Assistance networks for dynamic multirobot tasks

In this paper, we consider dynamic multirobot tasks that can be done by any of the robots, but only with the assistance of any other robot. We propose a novel approach based on the concept of ‘assistance networks’ with two complementary aspects, namely assistant finding and network topology update. Each robot, encountering a new task, seeks an assisting robot among its immediate neighbors in the assistance network in a decentralized manner. The network topology is defined based on pairwise stability via payoff functions that consider general task-related guidelines. As such, the number of potential assisting robots can be ensured a priori depending on tasks’ requirements. As robots move around, the topology is updated via pairwise games. If the games are conducted by a network coordinator, each game is shown to result in a pairwise stable network. A series of simulation and experimental results in a variety of different scenarios demonstrate that the robots are able to get assistance or give assistance flexibly.