A Distributed Formation Algorithm to Organize Agents with No Coordinate Agreement

Abstract. In this paper we present an extension of the ShapeBugs distributed formation algorithm which enables 2D mobile agents to agree on a consensus coordinate system starting from no coordinate agreement. The participating agents require only local communication and local distance and motion information. Because this distance and motion information can in many cases be obtained implicitly through software motor approximation and attenuation or time-of-flight in communication, this approach has the potential to globally coordinate general mobile communicating agents without additional sensor requirements. The extended algorithm also remains robust against agent incapacitation and disorientation.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: ECAL
• Authors: Gregory Studer, Inman Harvey
• Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Consensus Coordinate, Coordinate Agreement, ECAL 2007, Mobile Communicating Agents