Resilient Multi-Robot Coverage Path Redistribution Using Boustrophedon Decomposition for Environmental Monitoring
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- We introduce a task redistribution framework, applying the concept of propagation to BCD-based multi-robot coverage technology, ensuring balanced coverage even in the event of robot failure, and propose a new algorithm.
- We validate the performance of our approach through simulations in various environments, ranging from obstacle-rich to open spaces, and demonstrate that the propagation process leads to equalized task distribution over time.
2. Related Work
3. Problem Description
3.1. Key Assumptions and Requirements
- It is assumed that the BCD algorithm generates collision-free and non-overlapping paths for each robot. The paths are divided based on the sensing range of the robots, ensuring that each robot can efficiently cover its assigned area.
- Robots may experience unexpected failures during the mission, and these failures result in unmonitored areas. The failed robot has neighboring robots capable of absorbing the additional coverage tasks.
- These neighboring robots are determined based on their spatial proximity to , and they form an adjacency structure that facilitates the redistribution process.
- Redistribution aims to minimize the variance in the workload across the remaining robots. This involves ensuring that the additional coverage responsibilities are allocated in proportion to each robot’s current task load and their proximity to the failed robot’s path.
- It is assumed that each robot can dynamically adjust its path to absorb new coverage tasks without significantly deviating from its original path plan.
- The proposed solution leverages a propagation-based approach [1], where redistribution starts with the nearest neighboring robots and progressively extends to more distant robots if necessary. This ensures that the additional workload is not concentrated on a single robot, maintaining a balanced task distribution.
- It is assumed that the robots have a reliable communication mechanism to share coverage information, allowing them to coordinate effectively during the redistribution process. This communication is crucial for ensuring that the coverage paths are adjusted in a synchronized manner across the entire team.
3.2. Objective
4. Proposed Method
4.1. MCPP Based on BCD
4.2. Tree Construction for the Excluded Robot
4.3. Propagation-Based Coverage Redistribution and Path Replanning
Algorithm 1 Propagation-Based Coverage Redistribution |
|
5. Simulation
5.1. Simulation Environments
5.2. Simulation Results: Multi-Robot Coverage Path Planning
5.3. Simulation Results: Balanced Path Redistribution
5.3.1. Simple Open Environment (Map 1)
5.3.2. Environments with Two Obstacles (Map 2)
5.3.3. Environments with Multiple Obstacles (Map 3)
5.3.4. Environments with Multiple Lanes (Map 4 and Map 5)
6. Discussion
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
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Approach | |
---|---|
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 169,400.0 |
Initial propagation () | 166,113.58 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0 |
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 23,072.55 |
Initial propagation () | 29,490.88 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.97 |
Approach | |
---|---|
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 128,640.44 |
Initial propagation () | 130,683.70 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.17 |
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 17,524.39 |
Initial propagation () | 21,943.51 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.23 |
Approach | |
---|---|
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 443,814.0 |
Initial propagation () | 450,863.68 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.69 |
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 60,459.49 |
Initial propagation () | 75,733.03 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.64 |
Approach | for Map 4 | for Map 5 |
---|---|---|
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 84,242.89 | 146,288.44 |
Initial propagation () | 85,583.36 | 148,587.81 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.44 | 0.57 |
Adjacent-neighbors-based approach () | 11,479.92 | 19,883.43 |
Initial propagation () | 14,321.88 | 24,875.30 |
Proposed (final propagation) () | 0.62 | 0.85 |
N | Metric | Map 1 | Map 2 | Map 3 | Map 4 | Map 5 | Avg_Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 2.91 | 3.00 | 2.95 | 2.96 | 2.90 | 2.94 | |
0.012 | 0.014 | 0.015 | 0.016 | 0.017 | 0.0148 | ||
20 | 2.94 | 3.01 | 2.96 | 2.99 | 2.93 | 2.96 | |
0.015 | 0.015 | 0.016 | 0.016 | 0.017 | 0.0158 |
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Gong, J.; Kim, H.; Lee, S. Resilient Multi-Robot Coverage Path Redistribution Using Boustrophedon Decomposition for Environmental Monitoring. Sensors 2024, 24, 7482. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24237482
Gong J, Kim H, Lee S. Resilient Multi-Robot Coverage Path Redistribution Using Boustrophedon Decomposition for Environmental Monitoring. Sensors. 2024; 24(23):7482. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24237482
Chicago/Turabian StyleGong, Junghwan, Hyunbin Kim, and Seunghwan Lee. 2024. "Resilient Multi-Robot Coverage Path Redistribution Using Boustrophedon Decomposition for Environmental Monitoring" Sensors 24, no. 23: 7482. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24237482
APA StyleGong, J., Kim, H., & Lee, S. (2024). Resilient Multi-Robot Coverage Path Redistribution Using Boustrophedon Decomposition for Environmental Monitoring. Sensors, 24(23), 7482. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24237482