Cooperative mobile robotics: antecedents and directions

TLDR

Research on multi‑robot systems with collective behavior has grown, yet few applications exist and the supporting theory remains in its formative stages. The study constructs mobile robot groups to investigate group architecture, resource conflict, the origins of cooperation, learning, and geometric challenges. The authors critically survey existing work, highlight open theoretical problems, and outline the intellectual heritages that have shaped early research while suggesting new motivations.

Abstract

There has been increased research interest in systems composed of multiple autonomous mobile robots exhibiting collective behavior. Groups of mobile robots are constructed, with an aim to studying such issues as group architecture, resource conflict, origin of cooperation, learning, and geometric problems. As yet, few applications of collective robotics have been reported, and supporting theory is still in its formative stages. In this paper, the authors give a critical survey of existing works and discuss open problems in this field, emphasizing the various theoretical issues that arise in the study of cooperative robotics. The authors describe the intellectual heritages that have guided early research, as well as possible additions to the set of existing motivations.