Formation control of robotic swarm using bounded artificial forces.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Control Systems
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Multi-robot systems formation control is a growing research area.
• Existing methods face challenges with inter-member collisions and dynamic environments.
• Need for robust algorithms adaptable to real-world constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a potential field control algorithm for 2D shape formation in multi-robot systems.
• To ensure collision avoidance among robots during formation.
• To adapt the algorithm for both stationary and moving target formations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized bounded artificial forces defined as exponential functions.
• Adjusted swarm behavior through control parameter selection.
• Incorporated modifications for obstacle avoidance and shape deformation resilience.

Main Results:

• Theoretical analysis confirmed algorithm stability and convergence properties.
• Simulations demonstrated efficient formation control and collision avoidance.
• Algorithm proved robust against local minima and shape deformation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed potential field control algorithm effectively achieves 2D shape formation in multi-robot systems.
• The algorithm demonstrates robustness and adaptability for practical applications.
• Future work can explore extensions to 3D environments and more complex swarm behaviors.