Autonomous Multi-Robot Platoon Monitoring

Abstract

Ensuring the safety of soldiers on foot in a platoon formation is an important goal for the military. Accomplishing this with the use of a protective encirclement of autonomous robots is an important application of human-machine collaboration. A key task for the robots in this regard is automatic optimal positioning with respect to a shifting platoon perimeter created by the motion of soldiers. This work formulates and evaluates an algorithm for optimal positioning of protective robots as soldiers in the platoon move to execute their task. The current location of the soldiers is acquired through GPS. This information is then used as an input to form a dynamic convex hull around the platoon. The convex hull is used to determine evolving positioning goals, and paths to get there for the protective robots. The algorithm is implemented and evaluated in a simulation environment using three protective robots and nine soldiers in the platoon.