Distributed Mobile Robotics by the Method of Dynamic Teams

Abstract

Distributed teams of agents (robots and workstations) hold great promise for solving complex tasks eeciently, reliably, and automatically. But automatic coordination of the actions of the autonomous agents within a team remains a diicult problem. We suggest that, in order to engender cooperation and to avoid interference among the agents in a team, the general organization of the team reeect the structure of the task. Moreover, the team itself may be a dynamic, ,uid entity whose logical structure is maintained by a run-time system, even in the face of attrition, substitution of team members, and explicit recruitment o f n e w members. The Method of Dynamic Teams is based on this principle of fuidity.