Energy-aware multi-robot task scheduling using meta-heuristic optimization methods for ambiently-powered robot swarms
Mohmmadsadegh Mokhtari, Parham Haji Ali Mohamadi, Michiel Aernouts, Ritesh Kumar Singh, Bram Vanderborght, Maarten Weyn, Jeroen Famaey
Elsevier Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Available online 30 December 2024, 104898
Abstract:
This paper presents a novel approach to address the challenges of energy-aware task scheduling in a
collaborative swarm of robots equipped with energy-harvesting capabilities. With a primary focus on task
execution timing, reliable task allocation, and efficient utilization of available energy resources, the taskscheduling process is approached with an energy-aware strategy. The developed architecture employs a
centralized and autonomous approach that dynamically responds to a sequence-dependent setup time job shop
scheduling demand. The proposed method incorporates energy consumption estimation, charging contingency
approach, and energy harvesting prediction to minimize overall task execution time. The problem is optimized
using Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization and compared to other well-known meta-heuristic algorithms.
A practical illustration of the proposed approach’s real-world utility is demonstrated through a case study
scenario conducted within a heterogeneous pick-drop delivery setting inside a warehouse. The study was
conducted utilizing the TurtelBot3 burger robot model within the Robotic Operating System and Gazebo
simulation environment. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the energy-aware solution for multirobot scheduling and task allocation problems over the energy-unaware methods by a 15 percent reduction in
task completion time.
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