Message Expiration-Based Distributed Multi-Robot Task Management

TL;DR

This paper introduces a distributed multi-robot task management method that uses message expiration and timestamp validation to dynamically assign tasks and resolve conflicts during disconnections, validated through simulations.

Contribution

It proposes a novel message expiration-based validation approach for distributed multi-robot task assignment that does not rely on prior assignment information.

Findings

Successfully validated through Robotarium simulations

Effectively manages task conflicts during disconnections

Demonstrates robustness of the approach in dynamic scenarios

Abstract

Distributed task assignment for multiple agents raises fundamental and novel control theory and robotics problems. A new challenge is the development of distributed algorithms that dynamically assign tasks to multiple agents, not relying on prior assignment information. This work presents a distributed method for multi-robot task management based on a message expiration-based validation approach. Our approach handles the conflicts caused by a disconnection in the distributed multi-robot system by using distance-based and timestamp-based measurements to validate the task allocation for each robot. Simulation experiments in the Robotarium simulator platform have verified the validity of the proposed approach.