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Cooperative heterogeneous multi-robot systems: a survey
Rizk Y., Awad M., Tunstel E. ACM Computing Surveys52 (2):1-31,2019.Type:Article
Date Reviewed: Aug 7 2019

To automatically solve complex tasks--for example, in domestic services, intelligent transportation, surveillance, and emergency response--we expect that one single robot cannot succeed; so, heterogeneous multi-agent robots could be the solution. The workflow of such systems includes task decomposition, coalition formation, task allocation, planning, and control. The authors of this survey present the methods developed for those subproblems, with the goal of organizing a large body of literature and identifying remaining challenges.

The first part of the paper discusses the classification of the multi-robot system; six different classifications related to communication and control strategies are presented. The paper then analyzes the literature according to four increasing levels of automation, from pure task execution to the automation of the full workflow. There is extensive research on multi-robots; this review uses 243 references--and this does not include topics such as communication and consensus methods.

The large research effort in multi-agent systems is also useful for multi-robot systems, hence it is reported in the survey, considering methods tested only in simulation. However, this is a crucial point, as the robot itself is a critical part of the multi-robot system. For scenarios such as natural disasters, we do not have robots that are able to autonomously move in difficult areas, efficiently sense the environment, and make quick decisions. According to the authors, further research is needed to deal with perception, the Internet of Things (IoT), learning, and user interfacing; I would also add developing robots with better moving capabilities.

The paper is worth reading, as it organizes a disperse body of literature. The tables and figures will help with categorization and comparison in this large research field. Even robotics researchers need to know multi-robot systems.

Reviewer:  G. Gini Review #: CR146645 (1910-0377)
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