Title: Action planning for multi-robot-based reconfigurable fixture

Authors: Wojciech Szynkiewicz

Addresses: Institute of Control and Computation Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 15/19, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland

Abstract: The paper presents a planning system for a self-reconfigurable fixture. The fixture is a multi-agent system composed a variable number of adaptable mobile robotic agents and a workbench on which these agents can move and lock. The paper proposes an approach for the generation of a feasible action plan for the locomotion, reconfiguration, and positioning of robotic fixtures to support the thin-sheet workpiece near the operating machine-tool. The multi-agent action planning problem is converted to a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). CSP is a computational problem where the task is to decide for a given finite set of variables and constraints whether there is an assignment to the variables that satisfies all constraints. The proposed approach called Triple-CSP applies an incremental state search to solve three hierarchical planning tasks for the three components of each mobile agent: a supporting head placement, a mobile base positioning, and a parallel kinematic machine positioning, respectively. Thus, the planner takes into account all the relevant physical, geometrical, and time constraints.

Keywords: reconfigurable fixtures; multi-agent systems; MAS; agent-based systems; constraint satisfaction problem; CSP; action planning; self-reconfiguration; mobile robots; robotic fixtures; thin sheet workpieces; supporting head placement; mobile base positioning; parallel kinematic machines; PKM positioning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAHUC.2014.065769

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, 2014 Vol.17 No.2/3, pp.73 - 81

Received: 26 Jul 2013
Accepted: 16 Sep 2013
Published online: 19 Nov 2014 *

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