The Sensor-based Random Graph Method for Cooperative Robot Exploration

We present a decentralized cooperative exploration strategy for a team of mobile robots equipped with range finders. A roadmap of the explored area, with the associate safe region, is built in the form of a sensor-based random graph (SRG). This is expanded by the robots by using a randomized local p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE/ASME transactions on mechatronics 2009-04, Vol.14 (2), p.163-175
Main Authors: Franchi, A., Freda, L., Oriolo, G., Vendittelli, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cooperative exploration
Costs
Data mining
Decentralized
decentralized algorithms
Exploration
Gain
Graphs
Mobile robots
Multirobot systems
Navigation
Robot kinematics
Robot motion
Robot sensing systems
Robotics and automation
Robots
Simulation
Strategy
Surveillance
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Summary:We present a decentralized cooperative exploration strategy for a team of mobile robots equipped with range finders. A roadmap of the explored area, with the associate safe region, is built in the form of a sensor-based random graph (SRG). This is expanded by the robots by using a randomized local planner that automatically realizes a tradeoff between information gain and navigation cost. The nodes of the SRG represent view configurations that have been visited by at least one robot, and are connected by arcs that represent safe paths. These paths have been actually traveled by the robots or added to the SRG to improve its connectivity. Decentralized cooperation and coordination mechanisms are used so as to guarantee exploration efficiency and avoid conflicts. Simulations and experiments are presented to show the performance of the proposed technique.
ISSN:1083-4435
1941-014X
DOI:10.1109/TMECH.2009.2013617