iRobIN and MANER - THE HYBRID ARCHITECTURE

While iRobIN facilitates sharing of intelligence and formation of a community of networked robots, the current work is aimed at forming nuclear families of robots communicating amongst each other using the principles of MANET. Mobile Ad hoc Networks of Robots (MANER) is a venture that aims to empower families or groups of robots to form their own ad hoc networks and co-exist. They may also communicate with other such groups via iRobIN to realize a full community of robots on the net.

Click here to view the overall architecture of the work in progress.

Robots R1, R2, R3 and R4 form a network using a protocol where each robot acts as a router and forwards messages. A Link Robot (R1) connects the group to the outside world held by iRobIN via a gateway. This allows the big brother iRobIN to keep watch on the straying network. The gateway uses existing protocols for connectivity to other networks. The request for solutions are processed based on the iRobIN framework. In the layered model of the network, only the network layer is modified to suit the needs of the application. At the bottom the IEEE 802.11b standard will ensure compatibility to existing wireless devices.

Click here to get a better picture of the real implementation & Demo of the Rudimentary MANER

Pradip Venkata M.Saravana, M.Tech. batch 2006

Shivashankar B. Nair, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engg., Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati