Conflict-Based Search for Connected Multi-Agent Path Finding

We study a variant of the multi-agent path finding problem (MAPF) in which agents are required to remain connected to each other and to a designated base. This problem has applications in search and rescue missions where the entire execution must be monitored by a human operator. We re-visit the conflict-based search algorithm known for MAPF, and define a variant where conflicts arise from disconnections rather than collisions. We study optimizations, and give experimental results in which we compare our algorithms with the literature.

Reachability and Coverage Planning for Connected Agents: Extended Version

Motivated by the increasing appeal of robots in information-gathering missions, we study multi-agent path planning problems in which the agents must remain interconnected. We model an area by a topological graph specifying the movement and the connectivity constraints of the agents. We study the theoretical complexity of the reachability and the coverage problems of a fleet of connected agents on various classes of topological graphs. We establish the complexity of these problems on known classes, and introduce a new class called sight-moveable graphs which admit efficient algorithms.