Changing Communication Path to Maintain Connectivity of Mobile Robots in Multi-Robot System using Multistage Relay Networks

Abstract

Mobile robots are being increasingly used to gather information from disaster sites and prevent further damage in disaster areas. Previous studies discussed a multi-robot system that uses a multistage relay backbone network to gather information in a closed space after a disaster. In this system, the mobile robot explores its search range by switching the connected nodes. Here it is necessary to maintain the communication quality required for the teleoperation of the mobile robot and to send and receive packets between the operator PC and the mobile robot. However, the mobile robot can become isolated when it is not able to maintain the communication quality required for teleoperations in the communication path after changing the nodes. This paper proposes a method to change the communication path of a mobile robot while maintaining its communication connectivity. In the proposed method, the mobile robot changes its route while maintaining communication connectivity without any communication loss time by connecting to two nodes.