Automation and Robotics Research Group
Welcome to the website of the SnT Automation & Robotics Research Group (SnT ARG) led by Prof. Holger Voos. The group was founded in 2012 and has two main research directions:
The knowledge that an intelligent and autonomous mobile robot has and is able to acquire of itself and the environment, namely the situation, limits its reasoning, decision-making, and execution skills to efficiently and safely perform complex missions. Situational awareness is a basic capability of humans that has been deeply studied in fields like Psychology, Military, Aerospace, Education, etc., but it has barely been considered in robotics, which has focused on ideas such as sensing, perception, sensor fusion, state estimation, localization and mapping, spatial AI, etc. In our research, we connected the broad multidisciplinary existing knowledge on situational awareness with its counterpart in mobile robotics.
One of the group’s primary research areas is the development of mobile robots for autonomous navigation. The group aims to create robots that can move through challenging environments, such as rough terrain or crowded spaces, using advanced planning and control strategies. These robots are designed to be equipped with sensors and algorithms that enable them to make decisions and respond to changes in their surroundings in real-time.
Another focus area of the group is the development of multi-robot systems. The researchers are working on developing algorithms and control systems that enable groups of robots to collaborate and work together to achieve a common goal. These systems are designed to be scalable and flexible, allowing them to adapt to various scenarios and environments.
The group also conducts research on human-robot interaction, developing robots that can communicate with humans effectively. This research aims to create robots that are intuitive to use and that can effectively interact with humans, including those with disabilities or special needs.