Download or read book Multi-agent Path Planning for Locating a Radiating Source in an Unknown Environment written by Stephanie M Schwartz and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A situation is addressed in which multiple autonomous agents are used to search an unknown environment for a target, the position and orientation of which is known with respect to each agent. A controlling framework is proposed to inform and coordinate the agents' movements in order to reduce the time required to locate the target. Four primary variables are considered: the cost function used to select the agents' paths, the number of agents in a given scenario, the distance over which the agents are assumed to communicate, and the size of the environment in which the agents are operating. It was found that the cost function balances progress toward the target with the exploration of the environment is generally more effective for all combinations in the other variables. More agents and greater communication are beneficial, to a point, in larger environments, although these may be less effective in smaller ones.