Fundamental Interactions Generating Heterogeneous Teams including Robots (FIGHT-R)

Fully autonomous, taskable robots for use in unconstrained environments are still a dream rather than a reality because of a host of problems, including capabilities of existing sensors, effectors, and control/planning software. Indeed, concepts of operations for robot use require that robots collaborate directly with humans, in relationships similar to bomb squad dogs. Fortunately, enough progress has been made in many areas to enable realistically envisioning robots with a significant level of autonomy working cooperatively with humans in heterogeneous teams to perform highly-constrained tactical maneuvers (e.g., clearing a room). Such teamwork is more difficult in the chaotic environments often found in combat or disaster situations. Requirements for this level of teamwork raise key questions, including: “What makes a team of experts an expert team? How do effective team members adapt to meet dynamic needs as rapidly as tactical situations evolve?” The proposed team combines world-class expertise in robotics and in understanding and simulating teamwork in order to create a system of Fundamental Interactions Generating Heterogeneous Teams including Robots (FIGHT-R) – enabling dynamic teamwork and role reassignments in dynamic, dangerous, real-time multi-tasking (RTMT) domains requiring coordinated movements and physical actions.