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Robotics
Special Issues
Autonomous Robotics for Exploration
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Autonomous Robotics for Exploration

A special issue of Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensors and Control in Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 1844

Special Issue Editor

Dr. John Hedley

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
Interests: autonomous mobile robotics; AI; sensors; systems engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Autonomous robotics have become a key aspect of exploration, with applications requiring monitoring and data collection of a wide range of conditions from dangerous environments (geologically unstable regions, disaster zone reconnaissance, radiation zones), inaccessible environments (planetary exploration, undersea mapping, spatially confined environments) to large-area surveillance (swarm exploration, search and rescue).

A variety of considerations are taken into account when designing such robots. In robot geometry, utilizing wheel-based, leg-based, or nature-inspired locomotion for land-based robots; traditional propellers or fish-like motion in water-based robots; or fixed-wing and quadcopter arrangements in UAV applications, are all key choices for achieving successful motion across the required environment, in particular where terrain is difficult to traverse. Sensor systems need to monitor both the state of the robot and the surrounding environment whilst collecting and possibly processing the required data. Control looks to optimise navigation and may include programmed algorithms or AI-based learning. Efficient power sourcing, usage, and management looks to extend operational runtime. Communication systems can be problematic in remote situations, where important information must be relayed back to a base station. And, finally, fault tolerance needs to be considered, with a view to enabling continued operation despite failure in some systems.

This Special Issue will look at all aspects of autonomous exploration robotics covering land, sea, and air-based vehicles. Papers that include developments in any area of research related to autonomous robotics used for exploration are welcomed, with work involving practical implementation particularly encouraged.

Dr. John Hedley
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Robotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • robot design
  • sensor systems
  • control algorithms
  • artificial intelligence
  • power management
  • communications
  • swarm
  • fault tolerance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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23 pages, 844 KiB  
Article
Optimal Trajectory Tracking for Underactuated Systems via the Takagi–Sugeno Framework: An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Mission Case Study
by Georgios P. Kladis, Lefteris Doitsidis and Nikos C. Tsourveloudis
Robotics 2025, 14(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14040045 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 230
Abstract
Autonomy of underwater vehicles has become an imperative feature due to increasingly challenging deep sea mission scenarios. In particular, for trajectory-tracking problems of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), the use of Lyapunov theory tools in state-of-the-art methods is common practice. These often require special [...] Read more.
Autonomy of underwater vehicles has become an imperative feature due to increasingly challenging deep sea mission scenarios. In particular, for trajectory-tracking problems of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), the use of Lyapunov theory tools in state-of-the-art methods is common practice. These often require special assumptions, according to the application considered, and ‘intuition’ for the choice of a control law, which often leads to conservative results. This article suggests a systematic analysis for the horizontal motion of an AUV which ensures global asymptotic stability for the closed loop system. A nonlinear underactuated AUV system is considered with linear and angular velocity constraints. The Takagi–Sugeno (TS) framework design is adopted for the representation of the original nonlinear system. The control law is synthesised using the standard parallel distributed compensation (PDC) control law structure and stability is guaranteed for the closed loop system. The design criteria are posed as linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) where sufficient conditions for the design of the control law are shown. The proposed approach can be easily adopted for different types of autonomous vehicles with minor modifications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Autonomous Robotics for Exploration)
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31 pages, 9392 KiB  
Article
The Concept of Quantum Teleportation for Remote Control of a Car-like Mobile Robot
by Joslin Numbi, Nadjet Zioui and Mohamed Tadjine
Robotics 2025, 14(3), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14030025 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 547
Abstract
We describe a quantum teleportation protocol for exchanging data between a mobile robot and its control station. Because of the high cost of quantum network systems, we use MATLAB software to simulate the teleportation of data. Our simulation models the dynamic motion of [...] Read more.
We describe a quantum teleportation protocol for exchanging data between a mobile robot and its control station. Because of the high cost of quantum network systems, we use MATLAB software to simulate the teleportation of data. Our simulation models the dynamic motion of a car-like mobile robot (CLMR), considering its mass and inertia and the environmental viscosity. Our remote control method accurately reproduces a mathematical model of the CLMR’s real-world motion. The CLMR’s trajectory is represented by differential equations, with the velocity calculated using the Jacobian matrix. The velocity inputs are teleported from the control station to the CLMR, enabling it to move. Nevertheless, physical constraints cause the deviation of the robot’s trajectory from the predicted trajectory. To correct this deviation, the CLMR’s current position is teleported to the control station. Before implementing this protocol, we calculate the quantum teleportation circuit, and we use quantum gates in matrix form to simulate the data teleportation process. The protocol’s accuracy is assessed by comparing the original data and teleported data, and a good match is obtained. This study demonstrates the feasibility of quantum teleportation for remotely controlling real-time robotic systems over long distances and in environments that interfere with classical wireless communication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Autonomous Robotics for Exploration)
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19 pages, 3392 KiB  
Article
Tension-Aware Motion Planning for Tethered Robots
by Rogério R. Lima and Guilherme A. S. Pereira
Robotics 2025, 14(2), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics14020011 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 789
Abstract
This paper presents a path-planning approach for tethered robots. The proposed planner finds paths that minimize the tether tension due to tether–obstacle and tether–floor interaction. The method assumes that the tether is managed externally by a tether management system and pulled by the [...] Read more.
This paper presents a path-planning approach for tethered robots. The proposed planner finds paths that minimize the tether tension due to tether–obstacle and tether–floor interaction. The method assumes that the tether is managed externally by a tether management system and pulled by the robot. The planner is initially formulated for ground robots in a 2D environment and then extended for 3D scenarios, where it can be applied to tethered aerial and underwater vehicles. The proposed approach assumes a taut tether between two consecutive contact points and knowledge of the coefficient of friction of the obstacles present in the environment. The method first computes the visibility graph of the environment, in which each node represents a vertex of an obstacle. Then, a second graph, named the tension-aware graph, is built so that the tether–environment interaction, formulated in terms of tension, is computed and used as the cost of the edges. A graph search algorithm (e.g., Dijkstra) is then used to compute a path with minimum tension, which can help the tethered robot reach longer distances by minimizing the tension required to drag the tether along the way. This paper presents simulations and a real-world experiment that illustrate the characteristics of the method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Autonomous Robotics for Exploration)
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