Resource-based task allocation for multi-robot systems

Bayesian Decision Problems and Markov Chains

This paper investigates task allocation for multiple robots by applying the game theory-based negotiation approach. Based on the initial task allocation using a contract net-based approach, a new method to select the negotiation robots and construct the negotiation set is proposed by employing the utility functions. A negotiation mechanism suitable for the decentralized task allocation is also presented. Then, a game theory-based negotiation strategy is proposed to achieve the Pareto-optimal solution for the task reallocation. Extensive simulation results are provided to show that the task allocation solutions after the negotiation are better than the initial contract net-based allocation. In addition, experimental results are further presented to show the effectiveness of the approach presented.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0263574713000192

Game theory-based negotiation for multiple robots task allocation

The task assignment problem is an important topic in multi-agent systems research. Distributed real-time systems must accommodate a number of communication tasks, and the difficulty in building such systems lies in task assignment (i.e., where to place the tasks). This paper presents a novel approach that is based on artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC) to address dynamic task assignment problems in multi-agent cooperative systems. The initial bee population (solution) is constructed by the initial task assignment algorithm through a greedy heuristic. Each bee is formed by the number of tasks and agents, and the number of employed bees is equal to the number of onlooker bees. After being generated, the solution is improved through a local search process called greedy selection. This process is implemented by onlooker and employed bees. In greedy selection, if the fitness value of the candidate source is greater than that of the current source, the bee forgets the current source and memorizes the new candidate source. Experiments are performed with two test suites (TIG representing real-life tree and Fork---Join problems and randomly generated TIGs). Results are compared with other nature-inspired approaches, such as genetic and particle swarm optimization algorithms, in terms of CPU time and communication cost. The findings show that ABC improves these two criteria significantly with respect to the other approaches.

A novel approach to task assignment in a cooperative multi-agent design system

This paper presents a learning-enhanced market-based task allocation approach for oversubscribed domains. In oversubscribed domains all tasks cannot be completed within the required deadlines due to a lack of resources. We focus specifically on domains where tasks can be generated throughout the mission, tasks can have different levels of importance and urgency, and penalties are assessed for failed commitments. Therefore, agents must reason about potential future events before making task commitments. Within these constraints, existing market-based approaches to task allocation can handle task importance and urgency, but do a poor job of anticipating future tasks, and are hence assessed a high number of penalties. In this work, we enhance a baseline market-based task allocation approach using regression-based learning to reduce overall incurred penalties. We illustrate the effectiveness of our approach in a simulated disaster response scenario by comparing performance with a baseline market-approach.

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Learning-enhanced market-based task allocation for oversubscribed domains

We describe an approach to the multi-robot task allocation (MRTA) problem in which a group of robots must perform tasks that arise continuously, at arbitrary locations across a large space. A dynamic scheduling algorithm is derived in which proposed plans are evaluated using a combination of short-term lookahead and a value function acquired by reinforcement learning. We demonstrate that this dynamic scheduler can learn not only to allocate robots to tasks efficiently, but also to position the robots appropriately in readiness for new tasks (tactical awareness), and conserve resources over the long run (strategic awareness).

Neil Windelinckx

Papers

Combining Planning with Reinforcement Learning for Multi-robot Task Allocation