Mobile robot deployment based on Voronoi diagram

This paper describes a new method for deployment of wireless relay nodes. When applying rescue robots in building or underground city, the wireless radio is attenuated significantly, thus multi-hop extension by relay of wireless communication is required. The goal of research is to deploy relay wireless nodes to maintain connectivity from the base station to the leader robot which explores around the front line. To move the relay robot autonomously, distributed algorithm is required. The method overcomes conventional distributed algorithm, when applying it for wireless relay purpose. In the method, a virtual force which drives a node to the centroid of Voronoi neighbors and it works to maintain the connectivity of wireless communication. The evaluation of proposed method is conducted by numerical simulations and experiments. In the simulation, one or two leader robots are assumed. In the experiment, a mobile robot equipped with omni-wheels is used.