Application of Robot Operating System in Robot Flocks

Flocking behavior is an exercise in both control and coordination. Members need to move in near-perfect time with each other to maintain a safe, but compact, distance amongst themselves. This balance could have a number of useful applications, ranging from automated vehicles to power grid coordination. Moreover, per Reynolds (1987), flocking behavior can be summarized as an algorithm, which automated systems can easily consume. Inspired by this premise, the group blueprinted a robot flock using Turtlebot3 Burgers and Robot Operating System, or ROS. To begin, the group created an algorithm in Scratch, a graphical programming language. Per Reynolds' model, as long as each individual member knows and follows the algorithm, a flock will form without any outside influence. The group theorized that this modular approach would bide well with the ROS system of nodes and messages. By deeming each member a flocking node and having a remote “master” perform functions such as localization, the ROS framework would naturally support robot flocking. However, after transcribing their program to C++, the group found some ongoing issues in development. They struggled to adapt ROS's message commands into their program, and the Burgers' given localization program had trouble supporting a multi-robot flock. Regardless, with further research, the group still believes that ROS can give rise to a viable flock.