Behavioral control for multi-robot perimeter patrol: A Finite State Automata approach

Abstract— This paper proposes a multiple robot control algorithm to approach the problem of patrolling an open or closed line. The algorithm is fully decentralized, i.e., no communication occurs between robots or with a central station. Robots behave according only to their sensing and computing capabilities to ensure high scalability and robustness towards robots’ fault. The patrolling algorithm is designed in the framework of behavioral control and it is based on the concept of Action: an evel of abstraction with respect to the behaviors. Each Action is obtained by combining more elementary behaviors in the Null-Space-Behavioral framework. A Finite-State-Automata is designed as supervisor in charge of selecting the appropriate action. The approach has been validated in simulation as well as experimentally with a patrol of 3 Pioneer robots available at the Distributed Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Tennessee.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: ICRA
• Authors: Alessandro Marino, Lynne E. Parker, Gianluca Antonelli, Fabrizio Caccavale
• Keywords: ICRA 2009, Patrolling Algorithm, Robot Control Algorithm, Robotics, Robots