Abstract
NASA is studying advanced technologies for a future robotic exploration mission to the asteroid belt. This mission, the prospective ANTS (Autonomous Nano Technology Swarm) mission, will comprise of 1,000 autonomous robotic agents designed to cooperate in asteroid exploration. The emergent properties of swarm type missions make them powerful, but at the same time are more difficult to design and assure that the proper behaviors will emerge. We are currently investigating formal methods and techniques for verification and validation of future swarm-based missions. The advantage of using formal methods is their ability to mathematically assure the behavior of a swarm, emergent or otherwise. The ANT mission is being used as an example and case study for swarm-based missions for which to experiment and test current formal methods with intelligent swarms. Using the ANTS mission, we have evaluated multiple formal methods to determine their effectiveness in modeling and assuring swarm behavior.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 231-238 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, ICECCS |
| Publication status | Published - 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Proceedings - Ninth IEEE International Conference on Engineering Complex Computer System: Navigating Complexity in the e-Engineering Age, ICECCS 2004 - Florence, Italy Duration: 14 Apr 2004 → 16 Apr 2004 |