Integration of Coordination Mechanisms in the BITE Multi-Robot Architecture

Abstract

Recent years are seeing a renewed interest in general multi-robot architectures, capable of automating coordination. However, few architectures explore integration of multiple coordination mechanisms. Thus the question of how to best integrate coordination mechanisms is left open. This paper focuses on the micro-kernel integration approach used in BITE (Bar Ilan Teamwork Engine), a multi-robot behavior-based architecture. This approach allows the developer to plug in coordination mechanisms (teamwork behaviors) to be used depending on the context of execution. BITE imposes constraints on the specification of taskwork behaviors, which allow BITE's control algorithm to automatically determine sequencing and task-allocation points during task execution. At such points, teamwork behaviors (known as interaction behaviors) are triggered to automate the coordination processes. We argue that BITE's approach is preferable to the methodology of existing architectures, and provide analysis of experiments in using BITE with Sony AIBO robots, to support our argument