Some applications of distributed estimation and control

Raffaello D'Andrea is Professor of Dynamic Systems and Control at ETH Zurich and Technical Co-Founder of Kiva Systems, a company that develops adaptive and self-configuring warehouse automation systems using hundreds of networked, mobile robots.
Also a creator of dynamic sculpture, he has shown his work at international venues including the Venice Biennale, the Luminato Festival, Ars Electronica, and ideaCity; two of his pieces are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada.

In this talk I will discuss several applications of distributed estimation and control:  Kiva Systems, a company that uses hundreds of mobile robots to move inventory in distribution facilities; the Balancing Cube, a structure that can balance on any one of its edges or corners using six rotating mechanisms on the cube's inner faces; the Distributed Flight Array, a flying platform consisting of multiple autonomous single propeller vehicles that are able to drive, dock with their peers, and fly in a coordinated fashion; the Flying Machine Arena, a research-driven airspace where vehicles teach themselves -- and each other -- how to fly.