2025/05/15 by Khaled Wahba, Wolfgang Hönig, Wahba, Khaled +1 · 1 citation
Computer Science · Engineering · #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Electrical engineering #Manufacturing Process and Optimization #Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence #Multiagent Systems (cs.MA) #Robotic Path Planning Algorithms #Robotics (cs.RO) #Systems and Control (eess.SY) #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2505.10355
openalex publication_date 2025/05/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Motion planning problems for physically-coupled multi-robot systems in cluttered environments are challenging due to their high dimensionality. Existing methods combining sampling-based planners with trajectory optimization produce suboptimal results and lack theoretical guarantees. We propose Physically-coupled discontinuity-bounded Conflict-Based Search (pc-dbCBS), an anytime kinodynamic motion planner, that extends discontinuity-bounded CBS to rigidly-coupled systems. Our approach proposes a tri-level conflict detection and resolution framework that includes the physical coupling between the robots. Moreover, pc-dbCBS alternates iteratively between state space representations, thereby preserving probabilistic completeness and asymptotic optimality while relying only on single-robot motion primitives. Across 25 simulated and six real-world problems involving multirotors carrying a cable-suspended payload and differential-drive robots linked by rigid rods, pc-dbCBS solves up to 92% more instances than a state-of-the-art baseline and plans trajectories that are 50-60% faster while reducing planning time by an order of magnitude.