Swarm robotics for a dynamic cleaning problem

Abstract

Several recent works considered multi agents robotics in static environments. In this work we examine ways of operating in dynamic environments, in which changes may take place regardless of the agents' activity. The work focuses on a dynamic variant of the known Cooperative Cleaners problem (described and analyzed in [I.A. Wagner et al., (1997)]). This problem assumes a grid, part of which is "dirty", when the "dirty" part is a connected region of the grid. On this dirty region several agents move, each having the ability to "clean" the place it is located in. The dynamic variant of the problem involves a deterministic evolution of the environment, simulating a spreading contamination, or fire. A cleaning protocol for the problem is presented, as well as several analytic bounds for it. In addition, the work contains simulative results for the proposed protocol.