea is to develop novel coordination techniques between multiple low-cost, autonomous, ground and aerial robots which enable them to collaboratively detect landmines with high accuracy in post-conflict regions.

Passive Funneling System for Airborne Particle Monitoring for Quadcopters

Vision-Based Mobile Robotic Platform for Autonomous Landing of Quadcopters

Autonomous Detection of Hazardous Gas Emissions using UAVs