Integrating Ant Colony Clustering Method to a Multi-Robot System Using Mobile Agents
Yasushi Kambayashi, Masataka Ugajin, Osamu Satô, Yasuhiro Tsujimura, Hidemi Yamachi, Munehiro Takimoto, Hisashi Yamamoto · 2009
Abstract. This paper presents a framework for controlling mobile multiple robots connected by communication networks. This framework provides novel methods to control coordinated systems using mobile agents. The combination of the mobile agent and mobile multiple robots opens a new horizon of efficient use of mobile robot resources. Instead of physical movement of multiple robots, mobile software agents can migrate from one robot to another so that they can minimize energy consumption in aggregation. The imaginary application is making “carts,” such as found in large airports, intelligent. Travelers pick up carts at designated points but leave them arbitrary places. It is a considerable task to re-collect them. It is, therefore, desirable that intelligent carts (intelligent robots) draw themselves together automatically. Simple implementation may be making each cart has a designated assembly point, and when they are free, automatically return to those points. It is easy to implement, but some carts have to travel very