•  Activities
•  Basics
•  Publications
•  Workshops
•  Links
•  Literature
•  History
•  Members
•  Abbreviations

Activities

1. The RTG will concentrate on multi robot systems that are:
   • short term realisable
   • field deployable, and
   • allow a combination of UGV, UAV and UUV
     
     
2. The RTG will co-organise the “European Land-Robot Trials” which will take place every second year starting from 2005
   
   
3. The RTG will continue to work on the generic project road map for a short-term realizable robot system and the list of necessary research topics
   
   
4. The RTG will scan existing standards (e.g. Stanag4586) for the applicability to UGVs
   
   
5. The RTG will continue to publish the results as White papers
   

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Basics
The aim of the research task group is to consider the potential of modern multi-robot systems for the use in military domains.

Available are the TAP, the TOR and the POW.

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Publications
Relevant publications are:

1. Questionnaire 2001
   This questionnaire was distributed in 2001 amongst selected players on multi-robot related fields of interest. Aim of the questionnaire was to survey ongoing activities and new developments in these fields. Partly based on this survey, the course of the NATO group was determined. Results of the questionnaire are available. If your work is of interest to this group, please fill in the questionnaire and e-mail it.
   
   
2. Key-word and literature database
   
   
3. Workshop on Multi-Robot-Systems proceedings 2002, 2003 and 2005
   

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Workshops & Conferences

1. 1st Workshop on short-term realisable (multi-)robot systems in military domains The objective is to have an intensive information exchange between the top researchers in the community of robotics and MRS with the focus on the discussion of short-term available robots. The workshop will collect and concentrate the experience of the different nations and sketch a picture of available hardware, techniques and methods. For enhancing the capability of the NATO R&T community to respond adequately to the military requirements of NATO, a project road map for a generic robot system will be generated. In addition, the workshop will identify the research gaps that have to be closed in order to develop such a system. For more details, see the Call for Participation, the Contribution Submission Form and the Travel Support Information (hotels, directions etc.).
    
2. 3rd Workshop on Multi-Robot-Systems, March 2005 This international workshop will bring together top researchers working in areas relevant to designing teams of autonomous vehicles, including robots, unmanned ground, air, sea surface, and undersea vehicles. The first two days will concentrate on issues in co-ordinating teams of robots. The third day of the workshop will be devoted to human/robot interaction issues. More information can be found here.

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Links
Interesting links for multi-robot research are:

1. Robocup The robocup initiative aims to stimulate multi-robot knowledge by organising soccer games - robots only!
    
2. European Robotics Research Network (EURON) The European Robotics Research Network is a network of excellence in robotics, that is aimed at coordination and promotion of robotics research in Europe.
    
3. Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR) The Thematic Network on Climbing and Walking Robots is a network to bring together core research groups, industrial users and robot manufacturers who are engaged in work on climbing and walking robots and associated support technologies.
    
4. 1st European Land-Robot Trial 2006 (ELROB) The ELROB is conducted in order to provide an overview of the European state-of-the-art in the field of UGVs with focus on short-term realizable robot systems. With regard to available capabilities, the organisers seek to promote innovative technical approaches that will enable the operation of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). Representatives of military, border patrol, special forces, police, fire brigades, and civil protection agencies from the major European countries will attend. The ELROB will be accompanied with a comprehensive exhibition covering a wide variety of robotics aspects.

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Literature
A list of relevant literature applied to multi-robot systems is found under this link.

Multi-Robot Systems: From Swarms to Intelligent Automata
Proceedings from the 2002 NRL Workshop on Multi-Robot Systems
Schultz, Alan C.; Parker, Lynne E. (Eds.)
2002, 248 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 1-4020-0679-9

Multi-Robot Systems: From Swarms to Intelligent Automata, Volume II
Proceedings from the 2003 International Workshop on Multi-Robot Systems
Schultz, Alan C.; Parker, Lynne E.; Schneider, Frank E. (Eds.)
2003, 324 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 1-4020-1185-7

Multi-Robot Systems. From Swarms to Intelligent Automata, Volume III
Proceedings from the 2005 International Workshop on Multi-Robot Systems
Parker, Lynne E.; Schneider, Frank E.; Schultz, Alan C. (Eds.)
2005, X, 302 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 1-4020-3388-5

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History

1. IST-ET-015 (2001)
   Multi-Robot-Systems in Military Domains
   
   
2. IST-032/RTG-014 (2002-2004)
   Multi-Robot-Systems in Military Domains
   
   
3. IST-052/RWS-008 (20-22.09.2004)
   Short term realisable (Multi-)Robot Systems in Military Domains
   
   
4. IST-057/RWS-009 (14-16.03.2005)
   International Workshop on Multi-Robot Systems
   
   
5. IST-058/RTG-024 (2005-2007)
   Military Applications for Multi-Robot Systems
   
   

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Members
Members of the RTG are listed below.
 

Country	Name	Company
GE	Mr. Frank E. Schneider (chairmain)	FGAN/FKIE, Wachtberg
NL	Dr. Ir. Erik J.A. van Zijderveld	TNO-FEL, Den Haag
CA	Dr. Bruce Digney	DND, Suffield
FR	Charles Freyheit	DGA, France
UK	Tim Wentworth Young	Qinetiq, Farnborough, UK
BE	Prof. Yvan Baudoin	Ecole Royale Militaire, Brussels
BE	Cdt d'Avi Ir E. Colon	Ecole Royale Militaire, Brussels
SE	Prof. Dr. Henrik Christensen (EURON)	KTH, Stockholm
PL	Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Kozlowski	Poznan University of Technology, Poznan
UK	Kenneth A Pink	Qinetiq, Farnborough, UK
SW	Cino Robin Castelli	Macroswiss, Switzerland
US	Mr. Alan Schultz	Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC

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Last updated: 24-Oct-2005