Decentralized multi-robot formation control in environments with non-convex and dynamic obstacles based on path planning algorithms

Abstract In this paper, we propose a new strategy to solve the multi-robot formation problem. Considering a set of holonomic robots, a decentralized algorithm is proposed to guide the robots to achieve a predefined formation while avoiding collisions with non-convex obstacles, dynamic obstacles, and other robots. Local collision avoidance is achieved using a variant of the well-known ORCA (optical reciprocal collision avoidance) algorithm. We modify this algorithm to ensure the continuity of the robots’ controls (velocities). The implementation of an online replanning algorithm, RRT , is essential to guide the robots and prevent them from getting stuck in minima. The resulting method guarantees formation convergence, and several simulations are presented to illustrate its effectiveness.