@inproceedings{dirafzoon_betthauser_schornick_benavides_lobaton_2014, title={Mapping of unknown environments using minimal sensing from a stochastic swarm}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/iros.2014.6943102}, DOI={10.1109/iros.2014.6943102}, abstractNote={Swarms consisting of cyborg-insects or millirobots can be used for mapping and exploration of unstructured environments in emergency-response situations. Under extreme conditions, traditional localization techniques may fail to provide reliable position estimates. Instead, we propose a robust approach to obtain a topological map of an unknown environment using encounter information from a swarm of agents following a stochastic motion model via the use of tools from topological data analysis. A classification approach is introduced to determine the persistent topology features of the space. The approach is analyzed using simulation and experimental data using a swarm robotic platform called the WolfBot. For all experiments, the agents are programmed to follow a stochastic motion model and only rely on encounter information between agents to construct a map of the environment. The results indicate that the proposed approach can identify robust topological features with high accuracy.}, booktitle={2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems}, publisher={IEEE}, author={Dirafzoon, Alireza and Betthauser, Joseph and Schornick, Jeff and Benavides, Daniel and Lobaton, Edgar}, year={2014}, month={Sep}, pages={3842–3849} }
 @inproceedings{dirafzoon_bethhauser_schornick_cole_bozkurt_lobaton_2014, title={Poster abstract: Cyborg-insect networks for mapping of unknown environments}, DOI={10.1109/iccps.2014.6843729}, abstractNote={Cyborg-insect networks are systems that take advantage of existing biological platforms such as cockroaches [2] by attaching small instrumented payloads for sensing and motion control. These agents can be used in applications such as mapping and exploration of environment for emergency response (e.g., search and rescue operations after earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.) These agents can gain access to locations that may not be reachable otherwise by moving underground through smaller locations. The power limitations of such platforms place restrictions on sensing, communication, and motion control. Hence, traditional mapping and exploration techniques may not perform well under these adverse conditions. We propose a robust approach to obtain a topological map of an unknown environment using the coordinate free sensory data obtained from these cyborg-insect networks. In order to minimize control input, we take advantage of the natural behavior of insects in order to estimate a topological model of the environment based only on neighbor-to-neighbor interactions.}, booktitle={2014 acm/ieee international conference on cyber-physical systems (iccps)}, author={Dirafzoon, A. and Bethhauser, J. and Schornick, J. and Cole, J. and Bozkurt, A. and Lobaton, Edgar}, year={2014}, pages={216–216} }
 @inproceedings{betthauser_benavides_schornick_o'hara_patel_cole_lobaton_2014, title={WolfBot: A distributed mobile sensing platform for research and education}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/aseezone1.2014.6820632}, DOI={10.1109/aseezone1.2014.6820632}, abstractNote={Mobile sensor networks are often composed of agents with weak processing capabilities and some means of mobility. However, recent developments in embedded systems have enabled more powerful and portable processing units capable of analyzing complex data streams in real time. Systems with such capabilities are able to perform tasks such as 3D visual localization and tracking of targets. They are also well-suited for environmental monitoring using a combination of cameras, microphones, and sensors for temperature, air-quality, and pressure. Still there are few compact platforms that combine state of the art hardware with accessible software, an open source design, and an affordable price. In this paper, we present an in-depth comparison of several mobile distributed sensor network platforms, and we introduce the WolfBot platform which offers a balance between capabilities, accessibility, cost and an open-design. Experiments analyzing its computer-vision capabilities, power consumption, and system integration are provided.}, booktitle={Proceedings of the 2014 Zone 1 Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education}, publisher={IEEE}, author={Betthauser, Joseph and Benavides, Daniel and Schornick, Jeff and O'Hara, Neal and Patel, Jimit and Cole, Jeremy and Lobaton, Edgar}, year={2014}, month={Apr} }