Conflict Resolution in Robotics

Abstract

A long-term goal in Robotics is developing autonomous systems able to assist and support human beings, especially in hazardous and/or repetitive tasks. So, these robotic systems will share their workspace with other robots, people or both of them, possibly having different goals and needs. This fact may result in a conflict that should be solved for properly achieving the intended goals. However, there is no a universal way to do it since different scenarios and behaviours lead to different kinds of conflicts. In addition, execution time is a critical issue in the Robotics field and has to be taken into account when a conflict resolution technique is developed. In this chapter we will discuss the state-of-the-art algorithms applied to several robotic tasks from assembly and disassembly in industrial settings to multi-robot cooperation through collision avoidance in unstructured, crowded environments. So, a deep analysis will highlight approach's applications and utilities, as well as their limitations.