IoT-robotics for collaborative sweep coverage

Abstract

The combination of Task Scheduling (TS) approaches in Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) and Path Finding (PF) can produce a wide range of solutions in several application contexts, such of logistics, sweeping and cleaning of large areas, and surveillance missions by Unmanned Vehicles. This paper presents a task assignment method for multi-agents-based collaborative sweep covering, where it is relevant to follow the optimal route in order to maximize the expected results with the available resources and constraints. The designed solution uses a smart planner, which computes optimal routes, and a centralized scheduler that assigns tasks to unmanned robots according to different priority queues. The prototype implementation integrates off-the-shelf IoT technologies to drive a simple robot in a controlled environment. Image processing technologies are used either to estimate in advance the expected reward for the planned route and afterward to get a feedback about the task execution.