Multi-robot deployment using a virtual force approach: Challenges and guidelines

Robotics networks are an emerging technology that has a wide range of applications. Robots are used for many military and civilian applications. Applications such as search-and-rescue operations or area monitoring during an environmental disaster, cannot be effectively carried out by a single robot, but rather are carried out by several robots forming what is called a “robotic network”. In rescue operations, for example, robots can be used to help to discover bodies under the rubble or even to assist the injured. One of the main challenges in these applications is how to deploy the robots without central coordination. Virtual force (VF) technique appears to be one of the prominent approaches to perform multi-robot deployment autonomously. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on how its parameters are calibrated in order to achieve the required deployment. There are two important factors: attractive force (w_a) and repulsive force (w_r). In this work, we investigate the best settings of these two factors in order to accommodate different kinds of scenarios. Additionally, and for the first time, an energy-aware virtual force approach is proposed to balance energy consumption among deployed robots and consequently maximize the network lifetime. Extensive simulation experiments are conducted to study and explore the effectiveness of the proposed settings. Finally, a proof of concept experiment using Lego™ Mindstorm robots is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of these settings.