A utility approach to multi-agent coordination

Abstract

Addresses the problem of positioning a group of autonomous but coordinating mobile robots into a specified spatial configuration, with each position occupied by a single robot. Specifically, we assume that there is no central controller or inter-agent communication, and require that the robots must move into position without collision or unnecessary delay. We present an approach to this problem based on praxeic utility theory and evaluate its effectiveness, with particular emphasis on computational feasibility.