Coordination of Multiple Mobile Robots

In recent years, the demand for mobile robots to perform more complex tasks is increasing and a more complex maneuverability is required. Such task can be completed by utilizing a group of mobile robots, in a coordinate manner. To coordinate multiple mobile robots, formation control is required. Formation control refers to the ability to control the relative position and orientation of robots in a group, while allowing them to move as a whole. For this project, leader and follower formation control method is chosen. The objective of this project is to coordinate multiple mobile robots to perform specified trajectory while maintaining spatial distance between leader robot and followers. Three AmigoBot mobile robots are used to carry out the experiments. There are three experiments which are experiment 1; 10m straight line trajectory path, experiment 2; 6m zigzag shaped trajectory path and experiment 3; 10m straight line with obstacles trajectory path. Specified trajectory path plan are developed and given to the leader robot and the follower will move relative to the leader coordinates using the designed control program. Deviation error for the spatial distance is recorded. The mobile robots successfully maintain formation, with spatial distance deviation error less than 5%.