Autonomous Swarming for Teams of Exploration Robots (ASTER)

NASA will use swarms of robot vehicles for future planetary exploration, including Moon explorations in support of a sustained lunar presence. Advanced robotic and autonomous systems can overcome challenges inherent in navigating extreme terrain. Other tasks, such as obtaining mineral or ice samples from a wide area of a planetary surface or exploring terrain that blocks the transmission of signals to Earth or satellites (e.g., canyons, caves, lava tubes), lend themselves to robotic systems composed of multiple vehicles working in a coordinated fashion (i.e., multi-robot swarms). In addition to sharing work across the team, these swarms can adapt to changing exploration needs, and provide resiliency to failure of single vehicles while being scalable to accept additional vehicles when needed. Charles River Analytics and the Novel Engineering for Swarm Technologies (NEST) Laboratory at Worcester Polytechnic Institute will design and demonstrate Autonomous Swarming for Teams of Exploration Robots (ASTER). We introduce three compelling innovations to swarm systems: (1) a theory of mind task allocation method in which robots use what they know of others to plan their own next task; (2) the extension of heterogeneity to include health and status of robots; and (3) anticipating future world state and robot health and status based on data received and knowledge about what robots are performing what tasks. ASTER will use three technologies: Task allocation algorithms informed by Charles Rivers Swarm Coordination Framework, the Buzz swarm programming language for implementing algorithms and behaviors for physical and simulated robots, and the ARGoS multi-physics simulation engine for simulation and evaluation. We will deploy and evaluate algorithms on physical robots in real-world environments. We aim to reach TRL 6 during our Phase II effort and we will focus on the real-world utility of these algorithms to support future NASA missions. ASTER introduces three innovations: A “theory of mind” task allocation method in which robots use what they know of others to plan their own next task and that is responsive to swarm entities entering or leaving the swarm, and dynamic identification of new tasks Extending heterogeneity to include health and status of robots (e.g., ability to charge their power system), in addition to platform (e.g., small and wheeled versus large and treaded) and equipment (e.g., specific sensors, actuators) Anticipating future world state and robot status from data received and knowledge about what robots are performing which tasks; this helps robots plan when communications are not possible, and provides fault management as robots and their capabilities degrade over time These innovations enable swarms of robots to coordinate and optimize their performance, respond to changes in the environment and to changing robot capabilities, and pursue objectives that may put them temporarily out of communication with other swarm members. Charles River Analytics and Worcester Polytechnic Institute will focus on the following main objectives: Refine swarm reference missions consistent with NASA’s Lunar Exploration Program Overview that exhibit the challenges that a swarm of planetary robots will experience Develop swarm task allocation algorithms and composable behavior primitives for the swarm to successfully perform tasks in an autonomous capacity Develop support for heterogeneous capabilities and robot degradation so the swarm can plan the most effective use of each robot’s platform and equipment Develop support for fault management to enable the swarm to detect and be resilient to degrading capabilities of individual robots and the swarm itself Demonstrate and conduct thorough evaluations of the system, including deployment to physical vehicles operating in real-world environments Pursue transition and commercial opportunities We will manage the project using an Agile development methodology, including two-week sprints of development activity and regular check-in meetings between out teams. We will develop and follow a project plan to ensure our time is properly allocated. Our deliverables include quarterly Status Reports, a Final Technical Report, prototype and final software, purchased hardware, and demonstrations as requested by the Sponsor.

The innovations proposed under ASTER are relevant to the NASA Small Spacecraft Technology Program (SSTP) and the 2018 NASA Strategic Plan’s focus on advanced robotic and autonomous systems. Plans to use Commercial Lunar Payload Services to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained lunar presence will depend on exploring the lunar surface for resources necessary to maintain operations. Lessons learned from using robot swarms on the Moon will inform future voyages to planets (e.g., Mars) and asteroids. The Army’s Air Launched Effects (ALE) program, US Navy’s RAIDER, DARPA’s OFFSET, and work at other Government agencies will benefit from these innovations, as will commercial companies working with the Government (e.g., AeroVironment). We have started to pursue commercial uses of swarms in disaster response, search and rescue, and smart agriculture, and will continue to explore these in Phase II.

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