Poster abstract: Cyborg-insect networks for mapping of unknown environments

Cyborg-insect networks are systems that take advantage of existing biological platforms such as cockroaches [2] by attaching small instrumented payloads for sensing and motion control. These agents can be used in applications such as mapping and exploration of environment for emergency response (e.g., search and rescue operations after earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.) These agents can gain access to locations that may not be reachable otherwise by moving underground through smaller locations. The power limitations of such platforms place restrictions on sensing, communication, and motion control. Hence, traditional mapping and exploration techniques may not perform well under these adverse conditions. We propose a robust approach to obtain a topological map of an unknown environment using the coordinate free sensory data obtained from these cyborg-insect networks. In order to minimize control input, we take advantage of the natural behavior of insects in order to estimate a topological model of the environment based only on neighbor-to-neighbor interactions.