Decentralized coordination for multirobot exploration

In order for multiple robots to explore an unknown environment, they need a strategy for cooperation. We propose a strategy where robots share perceptual information but maintain separate maps. These robots make independent decisions about where to explore using frontier-based exploration. This allows each robot to use the information from other robots while retaining the capability to explore independently. As a result, the multirobot team is robust to the loss of communications or the loss of individual robots. We have implemented this system on real robots and have demonstrated that they can explore and map indoor environments effectively. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.