Control of distributed autonomous robotic systems using principles of pattern formation in nature and pedestrian behavior

Abstract

Self-organized and error-resistant control of distributed autonomous robotic units in a manufacturing environment with obstacles where the robotic units have to be assigned to manufacturing targets in a cost effective way, is achieved by using two fundamental principles of nature. First, the selection behavior of modes is used which appears in pattern formation of physical, chemical and biological systems. Coupled selection equations based on these pattern formation principles can be used as dynamical system approach to assignment problems. These differential equations guarantee feasibility of the obtained solutions which is of great importance in industrial applications. Second, a model of behavioral forces is used, which has been successfully applied to describe self-organized crowd behavior of pedestrians. This novel approach includes collision avoidance as well as error resistivity. In particular, in systems where failures are of concern, the suggested approach outperforms conventional methods in covering up for sudden external changes like breakdowns of some robotic units. The capability of this system is demonstrated in computer simulations.