Operator commanding a team of drones

SDU · AAU · Virginia Tech · Tohoku · Robotto

Natural-Language Assisted
Multirobot Control

Enabling a single operator to command autonomous aerial and ground robot fleets through intuitive, real-time natural speech.

Live Demonstration

From Natural Speech to Coordinated Swarm Flight

Spoken Intent Translation

Hierarchical LLM multi-agent reasoning translates high-level tactical voice instructions into executable drone waypoints.

Closed-Loop Safety Gate

Every AI-generated mission passes state-machine verification and collision checks before any rotor spins.

Heterogeneous Air–Ground Teams

Seamlessly couples high-altitude UAV search patterns with ground rover (UGV) payload and victim rescue logistics.

Research Focus

Core Scientific Pillars

Human–Robot Teaming

Designing conversational interfaces that drastically reduce cognitive load in fast-evolving disaster and wilderness rescue missions.

LLM-MAS Planning & Dual RAG

Hierarchical multi-agent reasoning paired with Feature & State RAG memory for scalable coordination from 5 to 500 autonomous agents.

Field-Tested SAR Deployment

Full-scale experimental validation with emergency responders, thermal geolocation, and simulated wilderness search benchmarks.

Latest Breakthroughs

Verified Field Research

All Publications →

Research Team

Investigators & Collaborators

Prof. Anders Lyhne Christensen

Prof. Anders Lyhne Christensen

Project PI · SDU

Multirobot systems, autonomous swarm coordination, and evolutionary robotics.

Assoc. Prof. Timothy Merritt

Assoc. Prof. Timothy Merritt

Co-PI · AAU

Human-drone interaction, conversational AI interfaces, and human-AI teaming.

Alejandro Jarabo Peñas

Alejandro Jarabo Peñas

Lead Researcher · SDU

LLM multi-agent system architecture, natural language planning, and field robotics.

Assoc. Prof. Nathan Lau

Assoc. Prof. Nathan Lau

Collaborator · Virginia Tech

Human factors engineering, ecological interfaces, and situational awareness.

Prof. Satoshi Tadokoro

Prof. Satoshi Tadokoro

Advisor · Tohoku University

World-renowned pioneer in disaster robotics and search & rescue field systems.

CEO Kenneth Geipel

CEO Kenneth Geipel

Industry Partner · Robotto

Autonomous UAV solutions for search & rescue, firefighting, and environmental monitoring.