Multi-agent approach for task allocation and scheduling in cooperative heterogeneous multi-robot team: Simulation results

Abstract

The paper presents a new approach for robots tasks allocation and scheduling in order to minimize the total execution time (makespan) of a mission while satisfying all the tasks constraints. This approach is implemented in a multi-agent architecture for remote control of heterogeneous multi-robot systems. The agents controlling the robots coordinate their actions and cooperate to achieve the assigned mission. The proposed approach is carried out in two phases. During the first phase, a negotiation process (based on the Contract-net protocol) is carried out between the agents of the system to allocate the tasks to the robot proposing the minimal execution time (cost). In the second phase, a local scheduling process based on priority rules is carried out by the corresponding agent for each allocated task in order to minimize its inoccupation (idle) time.