An Iterative Approach for Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Route Planning with Resource Transportation Uncertainty and Temporal Logic Goals

TL;DR

This paper introduces an iterative planning method for heterogeneous multi-agent teams to efficiently execute resource transportation missions with temporal logic goals in uncertain environments, balancing exploration and task execution.

Contribution

The paper proposes a novel iterative algorithm that dynamically balances exploration and task fulfillment for multi-agent route planning under resource uncertainty using CaTL.

Findings

Effective in simulated case studies

Balances exploration and exploitation efficiently

Handles complex resource and temporal constraints

Abstract

This paper presents an iterative approach for heterogeneous multi-agent route planning in environments with unknown resource distributions. We focus on a team of robots with diverse capabilities tasked with executing missions specified using Capability Temporal Logic (CaTL), a formal framework built on Signal Temporal Logic to handle spatial, temporal, capability, and resource constraints. The key challenge arises from the uncertainty in the initial distribution and quantity of resources in the environment. To address this, we introduce an iterative algorithm that dynamically balances exploration and task fulfillment. Robots are guided to explore the environment, identifying resource locations and quantities while progressively refining their understanding of the resource landscape. At the same time, they aim to maximally satisfy the mission objectives based on the current information, adapting their strategies as new data is uncovered. This approach provides a robust solution for planning in dynamic, resource-constrained environments, enabling efficient coordination of heterogeneous teams even under conditions of uncertainty. Our method's effectiveness and performance are demonstrated through simulated case studies.