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\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n A Blockchain-Controlled Physical Robot Swarm Communicating via an Ad-Hoc Network.\n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n Pacheco, A.; Strobel, V.; and Dorigo, M.\n\n\n \n\n\n\n In Dorigo, M.; Stützle, T.; Blesa, M. J.; Blum, C.; Hamann, H.; Heinrich, M. K.; and
Strobel, V., editor(s),
Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Swarm Intelligence (ANTS 2020), volume 12421, of
LNCS, pages 3–15, Cham, Switzerland, 2020. Springer\n
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@InProceedings{PacStrDor2020:ants,\n author={Pacheco, Alexandre and Strobel, Volker and Dorigo, Marco},\n title={A Blockchain-Controlled Physical Robot Swarm Communicating via an Ad-Hoc Network},\n booktitle={Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Swarm Intelligence (ANTS 2020)},\n editor={Dorigo, Marco and St\\"{u}tzle, Thomas and Blesa, Maria J. and Blum, Christian and Hamann, Heiko and Heinrich, Mary Katherine and Strobel, Volker},\n year={2020},\n pages={3--15},\n series={LNCS},\n volume={12421},\n publisher={Springer}, \n address = {Cham, Switzerland}, \n doi={10.1007/978-3-030-60376-2_1},\n url_PDF = {https://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~vstrobel/articles/PacStrDor2020ants.pdf}, \n}\n\n\n
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\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Blockchain Technology Secures Robot Swarms: A Comparison of Consensus Protocols and Their Resilience to Byzantine Robots.\n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n Strobel, V.; Castelló Ferrer, E.; and Dorigo, M.\n\n\n \n\n\n\n
Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 7: 54. 2020.\n
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@article{StrCasDor2020:frontiers,\n author={Strobel, Volker and Castell\\'o Ferrer, Eduardo and Dorigo, Marco},\n title={Blockchain Technology Secures Robot Swarms: {A} Comparison of Consensus Protocols and Their Resilience to {B}yzantine Robots},\n journal={Frontiers in Robotics and AI},\n volume={7},\n pages={54},\n year={2020},\n url_PDF = {https://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~vstrobel/articles/StrCasDor2020frontiers.pdf},\n url={https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frobt.2020.00054},\n doi={10.3389/frobt.2020.00054},\n issn={2296-9144},\n abstract={Consensus achievement is a crucial capability for robot swarms, for example, for path selection, spatial aggregation, or collective sensing. However, the presence of malfunctioning and malicious robots (Byzantine robots) can make it impossible to achieve consensus using classical consensus protocols. In this work, we show how a swarm of robots can achieve consensus even in the presence of Byzantine robots by exploiting blockchain technology. Bitcoin and later blockchain frameworks, such as Ethereum, have revolutionized financial transactions. These frameworks are based on decentralized databases (blockchains) that can achieve secure consensus in peer-to-peer networks. We illustrate our approach in a collective sensing scenario where robots in a swarm are controlled via blockchain-based smart contracts (decentralized protocols executed via blockchain technology) that serve as “meta-controllers” and we compare it to state-of-the-art consensus protocols using a robot swarm simulator. Additionally, we show that our blockchain-based approach can prevent attacks where robots forge a large number of identities (Sybil attacks). The developed robot-blockchain interface is released as open-source software in order to facilitate future research in blockchain-controlled robot swarms. Besides increasing security, we expect the presented approach to be important for data analysis, digital forensics, and robot-to-robot financial transactions in robot swarms.}\n}\n\n\n
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\n Consensus achievement is a crucial capability for robot swarms, for example, for path selection, spatial aggregation, or collective sensing. However, the presence of malfunctioning and malicious robots (Byzantine robots) can make it impossible to achieve consensus using classical consensus protocols. In this work, we show how a swarm of robots can achieve consensus even in the presence of Byzantine robots by exploiting blockchain technology. Bitcoin and later blockchain frameworks, such as Ethereum, have revolutionized financial transactions. These frameworks are based on decentralized databases (blockchains) that can achieve secure consensus in peer-to-peer networks. We illustrate our approach in a collective sensing scenario where robots in a swarm are controlled via blockchain-based smart contracts (decentralized protocols executed via blockchain technology) that serve as “meta-controllers” and we compare it to state-of-the-art consensus protocols using a robot swarm simulator. Additionally, we show that our blockchain-based approach can prevent attacks where robots forge a large number of identities (Sybil attacks). The developed robot-blockchain interface is released as open-source software in order to facilitate future research in blockchain-controlled robot swarms. Besides increasing security, we expect the presented approach to be important for data analysis, digital forensics, and robot-to-robot financial transactions in robot swarms.\n
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\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n MyPDDL: Tools for Efficiently Creating PDDL Domains and Problems.\n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n Strobel, V.; and Kirsch, A.\n\n\n \n\n\n\n In Vallati, M.; and Kitchin, D., editor(s),
Knowledge Engineering Tools and Techniques for AI Planning, pages 67–90. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, 2020.\n
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@incollection{StrKir2020:bookchapter,\n title="{MyPDDL}: Tools for Efficiently Creating {PDDL} Domains and Problems",\n author="Strobel, Volker and Kirsch, Alexandra",\n editor="Vallati, Mauro and Kitchin, Diane",\n booktitle="Knowledge Engineering Tools and Techniques for AI Planning",\n year="2020",\n publisher="Springer",\n address="Cham, Switzerland",\n pages="67--90",\n abstract="The Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL) is the state-of-the-art language for specifying planning problems in artificial intelligence research. Writing and maintaining these planning problems, however, can be time-consuming and error- prone. To address this issue, we present myPDDL---a modular toolkit for developing and manipulating PDDL domains and problems. To evaluate myPDDL, we compare its features to existing knowledge engineering tools for PDDL. In a user test, we additionally assess two of its modules, namely the syntax highlighting feature and the type diagram generator. The users of syntax highlighting detected 36{\\%} more errors than non-users in an erroneous domain file. The average time on task for questions on a PDDL type hierarchy was reduced by 48{\\%} when making the type diagram generator available. This implies that myPDDL can support knowledge engineers well in the PDDL design and analysis process.",\n isbn="978-3-030-38561-3",\n url_PDF = {https://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~vstrobel/articles/StrKir2020bookchapter.pdf}, \n url="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38561-3_4",\n doi="10.1007/978-3-030-38561-3_4",\n\n}\n\n
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\n The Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL) is the state-of-the-art language for specifying planning problems in artificial intelligence research. Writing and maintaining these planning problems, however, can be time-consuming and error- prone. To address this issue, we present myPDDL—a modular toolkit for developing and manipulating PDDL domains and problems. To evaluate myPDDL, we compare its features to existing knowledge engineering tools for PDDL. In a user test, we additionally assess two of its modules, namely the syntax highlighting feature and the type diagram generator. The users of syntax highlighting detected 36% more errors than non-users in an erroneous domain file. The average time on task for questions on a PDDL type hierarchy was reduced by 48% when making the type diagram generator available. This implies that myPDDL can support knowledge engineers well in the PDDL design and analysis process.\n
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\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n A Framework for Swarm Robotics Experimentation with Pi-puck Robots and an Ethereum-based Blockchain.\n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n Pacheco, A.; Strobel, V.; and Dorigo, M.\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Technical Report TR/IRIDIA/2020-001, IRIDIA, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, February 2020.\n
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@techreport{PacStrDor2020:techreport-001,\n author={Alexandre Pacheco and Volker Strobel and Marco Dorigo},\n title={A Framework for Swarm Robotics Experimentation with Pi-puck Robots and an Ethereum-based Blockchain},\n institution={IRIDIA, Universit{\\'e} Libre de Bruxelles},\n year={2020},\n number={TR/IRIDIA/2020-001},\n address={Brussels, Belgium},\n month={February},\n url_PDF={https://iridia.ulb.ac.be/IridiaTrSeries/link/IridiaTr2020-001.pdf},\n url={http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/IridiaTrSeries/history.php?tryear=2020&trsnum=001} \n}\n\n
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