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Eric Klavins

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10 papers

2 author rows

ICRA Conference 2011 Conference Paper

Load balancing for multi-robot construction

Nils Napp
Eric Klavins

In distributed multi-robot construction it is important to set the relative rates at which different construction sites receive raw building materials. Otherwise, subtasks finish at different times introducing unnecessary delays. We present a feedback algorithm to achieve robust load balancing in routing building materials for stochastic, distributed, multi-robot construction systems. We express global behavior in terms of local reactive behavior via Guarded Command Programming with Rates and prove correctness of the load-balancing controller for a wide range of conditions. We adapt a proof from earlier work on controlling Stochastic Chemical Kinetic systems and illustrate the algorithm on the Factory-Floor robotic testbed [1].

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ICRA Conference 2010 Conference Paper

Robust by composition: Programs for multi-robot systems

Nils Napp
Eric Klavins

This paper describes how to specify the local reactive behavior of robots via guarded command programs with rates. These programs express concurrency and can be composed easily. Rates allow programs to be interpreted as Markov processes, which we use to define an appropriate notion of robustness and performance. We use composition to “robustify” programs with good performance, i. e. create a robust program with good performance from a program that has good performance but is not robust. We demonstrate this approach on a sub process of a reconfiguration program in a multi-robot system.

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ICRA Conference 2006 Conference Paper

The Statistical Dynamics of Programmed Self-assembly

Nils Napp
Samuel A. Burden
Eric Klavins

We describe how a graph grammar program for robotic self-assembly, together with measurements of kinetic rate data yield a Markov process model of the dynamics of programmed self-assembly. We demonstrate and validate the method by applying it to a physical testbed consisting of a number of "programmable parts", which are able to control their local interactions according to their on-board programs. We describe a technique for obtaining kinetic rate constants from simulation and a comparison of the behavior predicted by the Markov model with the behavior predicted by a high-fidelity simulation of the system

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IROS Conference 2005 Conference Paper

Programmable parts: a demonstration of the grammatical approach to self-organization

Joshua D. Bishop
Samuel A. Burden
Eric Klavins
R. Kreisberg
W. Malone
Nils Napp
T. Nguyen

In this paper, we introduce a robotic implementation of the theory of graph grammars (Klavins et al. , 2005), which we use to model and direct self-organization in a formal, predictable and provably-correct fashion. The robots, which we call programmable parts, float passively on an air table and bind to each other upon random collisions. Once attached, they execute local rules that determine how their internal states change and whether they should remain bound. We demonstrate through experiments how they can self-organize into a global structure by executing a common graph grammar in a completely distributed fashion. The system also presents a challenge to the grammatical method (and to distributed systems approaches in general) due to the stochastic nature of its dynamics. We conclude by discussing these challenges and our initial approach to addressing them.

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ICRA Conference 2004 Conference Paper

A Language for Modeling and Programming Cooperative Control Systems

Eric Klavins

In this paper we describe a software tool called CCLi (for CCL interpreter) that implements the Computation and Control Language (CCL). CCL is a language for modeling and programming of robotic and control systems. CCLi is used to simulate CCL models and programs and can also be used to execute CCL programs on actual robots. The language is particularly well suited to concurrent, partially synchronized processes interacting via communications and the environment, such as would describe cooperative control tasks. This paper describes the syntax and semantics of the language and gives examples of its use in modeling and programming cooperative control and multi-robot systems.

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ICRA Conference 2004 Conference Paper

Graph Grammars for Self Assembling Robotic Systems

Eric Klavins
Robert Ghrist
David Lipsky

In this paper we define a class of graph grammars that can be used to model and direct distributed robotic assembly or formation forming processes. We focus on the problem of synthesizing a grammar so that it generates a given, prespecified assembly. In particular, to generate an acyclic graph we synthesize a binary grammar (rules involve at most two parts), and for a general graph we synthesize a ternary grammar (rules involve at most three parts). We then show a general result that implies that no binary grammar can generate a unique stable assembly. We conclude the paper with a discussion of how graph grammars can be used to direct the synthesis of parts floating in a fluid or for self-motive robotic parts.

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ICRA Conference 2002 Conference Paper

Automatic Synthesis of Controllers for Distributed Assembly and Formation Forming

Eric Klavins

We consider the task of assembling a large number of self controlled parts (or robots) into copies of a prescribed assembly (or formation). In particular, we introduce a way to synthesize, from a specification of the desired assembly, local controllers to be used by each part which, when taken together, have the global effect of assembling the parts. We pay careful attention to the time and space complexity of the synthesis procedure, showing that the size of the representation of the synthesized controller is polynomial in the size of the specification and that the computational power needed by the controller is low.

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ICRA Conference 2001 Conference Paper

Stability of Coupled Hybrid Oscillators

Eric Klavins
Daniel E. Koditschek

We describe a method for the decentralized phase regulation of two coupled hybrid oscillators. In particular, we prove that the application of this synchronization method to two hopping robots, each of which individually achieves only asymptotically stable hopping, results in an asymptotically stable limit cycle for the coupled system exhibiting the desired phase difference. This extends our previous work wherein the application of the method to two individually deadbeat-stabilized oscillators (paddle juggling mechanisms) was shown to yield the desired result. Central to this method is the idea that cyclic systems may be composed into a larger, aggregate, cyclic system. Its application entails moving from physical coordinates (for example, the position and velocity of each constituent mechanism) to the coordinates of phase and phase velocity. Within this canonical coordinate system we construct a model dynamical system, called a reference field, which encodes the desired behavior of each cyclic system as well as the phase relationships between them. We then force the actual composite system to behave like the model.

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ICRA Conference 2000 Conference Paper

A Formalism for the Composition of Concurrent Robot Behaviors

Eric Klavins
Daniel E. Koditschek

We introduce tools which help one to compose concurrent, hybrid control programs for a class of distributed robotic systems, assuming a palette of controllers for individual tasks is already constructed. These tools, which combine the backchaining of continuous robot behaviors with Petri nets, expand on successful work in sequential composition of robot behaviors. We apply these ideas to the design and verification of a robotic bucket brigade and to simple, distributed assembly tasks as found in automated factories.

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AAAI Conference 1998 Conference Paper

Experimenting with Power Default Reasoning

Eric Klavins

In this paper weexplore the computationalaspects of Propositional PowerDefault Reasoning (PDR), a form of non-monotonicreasoning whichthe underlyinglogic is Kleene’s3-valued propositionallogic. PDR leads to a concisemeaning of the problem of skeptical entailment which has better complexitycharacteristics than the usual formalisms(co-NP(3)-Complete instead [[p-Complete). Wetake advantage of this in an implementationcalled powderto encode and solve hard graphproblemsand explore randomly generatedinstancesof skeptical entailment.

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