Adapting to non-uniform resource distributions in robotic swarm foraging through work-site relocation

Abstract

We describe a simple controller for swarms of foraging robots that reduces mutual spatial interference and adapts to non-uniform resource distributions. We discuss several sources of such non-uniformity, and show that some non-uniform distributions are not well-handled by previously described foraging schemes. Our new method adapts each robot's work site size and location during run time, to reflect the distribution encountered. The controller is very scalable, using only local information and no explicit communication. Simulation studies demonstrate the method's effectiveness.