TENTACLES: Self-configuring robotic radio networks in unknown environments

Abstract

This paper presents a bio-inspired, distributed control algorithm called <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TENTACLES</i> for a group of radio robots to move, self-configure and maintain communication between some critical entities (such as humans, command centers, or other systems) in an unknown environment. The basic idea is to direct robots' explorative movements to grow ¿tentacles¿ from entities and establish links when tentacles meet. This approach can self-heal failures of robots and improve communication coverage and quality over time. Experiments in simulations and real robots have shown positive results.