This project is about the use of Artificial Intelligence for the detection of explosive devices. The armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria have seen a dramatic rise in the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines by adversaries. In operations in those countries, 50% of soldier deaths in action are directly related to IEDs.
AIDED will use a set of state of the art Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms able to identify unconventional (IEDs) and conventional (buried mines) explosive devices, and autonomously plan offline and run-time missions plans. It will also provide positioning, navigation and mapping to control a fleet of robots that cooperate quickly to identify a safe passage in a high-risk area.
Project Publications
2025
- E. Maroulis, D. Hawari, K. Hasselmann, E. {Le Flécher}, and G. {De cubber}, “Experimental Evaluation of Roadmap-Based Map Generation with Continuous-Time Conflict-Based Search for Multi-Agent Pathfinding," IEEE International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents, ICARA, p. 380–387, 2025.
[BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [DOI]
This article presents an experimental evaluation of a Multi-Agent Pathfinding (MAPF) approach for large-scale robotic fleets operating in diverse outdoor environments. We generated three distinct types of roadmap graphs: Constrained Delaunay Triangulation (CDT), Voronoi Diagram (VD), and Grid-derived from an obstacle file, and assessed their quality using metrics obtained from graph theory. Then, the performance of the Continuous-time Conflict-Based Search (CCBS) algorithm was evaluated across three different environmental maps, considering practical performance metrics including makespan and failure rate. Subsequently, the roadmap generation methods were ranked based on CCBS performance in similar scenarios using the Friedman statistical test. The results indicate that CDT outperforms both VD and Grid maps, even though it does not exhibit the best graph metrics in many environments. CDT’s superior performance is attributed to its enhanced interconnectedness and the availability of multiple pathways, as evidenced by its balanced metrics and structural properties. We show that CDT is the most efficient and reliable roadmap generation technique for multiagent systems under our experimental conditions making it a preferred choice for robust pathfinding.
@article{34774d01cc3341398188fc8353028be2, title = "Experimental Evaluation of Roadmap-Based Map Generation with Continuous-Time Conflict-Based Search for Multi-Agent Pathfinding", abstract = "This article presents an experimental evaluation of a Multi-Agent Pathfinding (MAPF) approach for large-scale robotic fleets operating in diverse outdoor environments. We generated three distinct types of roadmap graphs: Constrained Delaunay Triangulation (CDT), Voronoi Diagram (VD), and Grid-derived from an obstacle file, and assessed their quality using metrics obtained from graph theory. Then, the performance of the Continuous-time Conflict-Based Search (CCBS) algorithm was evaluated across three different environmental maps, considering practical performance metrics including makespan and failure rate. Subsequently, the roadmap generation methods were ranked based on CCBS performance in similar scenarios using the Friedman statistical test. The results indicate that CDT outperforms both VD and Grid maps, even though it does not exhibit the best graph metrics in many environments. CDT's superior performance is attributed to its enhanced interconnectedness and the availability of multiple pathways, as evidenced by its balanced metrics and structural properties. We show that CDT is the most efficient and reliable roadmap generation technique for multiagent systems under our experimental conditions making it a preferred choice for robust pathfinding.", keywords = "Measurement , Automation , Reliability theory , Graph theory , Path planning , Robots , Multi-agent systems", author = "Emmanouil Maroulis and Danial Hawari and Ken Hasselmann and {Le Fl{\'e}cher}, Emile and {De cubber}, Geert", year = "2025", month = may, day = "5", doi = "10.1109/ICARA64554.2025.10977707", language = "English", pages = "380--387", journal = "IEEE International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents, ICARA", issn = "2767-7745", url = "https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10977707", unit= {meca-ras}, project= {CUGS, ANIMUS, AIDEDEX, CONVOY} }
2024
- Z. Chekakta, N. Aouf, S. Govindaraj, F. Polisano, and G. De Cubber, “Towards Learning-Based Distributed Task Allocation Approach for Multi-Robot System," in 2024 10th International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications (ICARA), 2024, pp. 34-39.
[BibTeX] [DOI]@INPROCEEDINGS{10553196, author={Chekakta, Zakaria and Aouf, Nabil and Govindaraj, Shashank and Polisano, Fabio and De Cubber, Geert}, booktitle={2024 10th International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications (ICARA)}, title={Towards Learning-Based Distributed Task Allocation Approach for Multi-Robot System}, year={2024}, volume={}, number={}, pages={34-39}, keywords={Sequential analysis;Automation;Accuracy;Robot kinematics;Prediction algorithms;Approximation algorithms;Resource management;Task Allocation;Multirobot System;Distributed Algorithms;Graph Convolutional Neural Networks}, doi={10.1109/ICARA60736.2024.10553196}, unit= {meca-ras}, project= {AIDED} } - K. Hasselmann, M. Malizia, R. Caballero, F. Polisano, S. Govindaraj, J. Stigler, O. Ilchenko, M. Bajic, and G. De Cubber, “A multi-robot system for the detection of explosive devices," in “IEEE ICRA Workshop on Field Robotics", 2024.
[BibTeX] [Download PDF] [DOI]@inproceedings{Hasselmannetal2024ICRAWSFRO, doi = {10.48550/ARXIV.2404.14167}, url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.14167}, booktitle = {"IEEE ICRA Workshop on Field Robotics"}, author = {Hasselmann, Ken and Malizia, Mario and Caballero, Rafael and Polisano, Fabio and Govindaraj, Shashank and Stigler, Jakob and Ilchenko, Oleksii and Bajic, Milan and De Cubber, Geert}, title = {A multi-robot system for the detection of explosive devices}, year = {2024}, unit= {meca-ras}, project= {AIDED, AIDEDEX} } - M. Kegeleirs, D. G. Ramos, K. Hasselmann, L. Garattoni, G. Francesca, and M. Birattari, “Transferability in the automatic off-line design of robot swarms: from sim-to-real to embodiment and design-method transfer across different platforms," IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2024.
[BibTeX] [Download PDF] [DOI]@article{kegeleirs2024transferability, title={Transferability in the automatic off-line design of robot swarms: from sim-to-real to embodiment and design-method transfer across different platforms}, author={Kegeleirs, Miquel and Ramos, David Garz{\'o}n and Hasselmann, Ken and Garattoni, Lorenzo and Francesca, Gianpiero and Birattari, Mauro}, journal={IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters}, year={2024}, doi={https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2024.3360013}, url={https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10416330}, publisher={IEEE}, unit= {meca-ras}, project= {AIDEDEX} }
2023
- G. De Cubber, E. Le Flécher, A. La Grappe, E. Ghisoni, E. Maroulis, P. Ouendo, D. Hawari, and D. Doroftei, “Dual Use Security Robotics: A Demining, Resupply and Reconnaissance Use Case," in IEEE International Conference on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics, 2023.
[BibTeX] [Download PDF]@inproceedings{ssrr2023decubber, title={Dual Use Security Robotics: A Demining, Resupply and Reconnaissance Use Case}, author={De Cubber, Geert and Le Flécher, Emile and La Grappe, Alexandre and Ghisoni, Enzo and Maroulis, Emmanouil and Ouendo, Pierre-Edouard and Hawari, Danial and Doroftei, Daniela}, booktitle={IEEE International Conference on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics}, editors ={Kimura, Tetsuya}, publisher = {IEEE}, year = {2023}, vol = {1}, project = {AIDED, iMUGs, CUGS}, location = {Fukushima, Japan}, unit= {meca-ras}, doi = {}, url={https://mecatron.rma.ac.be/pub/2023/SSRR2023-DeCubber.pdf} } - E. Ghisoni, S. Govindaraj, A. M. C. Faul{‘i}, G. De Cubber, F. Polisano, N. Aouf, D. Rondao, Z. Chekakta, and B. de Waard, “Multi-agent system and AI for Explosive Ordnance Disposal," in 19th International Symposium Mine Action, 2023, p. 26.
[BibTeX] [Download PDF]@inproceedings{ghisonimulti, title={Multi-agent system and AI for Explosive Ordnance Disposal}, author={Ghisoni, Enzo and Govindaraj, Shashank and Faul{\'\i}, Ana Mar{\'\i}a Casado and De Cubber, Geert and Polisano, Fabio and Aouf, Nabil and Rondao, Duarte and Chekakta, Zakaria and de Waard, Bob}, booktitle={19th International Symposium Mine Action}, publisher = {CEIA}, year = {2023}, project = {AIDED}, location = {Croatia}, unit= {meca-ras}, url={https://www.ctro.hr/userfiles/files/MINE-ACTION-2023_.pdf}, pages={26} }
2022
- E. Ghisoni and G. De Cubber, “AIDED: Robotics & Artificial Intelligence for Explosive Ordnance Disposal," in International Workshop on Robotics for risky interventions and Environmental Surveillance-Maintenance (VRISE), Les Bons Villers, Belgium, 2022.
[BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
This paper presents an overview of the AIDED project on AI for IED detection.
@InProceedings{ghisoni2022a, author = {Ghisoni, Enzo and De Cubber, Geert}, booktitle = {International Workshop on Robotics for risky interventions and Environmental Surveillance-Maintenance (VRISE)}, title = {AIDED: Robotics & Artificial Intelligence for Explosive Ordnance Disposal}, year = {2022}, month = jun, organization = {IMEKO}, publisher = {IMEKO}, address = {Les Bons Villers, Belgium}, url = {https://www.ici-belgium.be/registration-and-program-vrise2022-june-7/}, abstract = {This paper presents an overview of the AIDED project on AI for IED detection.}, project = {AIDED}, unit= {meca-ras} }
2021
- Y. Baudoin, G. De Cubber, and E. Cepolina, “Mobile Robots Supporting Risky Interventions, Humanitarian actions and Demining, in particular the promising DISARMADILLO Tool," in Proceedings of TC17-VRISE2021 – A VIRTUAL Topical Event of Technical Committee on Measurement and Control of Robotics (TC17), International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO), Theme: “Robotics for Risky Interventions and Environmental Surveillance", Houston, TX, USA, 2021, pp. 5-6.
[BibTeX] [Download PDF]@INPROCEEDINGS{knvrise, author={Baudoin, Yvan and De Cubber, Geert and Cepolina, Emanuela}, booktitle={Proceedings of TC17-VRISE2021 - A VIRTUAL Topical Event of Technical Committee on Measurement and Control of Robotics (TC17), International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO), Theme: "Robotics for Risky Interventions and Environmental Surveillance"}, title={Mobile Robots Supporting Risky Interventions, Humanitarian actions and Demining, in particular the promising DISARMADILLO Tool}, year={2021}, volume={}, number={}, pages={5-6}, url={https://mecatron.rma.ac.be/pub/2021/TC17-VRISE2021-Abstract%20Proceedings.pdf}, project={AIDED, Alphonse, MarSur, SSAVE, MarLand, iMUGs, ICARUS, TIRAMISU}, publisher={IMEKO}, address={Houston, TX, USA}, month=oct, unit= {meca-ras} }