Robust Multi-robot Team Formations Using Weighted Voting Games

We consider the problem of distributed multi-robot team formation including the dynamic reconfiguration of robot teams after encountering obstacles. We describe a distributed robot team reconfiguration algorithm, DYN-REFORM, that uses a game-theoretic technique of team formation called weighted voting games(WVGs) along with a flocking-based formation control mechanism. DYNREFORM works without explicit knowledge of global features such as the presence of obstacles in the environment or the number and location of all other robots in the system. It uses the locally computed metrics of each robot in the team to determine whether a team needs to split or two teams need to merge during reconfiguration. We have tested team reconfiguration using the DYN-REFORM algorithm experimentally within the Webots simulator using teams of e-puck robots of different sizes and with different obstacle geometries. We have also shown that using robots coordinated with the DYN-REFORM algorithm for a distributed area-coverage application improves the coverage performance.

[1]  Craig W. Reynolds.  Flocks, herds, and schools: a distributed behavioral model , 1987, SIGGRAPH.

[2]  Roger B. Myerson,et al.  Game theory - Analysis of Conflict , 1991 .

[3]  Tucker R. Balch,et al.  Behavior-based formation control for multirobot teams , 1998, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[4]  Maja J. Mataric,et al.  A general algorithm for robot formations using local sensing and minimal communication , 2002, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[5]  Erol Sahin,et al.  A review: Pattern formation and adaptation in multirobot systems , 2003 .

[6]  Meng Ji,et al.  A Graph-Theoretic Characterization of Controllability for Multi-agent Systems , 2007, 2007 American Control Conference.

[7]  Gal A. Kaminka,et al.  Using Sensor Morphology for Multirobot Formations , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[8]  Nikolaus Correll,et al.  Collaborative coverage using a swarm of networked miniature robots , 2009, Robotics Auton. Syst..

[9]  Magnus Egerstedt,et al.  Automatic Generation of Persistent Formations for Multi-agent Networks Under Range Constraints , 2007, Mob. Networks Appl..

[10]  Yi Wang,et al.  Distributed area coverage using robot flocks , 2009, 2009 World Congress on Nature & Biologically Inspired Computing (NaBIC).

[11]  Erol Sahin,et al.  To flock or not to flock: the pros and cons of flocking in long-range "migration" of mobile robot swarms , 2009, AAMAS.

[12]  Prithviraj Dasgupta,et al.  Weighted voting game based multi-robot team formation for distributed area coverage , 2010, PCAR '10.

[13]  Alcherio Martinoli,et al.  Graph based distributed control of non-holonomic vehicles endowed with local positioning information engaged in escorting missions , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.