The Application Of Discrete-event Simulation For Demining Strategy Evaluation
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Abstract
Teams of mobile autonomous robots have been proposed for the detection and clearing of landmines. Several competing strategies for automated mine detection have been proposed. This paper will discuss the development of a tool that will support the quantitative analysis of various automated mine detection approaches used in Humanitarian Demining and Military Mine Field Breaching. The approaches used to model mine detection in a scout, breaching, and Humanitarian Demining scenario using a discrete-event simulation analysis tool are discussed. The model assumes that each UGV is autonomous rather than being directly controlled by a centralized command and control system. The algorithm used to drive a single UGV along a simulated breach path is presented. An alternative algorithm set is also proposed for the control of a coordinated team of UGV's. The extension of the tool to support humanitarian mine clearing and the use of multiple waves of automated mine detectors are also presented. A simulation system constructed on the WITNESS® discrete-event simulation package will be shown. This paper simulates the motion of multiple robots through a mock minefield containing mines and obstacles that limit the motion of the autonomous vehicles.