Evaluating control strategies for wireless-networked robots using an integrated robot and network simulation

Wireless communication is an enabling factor in multiple mobile robot systems. There is significant interaction between robot controllers and communications subsystems. We present a method for evaluating combined robot control/communication strategies for a team of wireless-networked robots performing a resource transportation task. Two alternative controller designs are compared under established communication and radio propagation models. For each we measure the overall performance of the robot team including the cost of communication. The study illustrates how our evaluation tools can be used for designing controllers for robots operating in wireless communication environments.