Title: Temporal Logic Task Planning and Intermittent Connectivity Control of Mobile Robot Networks,
Abstract: In this paper, we develop a distributed intermittent communication and task
planning framework for mobile robot teams. The goal of the robots is to
accomplish complex tasks, captured by local Linear Temporal Logic formulas, and
share the collected information with all other robots and possibly also with a
user. Specifically, we consider situations where the robot communication
capabilities are not sufficient to form reliable and connected networks while
the robots move to accomplish their tasks. In this case, intermittent
communication protocols are necessary that allow the robots to temporarily
disconnect from the network in order to accomplish their tasks free of
communication constraints. We assume that the robots can only communicate with
each other when they meet at common locations in space. Our distributed control
framework jointly determines local plans that allow all robots fulfill their
assigned temporal tasks, sequences of communication events that guarantee
information exchange infinitely often, and optimal communication locations that
minimize a desired distance metric. Simulation results verify the efficacy of
the proposed controllers.