On a Deadlock-free Characteristic of the On-line and Decentralized Path-planning for Multiple Automata

Abstract

In this paper, we propose an on-line and decentralized path-planning algorithm for multiple automata and then discuss its deadlock-free characteristic in an infinite 2-d world. In this research, we consider many automata with a finite number in the world without any static obstacle. Each automaton with the same circular shape can move for omni-directions to arrive at the goal. An automaton basically does not see any information except its present position in an on-line manner, and therefore usually goes straight to the goal and finally stops at it. However an automaton exceptionally knows a behavior of another colliding one by its ring of tactile sensors, and in a real time way, it processes the present own and partner’s behaviors to determine its next own behavior by the common sense.

By reason of this, each automaton merely determines its behavior by its surrounding information without considering any global perspective of the world. Therefore the algorithm does not always ensure any deadlock-free characteristic of all automata toward the goals. To overcome this drawback, each automaton never circulates around its goal by the clockwise order in our algorithm. The counter-clockwise action in an on-line avoidance is carefully designed under the common sense located on all automata in advance. Under topological characteristics implicitly derived from a sequence of counter-clockwise actions, each automaton never generates any periodic circulation around an arbitrary point. In result, our algorithm ensures its deadlock-free characteristic in the world.