An Advanced Search and Find System (ASAFS) on IoT-Based Mobile Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Testbed (MAUVET)

Advances in mobile robotics and autonomous systems are shaping our world, where robots are to replace humans in many aspects of life. The concern of our research group is to automate routine applications that require high precision and to be accomplished at cost-effective approaches. “Search and Find” is one such application that meets those criteria. In this project, we have developed, implemented, and tested the Advanced Search and Find System (ASAFS) which is an advanced search and find application where a group of heterogeneous robots perform a coordinated search mission over a given area. Heterogeneous robots are mobile robots made with divergent functions to fly, drive, or surf in 3-D real world. The challenge we have faced in developing such a system is how to integrate multiple mobile agents in a unified platform that plans, controls, and oversees the search and find assignment. The answer to this challenge points eventually to the use of IoT as a leading framework for interoperability and system integration. The Multiple Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Experimental Testbed (MAUVET) is an IoT-based platform designed with many considerations to accommodate next-generation UAV applications development and deployment. MAUVET is an open-architecture platform with open communication standards and modular software core functions. This paper presents ASAFS and MAUVET architectures with focus on IoT considerations as far as the hardware and software architecture. We also present results from field experiments that are relevant to the state of the art.