A subgradient based algorithm for distributed task assignment for heterogeneous mobile robots

In this paper the problem of assigning tasks to a set of mobile and heterogeneous robots based on their ability and their costs to accomplish a task is considered. Moreover, the dynamics of the robot and a private cost function to be optimized together with the assignment are also taken into account. To deal with a possibly high number of tasks and robots a distributed approach based on the subgradient method is used. A local dynamic optimal control and task assignment problem based on the information exchanged through a communication network are solved. With the proposed dynamic approach different types of kinematic vehicles with different motion constraints can be taken into account.