Ragobots scale frontier of strategy games

The wars of the future are becoming more real and closer to home
than ever before … for fantasy role players and tabletop
generals, that is.

A team of UCLA graduate students developed a system of robots
based on mobile sensor technology at UCLA’s Networked &
Embedded Systems Laboratory. The project, Real Action Gaming
Robots, or Ragobot, involves using a group of small sensor-equipped
robots to scale terrain and communicate in real time, as well as to
interact with users without technical training.

Jonathan Friedman, a graduate student researcher and a lead
project engineer in the Ragobot project, said Ragobot’s
“primary use is as a tool to educate people about (the field
of embedded sensor networks), drawing interest from
undergraduates.”

Additionally, it will serve to aid sensor-network researchers as
a testing tool for their sensor technology.

To generate appeal, the team first used the Ragobots to create a
game similar to tabletop strategy games such as Warcraft and
Warhammer.

“(Embedded sensor networks) share design constraints with
real-time strategy games. … It seemed interesting and fun to put
the concepts together,” Friedman said.

Much like tabletop games, in which players construct table-sized
playing fields and strategically placed armies, players will use a
computer interface to guide their Ragobots as they move across a
constructed terrain.

The sensors on the robots allow them to move to a point where
the player directs them, while still avoiding obstacles such as
rocks.

Friedman noted the importance of Ragobots in dealing with
multi-elevation environments ““ unlike many robots today that
only operate on flat surfaces, the Ragobots are made to move across
varied terrains and inclines, making them much more practical for
real-world application.

The team referred to strategy-games web communities in
developing some of the environments and rules for their game. These
enthusiasts proved helpful in creating battlefields for the game
that are fair to all players.

“The only difference between this and a video game is that
this is real action,” said David Lee, another lead engineer
on the Ragobot team.

Applications for the Ragobot project are not limited to gaming.
Other uses for the mobile sensor robots span the breadth of their
user’s imagination.

For example, the robots can be used as sensor webs, which are
networks of static sensors often used to monitor wildlife and
nature. An advantage Ragobots have over these traditional sensor
systems is that they are mobile.

Regular censors are produced to be inexpensive and easily
replaceable since they may be damaged or physically moved from
their posts. This can cause coverage gaps in a system, preventing
effective audit of an area.

A Ragobot, however, could return to its position if moved. Lee
gave the example that if a forest fire were approaching, rather
than having to wait for the fire to arrive to the sensor, a Ragobot
could approach it and relay information to a firefighter, thus
speeding the response.

Another possible use Lee and Friedman discussed was the use of
Ragobots by law enforcement. “Say for instance terrorists had
taken over a building, and the SWAT team needs to know what is
going on inside. They can deploy these robots to
investigate,” Lee said.

Due to their adaptability and configuration, the Ragobots could
be equipped with cameras and audio recording devices and sent
covertly into a ventilation shaft, securing vital information about
hostage status.