A%20Free%20Market%20Architecture%20for%20Distributed%20Control%20of%20a%20Multirobot%20System

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A Free Market Architecture for Distributed
Control of a Multirobot System

• The Robotics Institute
• Carnegie Mellon University

M. Bernardine Dias Tony Stentz July 26, 2000
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Motivation and Outline
Motivation Effective control of multi-robot
systems

• Outline
• Introduction
• Related Work
• The Free Market Architecture
• Initial Implementation Results
• Future Directions
• Acknowledgements and Questions

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Software Architecture Models
Centralized
Distributed

• optimal
• intractable
• brittle
• sluggish
• communication heavy

• suboptimal
• tractable
• robust
• nimble
• communication light

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Related Work
Arkin, R. C., Cooperation without Communication
Multiagent Schema-Based Robot Navigation
1992 Arkin, R. C. et al., AuRA Principles and
Practice in Review 1997 Brooks, R. A.,
Elephants Dont Play Chess 1990 Brumitt, B. L.
et al., Dynamic Mission Planning for Multiple
Mobile Robots 1996 Golfarelli, M. et al., A
Task-Swap Negotiation Protocol Based on the
Contract Net Paradigm 1997 Jensen, R. M. et al.,
OBDD-based Universal Planning Specifying and
Solving Planning Problems for Synchronized Agents
in Non-Deterministic Domains 1999 Johnson, N. F.
et al., Volatility and Agent Adaptability in a
Self-Organizing Market 1998 Lux, T. et al.,
Scaling and Criticality in a Stochastic
Multi-Agent Model of a Financial Market
1999 Mataric, M. J., Issues and Approaches in
the Design of Collective Autonomous Agents
1995 Pagello, E. et al., Cooperative Behaviors
in Multi-Robot Systems through Implicit
Communication 1999 Parker, L. E., ALLIANCE An
Architecture for Fault Tolerant Multi-Robot
Cooperation 1998 Schneider-Fontán, M.. Et al.,
Territorial Multi-Robot Task Division
1998 Schneider-Fontán, M. et al., A Study of
Territoriality The Role of Critical Mass in
Adaptive Task Division 1996 Schwartz, R. et al.,
Negotiation On Data Allocation in Multi-Agent
Environments 1997 Shehory, O. et al., Methods
for Task Allocation via Agent Coalition
Formation 1998 Smith, R., The Contract Net
Protocol High-Level Communication and Control in
a Distributed Problem Solver 1980 Švestka, P. et
al., Coordinated Path Planning for Multiple
Robots 1998 Tambe, M., Towards Flexible
Teamwork 1997 Veloso, M. et al., Anticipation
A Key for Collaboration in a Team of Agents
1998 Wellman, M. et al., Market-Aware Agents for
a Multiagent World 1998 Zeng, D. et al..,
Benefits of Learning in Negotiation 1997
Sandholm, T. et al., Issues in Automated
Negotiation and Electronic Commerce Extending
the Contract Net Framework 1995
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Free Market Architecture

• Robots in a team are organized as an economy
• Team mission is best achieved when the economy
  maximizes production and minimizes costs
• Robots interact with each other to exchange money
  for tasks to maximize profit
• Robots are both self-interested and benevolent,
  since it is in their self interest to do global
  good

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Architecture Features

• Revenue, cost and profit
• Negotiation and price
• Competition vs. cooperation
• Role determined via comparative advantage
• Self organization
• Learning and adaptation

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Simple Reasoning
More Complex Reasoning
Subcontract (150 110) / 2 130 Robot 1
profit 40 (20) Robot 2 profit 50 (30)
Robot 1 profit 20 Robot 2 profit 30
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Architectural Framework
Negotiations
Learning Module
Negotiation Protocol
Robot Exec
Other Agents
Tasks
Send Message to B
Map Area X
Roles
Mapper
Comm
Leader
Resources
Radio
Locomotor
Sensors
CPU
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Agent Interaction
Robots
Tasks performed
Operator (GUI)
Revenue paid
Operator Exec
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Simple Mapping Simulation
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More Complex Mapping Simulation
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Adaptive Response to Dynamic Conditions
Cities
Tours
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Current Status

• Mapping example of architecture implemented
• Robot platforms up and running

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Future Work

• Port architecture to robot test-bed
• Implement roles
• Synchronous -gt asynchronous
• Limit communication
• Implement multi-task negotiation
• Implement broken deals with penalties
• Implement architecture in other robotic test-beds
• Benchmark against other architectures

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Acknowledgements

• The authors thank the members of the Cognitive
  Colonies group for their valuable contribution
• Vanessa De Gennaro
• Bruce Digney
• Brian Fredrick
• Martial Hebert
• Dave Kachmar
• Bart Nabbe
• Charles Smart
• Scott Thayer