Abstract
Mobile robot swarms are attractive for their cost efficiency, scalability and versatility in solving complex tasks through decentralized cooperation. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising coordination layer for such systems, offering decentralized consensus together with tamper-resistant, accountable data storage. However, existing blockchain consensus mechanisms were designed for relatively stable computer networks and perform poorly in the highly dynamic, fragmented topologies of moving swarms.
In this talk, I present Connectivity-aware Proof-of-Authority (C-PoA), an extension of Proof-of-Authority that chooses which robot creates the next block based on its recent network connectivity rather than a fixed rotation. In simulated robot swarms under varying network dynamics, C-PoA is benchmarked against Proof-of-Authority, Proof-of-Work, and a randomized control protocol (R-PoA). The results show that C-PoA reaches consensus faster without weakening resistance to takeover by a colluding minority of robots and that this gain comes specifically from connectivity-based selection rather than randomization alone. The improvement does not, however, escape blockchain's characteristic degradation as swarms grow, and I will discuss what further investigation is needed before real-world deployment.
About the speaker
Donatien Leray is currently finishing his Bachelor's degree and will continue with his Master's studies in Computer Science at the University of Konstanz, with a focus on robotics. He completed his Bachelor's thesis under the supervision of Andreagiovanni Reina and Alexandre Pacheco. Alongside his studies, he works as a tutor and is actively engaged in student representation at the university. He has served on various committees and is an active member of the Computer Science student council, which he presided over for several years. He also enriches student life by organising and overseeing social events and student societies.