Multi-robot exploration on grids with a bounded time

Document Type : Research Note

Authors

Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Science, Gavazang, Zanjan

Abstract

In this paper, the problem of exploring a grid environment in the offline setting has been studied.\ The goal is to propose an algorithm to find the minimum number of robots for exploring a rectangular grid environment with $n$ rows and $m$ columns, denoted by $R(n,m)$, in a predefined time $T$. In the case that there are no obstacles in the environment, an optimal solution has been proposed for the problem.\ In the other case when the environment may contain some obstacles, it has been pointed out that the problem is NP-complete and cannot be approximated within better than a factor 2.\ Finally, a $4$-approximation algorithm has been presented in order to explore $R(n,m)$ in the presence of obstacles.

Keywords


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Volume 28, Special issue on collective behavior of nonlinear dynamical networks
Transactions on Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering (D)
June 2021
Pages 1515-1528
  • Receive Date: 17 November 2018
  • Revise Date: 19 August 2020
  • Accept Date: 26 October 2020