Abstract-A very common problem in the navigation of robotic swarms is when groups of robots move into opposite directions, causing congestion situations that may compromise performance. In this paper, we propose a distributed coordination algorithm to alleviate this type of congestion. By working collaboratively, and warning their teammates about a congestion risk, robots are able to coordinate themselves to avoid these situations. We executed simulations and real experiments to study the performance and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Results show that the algorithm allows the swarm to navigate in a smoother and more efficient fashion, and is suitable for large groups of robots.
Marcolino and Chaimowicz REF proposed a decentralized coordination algorithm to control the traffic of a swarm of robots, avoiding congestion situations when large groups of robots move in opposite directions.
Traffic control for a swarm of robots: Avoiding group conflicts
2009 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
2009 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
Computer Science