Fast Scheduling of Robot Teams Performing Tasks With Temporospatial Constraints

The application of robotics to traditionally manual manufacturing processes requires careful coordination between human and robotic agents in order to support safe and efficient coordinated work. Tasks must be allocated to agents and sequenced according to temporal and spatial constraints. Also, systems must be capable of responding on-the-fly to disturbances and people working in close physical proximity to robots. In this paper, we present a centralized algorithm, named 'Tercio,' that handles tightly intercoupled temporal and spatial constraints. Our key innovation is a fast, satisficing multi-agent task sequencer inspired by real-time processor scheduling techniques and adapted to leverage a hierarchical problem structure. We use this sequencer in conjunction with a mixed-integer linear program solver and empirically demonstrate the ability to generate near-optimal schedules for real-world problems an order of magnitude larger than those reported in prior art. Finally, we demonstrate the use of our algorithm in a multirobot hardware testbed

Revisión de la optimización de Bess en sistemas de potencia

The increasing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources has imposed several challenges in the analysis and operation of power systems, mainly due to the uncertainties in primary resource. In the last decade, implementation of Battery Energy Storage Systems in electric networks has caught the interest in research since the results have shown multiple positive effects when deployed optimally. In this paper, a review in the optimization of battery storage systems in power systems is presented. Firstly, an overview of the context in which battery storage systems are implemented, their operation framework, chemistries and a first glance of optimization is shown. Then, formulations and optimization frameworks are detailed for optimization problems found in recent literature. Next, A review of the optimization techniques implemented or proposed, and a basic explanation of the more recurrent ones is presented. Finally, the results of the review are discussed. It is concluded that optimization problems involving battery storage systems are a trending topic for research, in which a vast quantity of more complex formulations have been proposed for Steady State and Transient Analysis, due to the inclusion of stochasticity, multi-periodicity and multi-objective frameworks. It was found that the use of Metaheuristics is dominant in the analysis of complex, multivariate and multi-objective problems while relaxations, simplifications, linearization, and single objective adaptations have enabled the use of traditional, more efficient, and exact techniques. Hybridization in metaheuristics has been important topic of research that has shown better results in terms of efficiency and solution quality.La creciente penetración de recursos distribuidos ha impuesto desafíos en el análisis y operación de sistemas de potencia, principalmente debido a incertidumbres en los recursos primarios. En la última década, la implementación de sistemas de almacenamiento por baterías en redes eléctricas ha captado el interés en la investigación, ya que los resultados han demostrado efectos positivos cuando se despliegan óptimamente. En este trabajo se presenta una revisión de la optimización de sistemas de almacenamiento por baterías en sistemas de potencia. Pare ello se procedió, primero, a mostrar el contexto en el cual se implementan los sistemas de baterías, su marco de operación, las tecnologías y las bases de optimización. Luego, fueron detallados la formulación y el marco de optimización de algunos de los problemas de optimización encontrados en literatura reciente. Posteriormente se presentó una revisión de las técnicas de optimización implementadas o propuestas recientemente y una explicación básica de las técnicas más recurrentes. Finalmente, se discutieron los resultados de la revisión. Se obtuvo como resultados que los problemas de optimización con sistemas de almacenamiento por baterías son un tema de tendencia para la investigación, en el que se han propuesto diversas formulaciones para el análisis en estado estacionario y transitorio, en problemas multiperiodo que incluyen la estocasticidad y formulaciones multiobjetivo. Adicionalmente, se encontró que el uso de técnicas metaheurísticas es dominante en el análisis de problemas complejos, multivariados y multiobjetivo, mientras que la implementación de relajaciones, simplificaciones, linealizaciones y la adaptación mono-objetivo ha permitido el uso de técnicas más eficientes y exactas. La hibridación de técnicas metaheurísticas ha sido un tema relevante para la investigación que ha mostrado mejorías en los resultados en términos de eficiencia y calidad de las soluciones

Decentralized Abstractions and Timed Constrained Planning of a General Class of Coupled Multi-Agent Systems

This paper presents a fully automated procedure for controller synthesis for a general class of multi-agent systems under coupling constraints. Each agent is modeled with dynamics consisting of two terms: the first one models the coupling constraints and the other one is an additional bounded control input. We aim to design these inputs so that each agent meets an individual high-level specification given as a Metric Interval Temporal Logic (MITL). Furthermore, the connectivity of the initially connected agents, is required to be maintained. First, assuming a polyhedral partition of the workspace, a novel decentralized abstraction that provides controllers for each agent that guarantee the transition between different regions is designed. The controllers are the solution of a Robust Optimal Control Problem (ROCP) for each agent. Second, by utilizing techniques from formal verification, an algorithm that computes the individual runs which provably satisfy the high-level tasks is provided. Finally, simulation results conducted in MATLAB environment verify the performance of the proposed framework

Automating Vehicles by Deep Reinforcement Learning using Task Separation with Hill Climbing

Within the context of autonomous driving a model-based reinforcement learning algorithm is proposed for the design of neural network-parameterized controllers. Classical model-based control methods, which include sampling- and lattice-based algorithms and model predictive control, suffer from the trade-off between model complexity and computational burden required for the online solution of expensive optimization or search problems at every short sampling time. To circumvent this trade-off, a 2-step procedure is motivated: first learning of a controller during offline training based on an arbitrarily complicated mathematical system model, before online fast feedforward evaluation of the trained controller. The contribution of this paper is the proposition of a simple gradient-free and model-based algorithm for deep reinforcement learning using task separation with hill climbing (TSHC). In particular, (i) simultaneous training on separate deterministic tasks with the purpose of encoding many motion primitives in a neural network, and (ii) the employment of maximally sparse rewards in combination with virtual velocity constraints (VVCs) in setpoint proximity are advocated.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl