Distributed algorithms for self-spreading of robotic networks over unknown complex areas in GPS-denied environments

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Distributed algorithms for self-spreading of robotic networks over unknown complex areas in GPS-denied environments
Authors: Petr Konovalov, Alexey Matveev
Source: Cybernetics and Physics. :52-61
Publisher Information: Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences - IPME RAS, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Description: This paper presents new algorithms for area coverage by mobile robotic swarms in complex and unknown environments. The robots are silent and not aware of the team’s size, do not discern between each other, lack access to a positioning system, and cannot play distinct roles and so should be driven by a common control rule. On the positive side, they determine the relative positions of the objects, including the boundary of the handled area and obstacles, within a given finite sensing range and have access to a common direction. The proposed algorithms are attributed the physics-inspired virtual force-based (VFB) approach. To highlight their benefits, the paper reports on comparative analysis of seven methods, including the above two ones and an essential group of well-established algorithms that follow VFB approach and are suited to handle the examined scenario. The analysis is carried out using a whole range of various metrics, which capture different aspects of the performance quality. Moreover, a new criterion of coverage uniformity is introduced and justified. Extensive computer simulations in complex scenes have shown that the proposed algorithms demonstrate the best performance in terms of coverage uniformity and percentage.
Document Type: Article
Language: English
ISSN: 2226-4116
2223-7038
DOI: 10.35470/2226-4116-2024-14-1-52-61
Accession Number: edsair.doi...........6f2f444b63867a5839e136ec1d39d9e0
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:This paper presents new algorithms for area coverage by mobile robotic swarms in complex and unknown environments. The robots are silent and not aware of the team’s size, do not discern between each other, lack access to a positioning system, and cannot play distinct roles and so should be driven by a common control rule. On the positive side, they determine the relative positions of the objects, including the boundary of the handled area and obstacles, within a given finite sensing range and have access to a common direction. The proposed algorithms are attributed the physics-inspired virtual force-based (VFB) approach. To highlight their benefits, the paper reports on comparative analysis of seven methods, including the above two ones and an essential group of well-established algorithms that follow VFB approach and are suited to handle the examined scenario. The analysis is carried out using a whole range of various metrics, which capture different aspects of the performance quality. Moreover, a new criterion of coverage uniformity is introduced and justified. Extensive computer simulations in complex scenes have shown that the proposed algorithms demonstrate the best performance in terms of coverage uniformity and percentage.
ISSN:22264116
22237038
DOI:10.35470/2226-4116-2024-14-1-52-61