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Contingency Games for Multi-Agent Interaction

Peters, L. (author), Bajcsy, Andrea (author), Chiu, Chih Yuan (author), Fridovich-Keil, David (author), Laine, Forrest (author), Ferranti, L. (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author)

Contingency planning, wherein an agent generates a set of possible plans conditioned on the outcome of an uncertain event, is an increasingly popular way for robots to act under uncertainty. In this work we take a game-theoretic perspective on contingency planning, tailored to multi-agent scenarios in which a robot's actions impact the...

journal article 2024

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Statistically Distinct Plans for Multi-Objective Task Assignment

Wilde, N. (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author)

We study the problem of finding statistically distinct plans for stochastic task assignment problems such as online multi-robot pickup and delivery (MRPD) when facing multiple competing objectives. In many real-world settings robot fleets do not only need to fulfil delivery requests, but also have to consider auxiliary objectives such as...

journal article 2024

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Energy-Efficient Routing of a Multirobot Station: A Flexible Time-Space Network Approach

Xin, Jianbin (author), Meng, Chuang (author), D'Ariano, Andrea (author), Schulte, F. (author), Peng, Jinzhu (author), Negenborn, R.R. (author)

This paper investigates a novel routing problem of a multi-robot station in a manufacturing cell. In the existing literature, the objective is to minimize the cycle time or energy consumption separately. The routing problem considered in this paper aims to reduce the cycle time and energy consumption jointly for each robot while avoiding...

journal article 2023

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Model Predictive Path Planning of AGVs: Mixed Logical Dynamical Formulation and Distributed Coordination

Xin, Jianbin (author), Wu, Xuwen (author), D'Ariano, Andrea (author), Negenborn, R.R. (author), Zhang, Fangfang (author)

Most of the existing path planning methods of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are static. This paper proposes a new methodology for the path planning of a fleet of AGVs to improve the flexibility, robustness, and scalability of the AGV system. We mathematically describe the transport process as a dynamical system using an ad hoc mixed...

journal article 2023

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Hierarchical Motion Planning and Tracking for Autonomous Vehicles Using Global Heuristic Based Potential Field and Reinforcement Learning Based Predictive Control

Du, Guodong (author), Zou, Yuan (author), Zhang, Xudong (author), Li, Z. (author), Liu, Qi (author)

The autonomous vehicle is widely applied in various ground operations, in which motion planning and tracking control are becoming the key technologies to achieve autonomous driving. In order to further improve the performance of motion planning and tracking control, an efficient hierarchical framework containing motion planning and tracking...

journal article 2023

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Coordination and Optimization Control Framework for Vessels Platooning in Inland Waterborne Transportation System

Tao, W. (author), Zhu, Man (author), Chen, Shengyong (author), Cheng, Xu (author), Wen, Yuanqiao (author), Zhang, Weidong (author), Negenborn, R.R. (author), Pang, Y. (author)

Vessels sailing in a single platoon could reduce resistance from the perspective of the whole platoon and the individual vessel, and contribute to improving energy benefits. Moreover, transportation energy costs and traffic efficiency are essential indicators for measuring waterborne transportation systems. We attempt to minimize...

journal article 2023

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Distributed Nonlinear Trajectory Optimization for Multi-Robot Motion Planning

Ferranti, L. (author), Lyons, L. (author), Negenborn, R.R. (author), Keviczky, T. (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author)

This work presents a method for multi-robot coordination based on a novel distributed nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) formulation for trajectory optimization and its modified version to mitigate the effects of packet losses and delays in the communication among the robots. Our algorithms consider that each robot is equipped with an...

journal article 2023

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Dynamic Optimization Fabrics for Motion Generation

Spahn, M. (author), Wisse, M. (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author)

Optimization fabrics are a geometric approach to real-time local motion generation, where motions are designed by the composition of several differential equations that exhibit a desired motion behavior. We generalize this framework to dynamic scenarios and nonholonomic robots and prove that fundamental properties can be conserved. We show...

journal article 2023

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Learning to Play Trajectory Games Against Opponents with Unknown Objectives

Liu, Xinjie (author), Peters, L. (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author)

Many autonomous agents, such as intelligent vehicles, are inherently required to interact with one another. Game theory provides a natural mathematical tool for robot motion planning in such interactive settings. However, tractable algorithms for such problems usually rely on a strong assumption, namely that the objectives of all players in...

journal article 2023

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Optimal Trajectory Planning for Mitigated Motion Sickness: Simulator Study Assessment

Jain, V. (author), Kumar, Sandeep Suresh (author), Papaioannou, G. (author), Happee, R. (author), Shyrokau, B. (author)

In the transition from partial to high automation, occupants will no longer be actively involved in driving. This will allow the use of travel time for work or leisure, where high comfort levels preventing motion sickness are required. In this paper, an optimal trajectory planning algorithm is presented in order to minimise motion sickness in...

journal article 2023

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Microgrid planning based on computational intelligence methods for rural communities: A case study in the José Painecura Mapuche community, Chile

Morales, Raúl (author), Marín, Luis G. (author), Roje, Tomislav (author), Caquilpan, Víctor (author), Sáez, Doris (author), Nunez, Alfredo (author)

Microgrids (MGs) are sustainable solutions for rural zone electrification that use local renewable resources. However, only careful planning at the start of an MG project can ensure its future optimal operation. In this paper, a novel methodology for MG planning by using the uncertainty characterization of renewable resources and demand is...

journal article 2023

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Roadmap development for the deployment of virtual coupling in railway signalling

Aoun, J. (author), Quaglietta, E. (author), Goverde, R.M.P. (author)

Developments in the railway industry are continuously evolving and long-term transition strategies can enable an efficient implementation of signalling technologies that provide a significant increase in network capacity and operation efficiency. Virtual Coupling (VC) advances moving block signalling by further reducing train separation to...

journal article 2023

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Improving the Utilization of Regenerative Energy and Shaving Power Peaks by Railway Timetable Adjustment

Wang, P. (author), Bešinović, Nikola (author), Goverde, R.M.P. (author), Corman, F. (author)

Employing regenerative braking in trains contributes to reducing the amount of energy used, especially when applied to commuter trains and to those used on very dense suburban networks. This paper presents a method to fine-tune the periodic timetable to improve the utilization of regenerative energy and to shave power peaks while maintaining...

journal article 2022

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Reconstructing occluded Elevation Information in Terrain Maps with Self-supervised Learning

Stölzle, Maximilian (author), Miki, Takahiro (author), Gerdes, Levin (author), Azkarate, Martin (author), Hutter, Marco (author)

Accurate and complete terrain maps enhance the awareness of autonomous robots and enable safe and optimal path planning. Rocks and topography often create occlusions and lead to missing elevation information in the Digital Elevation Map (DEM). Currently, these occluded areas are either fully avoided during motion planning or the missing...

journal article 2022

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Surrogate modeling for water reuse planning in complex water systems∗

Sangiorgio, Matteo (author), Cananzi, Davide (author), Weber, Enrico (author), Zatarain Salazar, J. (author), Castelletti, Andrea (author)

Integrated management of water reuse technologies and coordinated operations with other water system components is fundamental to fully exploiting reuse potential. Yet, these technologies are primarily designed considering their individual efficiency more than possible synergies with traditional water management practices. In this paper, we...

journal article 2022

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The Compressiometer: Towards a new skin tensiometer for research and surgical planning

Scheepens, Karlijn M.J. (author), Marsidi, Nick (author), Genders, Roel E. (author), Horeman, T. (author)

After surgery, around 35% of patients experience problems of excessive scarring, causing disfiguring and impaired function. An incision placed in the wrong direction causes unnecessary skin tension on the wound, resulting in increased collagen disposition and potentially hypertrophic scars. Currently, skin tension lines are used for incision...

journal article 2021

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Tailored flood risk management: Accounting for socio-economic and cultural differences when designing strategies

Klijn, F. (author), Marchand, Marcel (author), Meijer, Karen (author), van der Most, Herman (author), Stuparu, Dana (author)

Climate change and socio-economic development result in increasing flood risk which challenges flood risk management policy making and practice. Each situation, however, is different and calls for not only understanding the natural context, but also the socio-economic and cultural context. Only then Flood Risk Management strategies can be...

journal article 2021

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LaSeSOM: A Latent and Semantic Representation Framework for Soft Object Manipulation

Zhou, Peng (author), Zhu, J. (author), Huo, Shengzeng (author), Navarro-Alarcon, David (author)

Soft object manipulation has recently gained popularity within the robotics community due to its potential applications in many economically important areas. Although great progress has been recently achieved in these types of tasks, most state-of-the-art methods are case-specific; They can only be used to perform a single deformation task (e...

journal article 2021

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Integrated Task Assignment and Path Planning for Capacitated Multi-Agent Pickup and Delivery

Chen, Zhe (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author), Bai, X. (author), Harabor, Daniel Damir (author), Stuckey, Peter James (author)

Multi-agent Pickup and Delivery (MAPD) is a challenging industrial problem where a team of robots is tasked with transporting a set of tasks, each from an initial location and each to a specified target location. Appearing in the context of automated warehouse logistics and automated mail sortation, MAPD requires first deciding which robot is...

journal article 2021

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Where to go next: Learning a Subgoal Recommendation Policy for Navigation in Dynamic Environments

Ferreira de Brito, B.F. (author), Everett, Michael (author), How, Jonathan Patrick (author), Alonso-Mora, J. (author)

Robotic navigation in environments shared with other robots or humans remains challenging because the intentions of the surrounding agents are not directly observable and the environment conditions are continuously changing. Local trajectory optimization methods, such as model predictive control (MPC), can deal with those changes but require...

journal article 2021