Edited by
Eugene Kagan
Ariel University
Israel
Nir Shvalb
Ariel University
Israel
Irad Ben-Gal
Tel-Aviv University
This edition first published 2020
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The right of Eugene Kagan, Nir Shvalb, and Irad Ben-Gal to be identified as the authors of the editorial material in this work has been asserted in accordance with law.
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Kagan, Eugene, editor. | Shvalb, Nir, editor. | Ben-Gal, Irad, editor
Title: Autonomous Mobile Robots and Multi-Robot Systems : Motion-Planning, Communication, and Swarming / [edited by] Eugene Kagan, Ariel University, Nir Shvalb, Ariel University, Irad Ben-Gal, Tel-Aviv University.
Description: First edition. | Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [2020] | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2019014826 (print) | LCCN 2019017606 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119213178 (Adobe PDF) | ISBN 9781119213161 (ePub) | ISBN 9781119212867 (hardcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Mobile robots–Automatic control. | Multiagent systems. | Swarm intelligence.
Classification: LCC TJ211.415 (ebook) | LCC TJ211.415 .A873 2019 (print) | DDC 629.8/932–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019014826
Cover Design and Image: Luna Romano
Prof. Irad Ben‐Gal
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Tel Aviv University
Israel
Dr. Michael Ben Chaim
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
Ariel University
Israel
Prof. Boaz Ben‐Moshe
Department of Computer Science
Ariel University
Israel
Dr. Shlomi Hacohen
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
Ariel University
Israel
Dr. Eugene Kagan
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Ariel University
Israel
Prof. Eugene Khmelnitsky
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Tel Aviv University
Israel
Dr. Simon Lineykin
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
Ariel University
Israel
Dr. Oded Medina
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
Ariel University
Israel
Dr. Alexander Novoselsky
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Weizmann Institute of Science
Israel
Prof. Nir Shvalb
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
Ariel University
Israel
Dr. Shraga Shoval
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
Ariel University
Israel
Dr. Roi Yozevitch
Department of Computer Science
Ariel University
Israel
In the famous lecture “The question concerning technology,”1 Martin Heidegger argues that (p. 12):
Technology is a way of revealing. If we give heed to this, then another whole realm for the essence of technology will open itself up to us. It is the realm of revealing, i.e., of the truth.
And, certainly, robotics is not an exclusion. While the things are the material implementations of mathematical abstractions, the robots, and especially mobile robots and mobile robot systems, imply our imagination of motion.
Attempts at creating tools that can autonomously execute certain tasks can be tracked back to the ancient Greek philosophers and Egyptian inventors. In the Middle Ages and then in the new era, such mechanisms were enriched with mobile devices mimicking animals and humans, and the first efforts of building flying machines were conducted. Certainly, with the invention of steam and gasoline engines and electric motors, these devices became more complicated; however, despite the fact that even the simplest of them demonstrate all the main features of the modern machinery, none of them can be considered as a robot2 in its modern sense.
The modern history of robotics began in the late 1940s, when slave arm manipulators were used in nuclear manufacturing. Following Bernard Roth3 (p. V):
The first academic activity was the thesis of H. A. Ernst, in 1961, at MIT. He used a slave arm equipped with touch sensors, and ran it under computer control. The idea in his study was to use the information from the touch sensors to guide the arm.
Probably, the idea of usage of the sensed information formed a basis for robotics, while such an informational feedback distinguishes the robots from the other automatic tools and machines. In particular, the definition of robot was suggested by Vladimir Lumelsky4 (p. 15):
A robot is an automatic or semiautomatic machine capable of purposeful motion in response to its surroundings in an unstructured environment.
For practical needs, the book follows this definition.
The book is concentrated on positioning and motion planning of mobile robots with respect to available information about their location in space and communication and sensing abilities. The first part of the book considers the models and algorithms of navigation and motion planning in global coordinates system with complete information about the robot's location and velocity. The second part deals with motion in the potential field, which is defined by the environmental states of the robot's expectations and knowledge. The third part addresses the robot's motion in unknown environments and the corresponding tasks of environment mapping using sensed information. Finally, the fourth part of the book considers two‐ and three‐dimensional multi‐robot systems and swarm dynamics.
The book provides theoretical and practical guidance and ready‐to‐use algorithms for navigation of mobile robots, which can be directly implemented in the laboratory and can be used as a starting point for further research and as a basis for solving engineering tasks. As a textbook, it is aimed to support the course in mobile robotics for undergraduate and graduate students specializing in applied mathematics and engineering, and is structured with respect to the program of a single semester course including complete theoretical material and algorithmic solutions. As a research text, the book is aimed to provide a starting point for the research in different directions of mobile robots navigation and can be used as a guide in the field. As a practical guide, the book is self‐contained and includes ready‐to‐use algorithms, numerical examples, and simulations, which can be directly implemented in both simple and advanced mobile robots and applied to different tasks with respect to the available information and robots' sensing abilities.
We hope that the book will guide the reader over different approaches to mobile robot systems and will inspire further developments in the field of navigation of mobile robots in unstructured environments.
Eugene Kagan, Nir Shvalb and Irad Ben‐Gal
November 2018, Ariel – Tel‐Aviv, Israel
The idea of preparing this book was inspired by the brief course given in 2013 by Prof. Vladimir Lumelsky at the Shenkar College, Ramat‐Gan, Israel. The editors thank Prof. Lumelsky for this inspiration and for the ideas that form a basis for the book.
The authors and editors of the book are in great debt to the many people who influenced our understanding of mobile robot systems and contributed to the algorithms and projects. Especially, we thank Prof. Boaz Golany, Prof. Zvi Shiller, Prof. Hava Siegelmann, Dr. Nahum Kogan (ל"ז), Dr. Alexander Rybalov, and Mr. Sergey Khodorov for numerous discussions.
Certainly, nothing could be done without our students Rottem Botton, Rakia Cohen, Hadas Danan, Shirli Dari, Dikla El‐Ani, Liad Eshkar, Chen Estrugo, Gal Goren, Idan Hammer, Moshe Israel, Mor Kaiser, Stav Klauzner, Sharon Makmal, Yohai Maron, Harel Mashiah, Noa Moran, Elad Mizrahi, Eynat Naiman, Alon Rapoport, Amir Ron, Eynat Rubin, Emmanuel Salmona, Alon Sela, Michal Shor, Jennie Steshenko, Tal Toibin, Dafna Zamir, and Hodaya Ziv. We thank them all for their practical work and for their questions, remarks, and ideas.
This book is accompanied by a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/kagan/robotsystems 
The website includes:
