On the Varying Benefit of Communication between Mobile Agents in a Decentralized Team

Abstract — Cooperative behavior in decentralized mobile agents requires communication among them. However, such communication can also have negative consequences for a variety of reasons, and the benefits of communication can vary over the course of the agent team’s task or mission. In this paper, we compare the benefits of communication over time for a team of mobile agents performing a general search-and-engage mission. Monte Carlo simulations show that communication provides variable benefit at different times and under different circumstances. In particular, communication can sometimes lead to poorer performance if agents have imperfect sensors. I