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A Distributed Algorithm for Area Partitioning in Grid-Shape and Vector-Shape Configurations with Multiple Aerial Robots

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Abstract

Partitioning strategies have proven to be the more efficient solutions to patrol cooperatively an area with multiple aerial robots from a frequency-based approach. They allow to obtain theoretically the optimal performance keeping periodical communications between the robots. Therefore, it allows to coordinate the robots from a distributed manner even under communications constraints. Assuming that the whole area is divided as a r × c grid, this paper proposes a new distributed algorithm where each robot divides the whole area allocation problem in two (one for its row and another for its column) and solves them in an independent manner based on the coordination variables. Moreover, this new algorithm is validated and compared from a convergence time point of view with respect to other previously presented methods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Superior Técnico, Instituto de Sistemas e Robótica, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    José Joaquín Acevedo

  2. Grupo de Robótica, Visión y Control, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

    Begoña C. Arrue, Ivan Maza & Anibal Ollero

Authors
  1. José Joaquín Acevedo
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  2. Begoña C. Arrue
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  3. Ivan Maza
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  4. Anibal Ollero
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José Joaquín Acevedo.

Additional information

This work has been developed in the framework of the ECSAFEMOBIL (FP7-ICT-2011-288082) European project. J.J. Acevedo was also partially supported by strategic funding LARSyS (FCT [UID/EEA/50009/2013]).

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Acevedo, J.J., Arrue, B.C., Maza, I. et al. A Distributed Algorithm for Area Partitioning in Grid-Shape and Vector-Shape Configurations with Multiple Aerial Robots. J Intell Robot Syst 84, 543–557 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-015-0272-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-015-0272-5

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