Dynamic Multi-Robot Task Allocation for Intruder Detection

In this paper, we propose an autonomous system consisting of cooperative mobile robots and Fiber Optic Sensors (FSs) for intruder detection in perimeter defense tasks. The system concept is that FSs will sense perimeter intrusions and act as a cueing sensor to an ensemble of robots. These robots in turn engage the potential intruder, performing surveillance and/or neutralization of the intrusion. To minimize the intruder missing rate and response time, some robots have to perform tracking of the intruders while others have to deploy themselves dynamically to cover the protected area. Therefore, a shame-level based dynamic task allocation algorithm is proposed for intruder tracking and allocation, and a gap-based algorithm is proposed for self-deployment of the remaining robots. Both algorithms are developed in a decentralized manner, which means each robot can only communicate with its local neighbors without any global controller unit. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and flexibility of the proposed algorithm in a dynamic intruder detection task.