22 accepted papers
Autonomous navigation in dynamic environments requires spatial representations that capture both semantic structure and temporal evolution. 3D Scene Graphs (3DSGs) provide hierarchical multi-resolution abstractions that encode geometry and semantics, but existing extensions toward dynamics largely f…
We present CineMPC, a complete cinematographic system that autonomously controls a drone to film multiple targets recording user-specified aesthetic objectives. Existing solutions in autonomous cinematography control only the camera extrinsics, namely, its position and orientation. In contrast, Cine
Robots are frequently tasked to gather relevant sensor data in unknown terrains. A key challenge for classical path planning algorithms used for autonomous information gathering is adaptively replanning paths online as the terrain is explored given limited onboard compute resources. Recently, learni
This paper introduces CLIPSwarm, a new algorithm designed to automate the modeling of swarm drone formations based on natural language. The algorithm begins by enriching a provided word, to compose a text prompt that serves as input to an iterative approach to find the formation that best matches th…
Accurately assessing the potential value of new sensor observations is a critical aspect of planning for active perception. This task is particularly challenging when reasoning about high-level scene understanding using measurements from vision-based neural networks. Due to appearance-based reasonin…
The increase in non-biodegradable waste is a worldwide concern. Recycling facilities play a crucial role, but their automation is hindered by the complex characteristics of waste recycling lines like clutter or object deformation. In addition, the lack of publicly available labeled data for these en…
Robotic applications involving people often require advanced perception systems to better understand complex real-world scenarios. To address this challenge, photo-realistic and physics simulators are gaining popularity as a means of generating accurate data labeling and designing scenarios for eval…
In this paper, we consider the problem where a drone has to collect semantic information to classify multiple moving targets. In particular, we address the challenge of computing control inputs that move the drone to informative viewpoints, position and orientation, when the information is extracted
This work presents CineTransfer, an algorithmic framework that drives a robot to record a video sequence that mimics the cinematographic style of an input video. We propose features that abstract the aesthetic style of the input video, so the robot can transfer this style to a scene with visual deta…
This paper presents LEMURS, an algorithm for learning scalable multi-robot control policies from cooperative task demonstrations. We propose a port-Hamiltonian description of the multi-robot system to exploit universal physical constraints in interconnected systems and achieve closed-loop stability.…
The integration of semantic information in a map allows robots to understand better their environment and make high-level decisions. In the last few years, neural networks have shown enormous progress in their perception capabilities. However, when fusing multiple observations from a neural network…
We present CineMPC, an algorithm to autonomously control a UAV-borne video camera in a nonlinear Model Predicted Control (MPC) loop. CineMPC controls both the position and orientation of the camera-the camera extrinsics-as well as the lens focal length, focal distance, and aperture-the camera intrin…
The efficiency of path-planning in robot navigation is crucial in tasks such as search-and-rescue and disaster surveying, but this is emphasized even more when considering multi-rotor aerial robots due to the limited battery and flight time. In this spirit, this work proposes an efficient, hierarchi
Most recent works on multi-target tracking with multiple cameras focus on centralized systems. In contrast, this paper presents a multi-target tracking approach implemented in a distributed camera network. The advantages of distributed systems lie in lighter communication management, greater robustn…
This paper presents a novel control strategy to herd a group of non-cooperative evaders by means of a team of robotic herders. In herding problems, the motion of the evaders is typically determined by strong nonlinear reactive dynamics, escaping from the herders. Many applications demand the herding…
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming increasingly popular in the film and entertainment industries, in part because of their maneuverability and perspectives they enable. While there exists methods for controlling the position and orientation of the drones for visibility, other artistic elem…
Distributed scalable algorithms are sought in many multi-robot contexts. In this work we address the dynamic optimal linear assignment problem, exemplified as a target tracking mission in which mobile robots visually track mobile targets in a one-to-one capacity. We adapt our previous work on format…
To be successful in multi-player drone racing, a player must not only follow the race track in an optimal way, but also compete with other drones through strategic blocking, faking, and opportunistic passing while avoiding collisions. Since unveiling one's own strategy to the adversaries is not desi…
Persistent coverage aims to maintain a certain coverage level over time in an environment where such level deteriorates. This level can be associated to temperature, dust or sensor information. We propose an algorithmic solution in which each robot locally finds the best paths and coverage actions t…
In this paper we consider the problem of controlling a team of non-holonomic robots to reach a desired formation. The formation is described in terms of the desired relative positions and orientations the robots need to keep with respect to each other, and it is assumed that the robots do not have a
This paper presents a distributed method for navigating a team of robots in formation in 2D and 3D environments with static and dynamic obstacles. The robots are assumed to have a reduced communication and visibility radius and share information with their neighbors. Via distributed consensus the ro
The performance of any cooperative task that involves two or more robots will be determined by their capacity to recognize common information of the environment. Vision sensors are very effective for this particular goal, but the cost of transmitting the visual information represents a real issue, e…