Multi-Vehicle Task Allocation With Switchable Command Roles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle coordination systems are vulnerable to loss of central control, especially when the central controller is incapacitated or remote, leading to inefficiencies and potential failure in achieving mission goals.
Innovation Solution
A goal-based planning system that distributes task allocation and execution among multiple vehicles, allowing each vehicle to decompose goals into tasks, bid on capabilities, and collaborate to achieve objectives, with the ability to adapt to changes in team membership and capabilities, and switch command roles if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single entity has centralized control over the entire team of vehicles, then coordination and decision-making can be streamlined, but the system becomes vulnerable to loss of control if the central controller is destroyed or incapacitated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized control function into multiple distributed vehicles, where each vehicle can independently perform goal decomposition and task allocation. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure while maintaining coordination capabilities through peer-to-peer communication and collaborative planning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the command role based on operational needs and vehicle availability. Any vehicle in the team can assume the command role by performing goal decomposition and task allocation, allowing flexible transition of control authority without requiring a fixed central controller.
2Ease of operation
If a central controller is used to coordinate vehicles, then task allocation can be centralized, but the controller may be inappropriate when remote from other team members and unable to adequately direct them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes the task allocation function to multiple vehicles instead of concentrating it in a single remote controller. Each vehicle can independently decompose goals and allocate tasks based on its local situation and capabilities, enabling effective operation regardless of physical distance from other team members.
Solution Approach 2:
Each vehicle performs autonomous goal decomposition and task allocation based on its own capabilities and the team's mission objectives. This self-service capability allows vehicles to make independent decisions without requiring constant direction from a remote central controller.
3Ease of operation
If a centralized system is used, then control decisions can be made centrally, but the system lacks flexibility in team composition and capability utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control decision-making process into individual vehicles, each capable of autonomous goal decomposition and task allocation. This enables flexible team composition where vehicles with different capabilities can be dynamically assigned to tasks based on their specific strengths, rather than being constrained by a fixed centralized control structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for coordinating a plurality of vehicles (102, 104) comprising: defining, as a command vehicle (C), a vehicle in the plurality; storing, by one or more storage devices (204) located on one or more of the vehicles (102, 104), a list of capabilities of each vehicle (102, 104); receiving, by one or more processors (202) on the command vehicle (C), a specification of a goal; based on the stored vehicle capabilities, allocating, by the one or more processors (202), to one or more of the vehicles (102, 104), one or more tasks, the one or more tasks being such that, if each of those tasks was to be performed, the goal would be accomplished; and sending, from the command vehicle (C), to each vehicle (102, 104) to which a task has been allocated, a specification of the one or more tasks allocated to that vehicle (102, 104).