A generalized solution to the coverage problem in swarm robotics: The force vector algorithm

Abstract

Swarm Robotics is a field of robotics and computer science that focuses on using multi-agent systems to tackle challenging problems in the real world. The coverage, problem as defined in this paper, reflects the issue of how to cover an area in the environment effectively and efficiently with a network of distributed agents. The solution proposed in this paper is a generalized one, such that it could be implemented on the simplest of agents. Previously proposed solutions are purely theoretical or assume that the robot agent has specific capabilities for the coverage algorithm to work. The force vector algorithm is designed with the intention of being implementable on most robot swarms with minimum requirements. The solution proposed in the paper is a viable alternative to more complex algorithms while achieving effective coverage of the environment.