Disney Research

Abstract

Multi-Robot System for Artistic Pattern Formation-Image
Multi-robot pattern formation. Top row, left to right: seven robots starting from random positions transition to form sequentially a circle, two lines and a ring, which follows in Fig. 4; intermediate and final frames are displayed. Middle row: Identical transformation with ten robots. Bottom row: Identical transformations with fifty simulated robots. The target patterns are displayed in the background at the bottom row.

This paper describes work on multi-robot pattern formation. Arbitrary target patterns are represented with an optimal robot deployment, using a method that is independent of the number of robots. Furthermore, the trajectories are visually appealing in the sense of being smooth, oscillation free, and showing fast convergence. A distributed controller guarantees collision free trajectories while taking into account the kinematics of differentially driven robots. Experimental results are provided for a representative set of patterns, for a swarm of up to ten physical robots, and for fifty virtual robots in simulation.

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