A cooperative multi-agent robotics system: Design and modelling

This paper presents the development of the robotic multi-agent system SMART. In this system, the agent concept is applied to both hardware and software entities. Hardware agents are robots, with three and four legs, and an IP-camera that takes images of the scene where the cooperative task is carried out. Hardware agents strongly cooperate with software agents. These latter agents can be classified into image processing, communications, task management and decision making, planning and trajectory generation agents. To model, control and evaluate the performance of cooperative tasks among agents, a kind of Petri Net, called Work-Flow Petri Net, is used. Experimental results shows the good performance of the system.

► We present the mechatronics design of a multi-agent robotic system.
► The kinematic model of an agent under screw theory is presented.
► Some novel modifications of the well-know path planner A∗ have been performing.
► Visual information is used to control the system’s behavior that was modeled by Petri Nets.
► Several experimental results are presented.