Immune System-Inspired Dynamic Multi-Robot Coordination

Abstract

This paper investigates multi-robot coordination for the deployment of autonomous mobile robots in order to carry out a specific task. A key to utilizing of the full potential of cooperative multi-robot systems is effective and efficient multi-robot coordination. The paper presents a novel method of multi-robot coordination based on an Artificial Immune System. The developed approach relies on Jern’s Immune Network Theory, which concerns how an antibody stimulates or suppresses another antibody and recognizes non-self antigens. In the present work, the robots are analogous to antibodies and the robotic task is analogous to an antigen in a biological immune system. Furthermore, stimulation and suppression in an immune system correspond to communication among robots. The artificial immune system will select the appropriate number of antibodies autonomously to eliminate the antigens. The developed method of multirobot coordination is verified by computer simulation.