Synchronous robotic networks and complexity of control and communication laws

TL;DR

This paper introduces a formal framework for robotic networks, analyzing control and communication laws, and evaluates basic coordination algorithms like pursuit and rendezvous within this model.

Contribution

It provides a novel formal model combining distributed computation, robotics, and control theory to analyze the complexity of control and communication in robotic networks.

Findings

Defined notions of robotic network, control, and communication laws

Analyzed complexity of pursuit, rendezvous, and deployment algorithms

Established relationships between control laws and coordination task complexity

Abstract

This paper proposes a formal model for a network of robotic agents that move and communicate. Building on concepts from distributed computation, robotics and control theory, we define notions of robotic network, control and communication law, coordination task, and time and communication complexity. We then analyze a number of basic motion coordination algorithms such as pursuit, rendezvous and deployment.