Affiliation:
1. Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), University of Lincoln, Riseholme Campus, Lincoln LN2 2LG, UK
2. Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS), University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
Abstract
The benefits of multi-robot systems are substantial, bringing gains in efficiency, quality, and cost, and they are useful in a wide range of environments from warehouse automation, to agriculture and even extend in part to entertainment. In multi-robot system research, the main focus is on ensuring efficient coordination in the operation of the robots, both in task allocation and navigation. However, much of this research seldom strays from the theoretical bounds; there are many reasons for this, with the most-prominent and -impactful being resource limitations. This is especially true for research in areas such as multi-robot path planning (MRPP) and navigation coordination. This is a large issue in practice as many approaches are not designed with meaningful real-world implications in mind and are not scalable to large multi-robot systems. This survey aimed to look into the coordination and path-planning issues and challenges faced when working with multi-robot systems, especially those using a prioritised planning approach, and identify key areas that are not well-explored and the scope of applying existing MRPP approaches to real-world settings.
Funder
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Subject
Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering,Control and Optimization,Mechanical Engineering,Computer Science (miscellaneous),Control and Systems Engineering
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