Path Planning Techniques for Real-Time Multi-Robot Systems: A Systematic Review

Abstract

A vast amount of research has been conducted on path planning over recent decades, driven by the complexity of achieving optimal solutions. This paper reviews multi-robot path planning approaches and presents the path planning algorithms for various types of robots. Multi-robot path planning approaches have been classified as deterministic approaches, artificial intelligence (AI)-based approaches, and hybrid approaches. Bio-inspired techniques are the most employed approaches, and artificial intelligence approaches have gained more attention recently. However, multi-robot systems suffer from well-known problems such as the number of robots in the system, energy efficiency, fault tolerance and robustness, and dynamic targets. Deploying systems with multiple interacting robots offers numerous advantages. The aim of this review paper is to provide a comprehensive assessment and an insightful look into various path planning techniques developed in multi-robot systems, in addition to highlighting the basic problems involved in this field. This will allow the reader to discover the research gaps that must be solved for a better path planning experience for multi-robot systems.