A Cellular Automaton Collision-Free Path Planner Suitable for Cooperative Robots

The settlement of the collision-free path planning problem is considered as a complicated objective and is of vital importance in systems comprising one or multiple robots. In multi-robots systems, the path planning problem is based on cooperation. In such systems, the robots dynamically exchange roles in order to complete complex tasks, such as moving in different formations. In this paper, a Cellular Automaton algorithm for solving the path planning problem in a multi-agent system is presented. Moreover, robots must cooperate to keep their initial formation if an unexpected event in the environment takes place. The proposed method was implemented in a real time system of three autonomous mobile robots. Simulation results and the results obtained from this system demonstrate the effectiveness of the method and its robustness.