Avoiding the local-minimum problem in multi-agent systems with limited sensing and communication
Makiko Okamoto, Maruthi Ram Akella · International Journal of Systems Science · 2014
In this paper, we consider a control problem for nonholonomic multi-agent systems in which agents and obstacles operate within a circular-shaped work area. We assume that agents only have limited sensing and communication ranges. We propose a novel control scheme using potential functions that drives agents from the initial to the goal configuration while avoiding collision with other agents, obstacles, and the boundary of the work area. The control scheme employs an avoidance strategy that ensures that the agents are never trapped at local minima that are typically encountered with most potential function-based approaches. A numerical simulation is presented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.