Cooperative sweeping by multiple mobile robots

Abstract

In this paper, we propose an off-line planning algorithm for cooperative tasks of multiple mobile robots. Sweeping means a motion that a robot covers a 2-dimensional area by its effecter. Sweeping of a whole work area is fundamental and essential task of mobile robots. For efficient cooperation, setting appropriate burden onto each robot is very important because interference of robots and overlaps of their effecters make efficiency low. The cost of sweeping depends on both sweeping ability of a robot and a shape of a work area to be swept. Evaluation and distribution of the cost are most important issues. In the proposed algorithm, the cost is evaluated by means of length on which robot should move. We introduce both edges of the configuration space and Voronoi diagram so as to compute paths in the whole area. We generate the a tour for traversing all the paths by applying the algorithm of the Chinese Postman Problem. According to the cost evaluation, appropriate paths of the tour are assigned to each robot. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is verified by simulations and an experiment.

Multi-robot forest coverage

“…Furthermore, it looks very promising to combine the ideas behind MSTC and MFC, especially if several robots start in nearby small cells. We also intend to investigate ideas from other multi-robot coverage algorithms, such as [6] and [7].…”

On redundancy, efficiency, and robustness in coverage for multiple robots

“…A similar check is done for the opposite direction (lines 9-12). However, if the solution calls for moving bi-directionally, than the algorithm first checks which direction involves less movement, CCW (lines [13][14][15][16][17] or CW (18)(19)(20)(21)(22). In either case, the direction involving less movement is taken first, since it will be backtracked-over in the counter direction.…”

“…Kurbayashi et al [14] suggest an off-line centralized multi-robots coverage algorithm based on an exact cellular decomposition. However, no guarantees on robustness are provided.…”

Advances in Sea Coverage Methods Using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)

“…Choset (Choset, 2001) is stated as Multi-AUV coverage technique using a exact cell decomposition. Kurabayashi et al(Kurabayashi et al, 1996) suggest an off-line multirobot coverage strategy using a Voronoi diagram-like and boustrophedon approach. They define a cost function to pseudo-optimize the collective coverage task.…”