Imagine you’re tasked with keeping a single land-based robot out of a designated area—this seems doable. But what happens if you have to defend against multiple robots, or even a drone swarm coming in by air? A new perimeter defense system equips autonomous vehicles to stop multiple targets using the shortest path around the perimeter.
“Responding to intruders on a first-come, first-stopped basis only works when the number of intruders is low,” said Shaunak Bopardikar, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “We developed a suite of smarter, tour-based algorithms for situations where the rate of intruders is high. It determines the shortest route to minimize the number of targets reaching the perimeter we want to protect.”
The algorithms address the problem of scalability that limited earlier perimeter defense systems, especially in complex environments. Think of the classic arcade game Space Invaders where the objective is to eliminate every invader dropping from the sky before they touch ground. Bopardikar’s system works similarly but multiplies defense forces’ ability to intercept invaders coming in from multiple directions simultaneously.
Bopardikar sees applications for the technology in defense, such as when keeping civilian spaces clear from rogue vehicles like unidentified/unauthorized drones, and in agriculture to protect crops from swarms of pests. His algorithms could also significantly enhance search-and-rescue operations where it’s critical to quickly locate vehicles or people in distress.
To learn more about Bopardikar’s work, visit:
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