Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Eeman Abid, Junior
Lead Presenter's Name
Eeman Abid
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Cagri Kilic
Abstract
This project proposes a novel approach to planetary exploration utilizing a hybrid hierarchical swarm robotic system inspired by social insect colonies. The project will develop a centralized 'queen' robot that provides high-level direction to a team of semi-autonomous 'worker' robots, each capable of making local decisions while following the queen's strategic guidance. This structure aims to enhance adaptability and efficiency by balancing centralized coordination with distributed execution. The approach aligns with NASA's CADRE mission, which uses coordinated rovers to map the lunar surface. By combining simulation in ROS2/Gazebo with physical testing on lunar regolith simulant, this research will evaluate how hierarchical swarms can improve exploration coverage, communication reliability, and energy efficiency compared to traditional approaches. The anticipated outcomes aim to advance robotic exploration methodologies for planetary environments while offering insights applicable to search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and other domains
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Hybrid Hierarchical Swarm Robotics for Planetary Exploration
This project proposes a novel approach to planetary exploration utilizing a hybrid hierarchical swarm robotic system inspired by social insect colonies. The project will develop a centralized 'queen' robot that provides high-level direction to a team of semi-autonomous 'worker' robots, each capable of making local decisions while following the queen's strategic guidance. This structure aims to enhance adaptability and efficiency by balancing centralized coordination with distributed execution. The approach aligns with NASA's CADRE mission, which uses coordinated rovers to map the lunar surface. By combining simulation in ROS2/Gazebo with physical testing on lunar regolith simulant, this research will evaluate how hierarchical swarms can improve exploration coverage, communication reliability, and energy efficiency compared to traditional approaches. The anticipated outcomes aim to advance robotic exploration methodologies for planetary environments while offering insights applicable to search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and other domains