Distributed Optimization of Multi-Robot Motion with Time-Energy Criterion

Abstract

This paper is an application of a special case of distributed optimization problem. It is applied on optimizing the motion of multiple robot systems. The problem is decomposed into L subproblems with L being the number of robot systems. This decomposition reduces the problem to solving a single robot problem. The optimization problem is solved via a distributed algorithm, utilizing subgradient method. A global objective function is set as the sum of individual robot objectives in time and energy. Constraints are divided into two sets, namely, robot-individual constraints and robots’ interactions (collision) constraints. The approach is applied for the case of wheeled mobile robots: we are able to generate in parallel for each robot an optimized control input trajectory and then illustrate it in simulation examples.