1 research outputs found
Resilient Continuum Deformation Coordination
This paper applies the principles of continuum mechanics to safely and
resiliently coordinate a multi-agent team. A hybrid automation with two
operation modes, Homogeneous Deformation Mode (HDM) and Containment Exclusion
Mode (CEM), are developed to robustly manage group coordination in the presence
of unpredicted agent failures. HDM becomes active when all agents are healthy,
where the group coordination is defined by homogeneous transformation
coordination functions. By classifying agents as leaders and followers, a
desired n-D homogeneous transformation is uniquely related to the desired
trajectories of n+1 leaders and acquired by the remaining followers in
real-time through local communication. The paper offers a novel approach for
leader selection as well as naturally establishing and reestablishing
inter-agent communication whenever the agent team enters the HDM. CEM is
activated when at least one agent fails to admit group coordination. This paper
applies unique features of decentralized homogeneous transformation
coordination to quickly detect each arising anomalous situation and excludes
failed agent(s) from group coordination of healthy agents. In CEM, agent
coordination is treated as an ideal fluid flow where the desired agents' paths
are defined along stream lines inspired by fluid flow field theory to
circumvent exclusion spaces surrounding failed agent(s).Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure