Robotic Routers: Algorithms and Implementation

Mobile robots equipped with wireless networking capabilities can act as robotic routers and provide network connectivity to mobile users. Robotic routers provide cost-efficient solutions for the deployment of a wireless network in a large environment with a limited number of users. In this paper, we present motion planning algorithms for robotic routers to maintain the connectivity of a single user to a base station. We consider two motion models for the user. In the first model, the user’s motion is known in advance. In the second model, the user moves in an adversarial fashion and tries to break the connectivity. We present optimal motion planning strategies for both models. We also present details of a proof-of-concept implementation.