VBMO: Voting-Based Multi-Objective Path Planning

TL;DR

VBMO is a novel voting-based multi-objective path planning algorithm that generates and evaluates plans without relying on hand-tuned weights or evolutionary methods, effectively balancing multiple objectives.

Contribution

It introduces a voting mechanism approach to multi-objective path planning that considers plan performance across objectives at each search step, avoiding traditional weighting or evolutionary techniques.

Findings

Efficiently produces plans satisfying multiple objectives.

Performs well in diverse and complex environments.

Uses three voting mechanisms: range, Borda, and combined approval.

Abstract

This paper presents VBMO, the Voting-Based Multi-Objective path planning algorithm, that generates optimal single-objective plans, evaluates each of them with respect to the other objectives, and selects one with a voting mechanism. VBMO does not use hand-tuned weights, consider the multiple objectives at every step of search, or use an evolutionary algorithm. Instead, it considers how a plan that is optimal in one objective may perform well with respect to others. VBMO incorporates three voting mechanisms: range, Borda, and combined approval. Extensive evaluation in diverse and complex environments demonstrates the algorithm's ability to efficiently produce plans that satisfy multiple objectives.