Network Communication Strategies for Cooperative Physical Agents

Network communication architecture for cooperative humanoids are designed and realized. The humanoids are operated to walk by two legs. The network is a LAN whose nodes are one master PC and other controller PCs. The master PC works as a central control machine which contains a blackboard, an image processor, and mediators for the controller PCs. The controller PC includes a collaborator and a motion controller. The collaborator communicates with the mediator and the image processor. The motion controller regulates the two-legged humanoid. Under such a combination of computing and communication systems, the walking humanoids carry a bulky box without falling down. The total job is successful if position and angle errors of the humanoids in front of the object are within an admissible range. Thus, this paper successfully adds evidences that walking humanoids can cooperate. The network communications were essential.