Cooperative approach for an optimal area coverage and connectivity in multi-robot systems

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of covering an open area by using multiple robots. Our paper proposes a heuristic algorithm to maximize area coverage of mobile robots team and maintain connectivity. This algorithm adopts the principle of spreading a wave in order to guide the movements of robots. This wave starts from a point and spreading in regular way. So in each step, the central robot builds a wave around it using the adequate robots from its direct neighbors. The mobile robots coordinate to determine the next destinations to reach, so the coverage time and traveled distance is minimized. Also the robots network has less overhead messages because each robot communicates only with it directs neighbors. We present also an approach for self-redeployment in case of failure. The simulation results are presented to validate the performance of our approach.