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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.