Accomplish multi-robot tasks via Petri net models

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for planning a team of mobile robots such that they accomplish a set of tasks. The environment and the movement capabilities of mobile robots are represented by a Petri net model. Each task is located in a given location and its accomplishment requires a certain number of robots to be present in that place. The order for serving the tasks and firing count vectors for the model result from solving an Integer Linear Programming optimization. Structural properties of the Petri net model allow us to develop an algorithm that produces robot strategies composed from movements, waiting and task serving.