2022/02/21 by Aviv Adler, Oscar Mickelin, Adler, Aviv +7 · 2 citations
Computer Science · Decision Sciences · Engineering · #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Electrical engineering #Game Theory and Applications #Guidance and Control Systems #Multiagent Systems (cs.MA) #Reinforcement Learning in Robotics #Systems and Control (eess.SY) #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2202.10433
openalex publication_date 2022/02/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
When is heterogeneity in the composition of an autonomous robotic team beneficial and when is it detrimental? We investigate and answer this question in the context of a minimally viable model that examines the role of heterogeneous speeds in perimeter defense problems, where defenders share a total allocated speed budget. We consider two distinct problem settings and develop strategies based on dynamic programming and on local interaction rules. We present a theoretical analysis of both approaches and our results are extensively validated using simulations. Interestingly, our results demonstrate that the viability of heterogeneous teams depends on the amount of information available to the defenders. Moreover, our results suggest a universality property: across a wide range of problem parameters the optimal ratio of the speeds of the defenders remains nearly constant.