A Multi Agent Distributed Host to Host to Robot Real-Time Communication Environment

In this paper we present a communication environment developed for host and robot cooperation. It is a socket based communication and message exchange protocol, that allows the dialogue between hosts, manipulators, mobile bases, and any other device connected on the network. The protocol allows the transmission of a wide range of messages: from high level messages as target positions, to the closure of the servo control loops of the manipulators. The network is completely TCP-IP based: the mobile bases are seen as standard units on the network and the radio-links are kept using the Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP). Any unit connected is characterized by an unique internet address. The choose of tcp-ip is founded on it’s diffusion and it’s simplicity of use. Like many packet communication protocols, different speed of communication (high speed on coaxial ethernet cable, low rate on serial radio link) can coexist on the same net. Any host can exchange messages with any robot, and also robot to robot communication is allowed.