Wireless synchronization protocols for collaborative robotic and sensor environments

Abstract

In this paper we consider the problem of time synchronization in collaborative environments of robots and intelligent sensors. Due to its superior performance, the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) has been implemented and tested using various topologies of complex, multi-hop networks. Two distinct approaches have been studied. The first one uses boundary clocks, while the second uses a transparent clock for the intermediary nodes. A set of experiments and simulations have been conducted with the OMNeT++ environment. Finally, we propose and discuss a modified version of the PTP protocol, specifically designed to consider the particular problems of networks with mobile robotic nodes.