Modeling and Route Planning for Collaborative Multi-Agent Inspection

In various practical applications, collaborative inspection systems in which multiple agents work together to accomplish inspection tasks are becoming increasingly important for enhancing operational efficiency. This paper addresses the routing problem in multi-agent collaborative inspection systems, where certain inspection points require the simultaneous presence of multiple agents to perform inspection operations. A novel approach using max-plus algebra is presented to model the collaborative inspection process and it provides a foundation for research and applications in system control and scheduling optimization. The max-plus linear (MPL) model is then converted into a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) formulation to tackle the routing problem with complex constraints inherent in the collaborative scene. Experimental results validate that the proposed MPL model and MILP approach reduce inspection completion time and waiting time at collaborative points.