Complexity and Nonlinearity in Autonomous Robotics, Introduction to

Historically, robotic systems have played a key role in manufacturing, hazardous material handling, exploration and surveillance, search and rescue, and military applications. For most of these applications, single robot systems with traditional sensing and actuation are able to execute predetermined tasks in a well-defined environment. The ability to develop a robotic system capable of executing tasks in an environment that is not well defined or is dynamic has been a daunting task. The development of such a capability has been limited by the complexity required in sensing, cognitive decision making, new actuation capabilities, and robustness and responsiveness of the control system. The complexity of these challenges increases when groups of robots are required to interact with each other or with people in a social or physical manner. This volume of work is a collection of recent and emerging efforts at the dawn of a new millennium to develop enabling technologies for new frontiers...