Jeremi Gancet

Task planning and control for a multi-UAV system: architecture and algorithms

This paper presents a decisional architecture and the associated algorithms for multi-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) systems. The architecture enables different schemes of decision distribution in the system, depending on the available decision making capabilities of the UAVs and on the operational constraints related to the tasks to achieve. The paper mainly focuses on the deliberative layer of the UAVs: we detail a planning scheme where a symbolic planner relies on refinement tools that exploit UAVs and environment models. Integration effort related to decisional features is highlighted, and preliminary simulation results are provided.

PG2P: a perception-guided path planning approach for long range autonomous navigation in unknown natural environments

This paper presents a new hybrid path planning approach for autonomous robots navigating in natural unknown environments. The main purpose is to consider perception planning and path planning in a single unified process, so that the most relevant perception can be performed considering the current goal of the robot. We consider this approach as a way to fill the gap between navigation tasks and exploration tasks. In a first part, we introduce the models and notions used in this approach. We then give some algorithmic details, and finally present results in simulation.

Embedding heterogeneous levels of decisional autonomy in multi-robot systems

This paper presents an architecture for multi-robot (MR) systems in which robots exhibit heterogeneousness in terms of autonomous decisional capacities. This architecture enables various configurations of decision distribution among the components of the system, according both to the available decision making capabilities of the robots, and to the operational constraints related to the tasks to be performed. This architecture is instanciated in the context of a multi heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) project, and in this context, details related to a generic executive (supporting the versatility of the architecture) are provided.

3D Printed Arm Exoskeleton for Teleoperation and Manipulation Applications

This paper presents the recent activities of Space Applications Services for the development of force feedback arm exoskeletons based on 3D printing technologies. The paper describes the design of the exoskeleton system and illustrates its application through two different projects of slave robotic arm teleoperation, ICARUS and DEXROV, where the concept is used.

Real-time Coordination and Control of Multiple Heterogeneous UAVs: The COMETs Project

This video presents a control system that autonomously coordinates and supervises a fleet of heterogeneous UAVs to achieve complex observation missions. The system is composed of a central planning and monitoring station, and rely on a UAV decisional architecture that is designed to fit various levels of autonomy. The architecture and its adaptation to various kinds of UAVs is described, focusing on the role of the UAVs supervisors. A demonstration that illustrates a fire detection, confirmation and monitoring scenario, completed with a mapping task is shown. It involves three UAVs : two helicopters and a blimp, each of them being endowed with a supervisor linked to the central station. During the demonstration, the UAVs achieve various observation tasks coordinated thanks to their supervisor.