SVan: A Mobile Hub as a Field Robotics Development and Deployment Platform

TL;DR

SVAN introduces a mobile robotics hub that integrates power, communication, computation, and telepresence to enable efficient, on-site management of multi-domain robot teams for environmental missions. The paper details the mechanical retrofit of a Hyundai Staria van, a flexible software networking stack based on ROS 2 and VPN, and a hardware ensemble including underwater, aerial, and terrestrial robots, plus two tactile manipulators. Field insights highlight practical challenges and operational guidelines, culminating in a set of lessons learned that inform robust field deployment. The work offers a scalable infrastructure blueprint for environmental robotics, while acknowledging remaining gaps in autonomous deployment and hardware transport for tactile systems.

Abstract

As robotics becomes increasingly vital for environmental protection, there is a growing need for effective deployment methods that match the pace of robotics innovation. Current strategies often fall short, leaving a gap between the potential of robotics and their practical application in the field. Addressing this challenge, we introduce a mobile hub concept designed to provide the necessary infrastructure and support for deploying a diverse, multi-domain robot team effectively. This paper presents the development and insights into `SVAN' (Synchronous Team-Robot Van), a prototype of our mobile hub concept. We delve into the mechanical construction and software setup of SVAN, offering a comprehensive overview of its capabilities and design considerations. Further, we discuss the hardware specifications and share valuable lessons learned during the prototype's development and deployment. In addition to this paper, an accepted video complements our exploration by depicting SVAN in its envisioned role as an environmental guardian, highlighting its potential in ecological monitoring and preservation. Furthermore, our discussion is enriched by referencing a previously accepted paper detailing a novel methodology for continuous UAV mission cycling enabled by a mobile hub like SVAN. These accompanying works underscore our contribution towards addressing the existing gaps in robot deployment strategies, presenting a scalable and efficient framework to overcome operational challenges in environmental robotics.

Figures (10)

• Figure 1: Our SVan demonstrator with supported robots in three domains. This mobile hub provides the entire infrastructure to perform multi-robot missions, including remote telepresence connections.
• Figure 2: The SVAN concept includes the provision of a wide range of resources, infrastructure and capabilities, all by a single vehicle.
• Figure 3: The hub concept supports missions by autonomously keeping UAVs in the air, cycling them between takeoff, mission, landing and maintenance.
• Figure 4: Trash detection in video feed as an example of edge AI provided by the hub as an extension of robot capabilities.
• Figure 5: Multi-domain robots (top row) with corresponding user interfaces (bottom row). The left shows a land robot that is collecting trash. It can be used remotely via e.g. a smartphone. On the right an underwater robot can e.g. deploy buoys or also collect trash. The middle shows a UAV as supporting unit.