Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) Planner for Agricultural Robotics

Shankar Deka1 Sujet Phodapol2 Andreu Matoses Gimenez3 Victor Nan Fernandez-Ayala2 Rufus Cheuk Yin Wong2 Pian Yu4 Xiao Tan5 Dimos V. Dimarogonas2
1Aalto University 2KTH Royal Institute of Technology 3Delft University of Technology 4University of Oxford 5California Institute of Technology
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Robots in the vineyard in Rome

Work published in CASE 2024 as Enhancing Precision Agriculture through Human-In-The-Loop Planning and Control, see publications.

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a ROS based framework designed for the planning and control of robotic systems within the context of precision agriculture, with an emphasis on human-in-the-loop capabilities. Utilizing Linear Temporal Logic to articulate complex task specifications, our algorithm creates high-level robotic plans that are not only correct by design but also adaptable in real time by human operators. This dual-focus approach ensures that while humans have the flexibility to modify the high-level plan on-the-fly or even take over low-level control of the robots, the system inherently safeguards against any human actions that could potentially breach the predefined task specifications. We demonstrate our algorithm within the dynamic and challenging environment of a real vineyard, where the collaboration between human workers and robots is critical for tasks such as harvesting and pruning, and show the practical applicability and robustness of our software. This work marks a pioneering application of formal methods to complex, real-world agricultural environments.