Robust and self-repairing formation control for swarms of mobile agents

Jimming Cheng, Winston Cheng, Radhika Nagpal

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe a decentralized algorithm for coordinating a swarm of identically-programmed mobile agents to spatially self-aggregate into arbitrary shapes using only local interactions. Our approach, called SHAPEBUGS, generates a consensus coordinate system by agents continually performing local trilaterations, and achieves shape formation by simultaneously allowing agents to disperse within the defined 2D shape using a Contained Gas Model. This approach has several novel features (1) agents can easily aggregate into arbitrary user-specified shapes, using a formation process that is independent of the number of agents (2) the system automatically adapts to influx and death of agents, as well as accidental displacement. We show that the consensus coordinate system is robust and provides reasonable accuracy in the face of significant sensor and movement error.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages59-64
Number of pages6
StatePublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes
Event20th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the 17th Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence Conference, AAAI-05/IAAI-05 - Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Duration: Jul 9 2005Jul 13 2005

Conference

Conference20th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the 17th Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence Conference, AAAI-05/IAAI-05
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPittsburgh, PA
Period7/9/057/13/05

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence

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