Distributed Planning for Rigid Robot Formations using Consensus on the Transformation of a Base Configuration

TL;DR

This paper introduces a decentralized planning method enabling multi-robot formations to navigate cluttered environments while maintaining formation integrity, demonstrating computational efficiency and feasibility through simulation tests.

Contribution

A novel decentralized planning approach for rigid robot formations that ensures formation constraints and is computationally efficient for reactive multi-robot navigation.

Findings

Method guarantees formation constraints during navigation

Proven computational efficiency in simulation

Feasible for reactive planning in cluttered environments

Abstract

This paper presents a novel planning method that achieves navigation of multi-robot formations in cluttered environments, while maintaining the formation throughout the robots motion. The method utilises a decentralised approach to find feasible formation parameters that guarantees formation constraints for rigid formations. The method proves to be computationally efficient, making it relevant for reactive planning and control of multi-robot systems formation. The method has been tested in a simulation environment to prove feasibility and run-time efficiency.