Geometric task decomposition in a multi-agent environment

Task decomposition in a multi-agent environment is often, performed online. This paper proposes a method for sub-task allocation that can be performed before the agents are deployed, reducing the need for communication among agents during their mission. The proposed method uses a Voronoi diagram to partition the task-space among team members and includes two phases: static and dynamic. Static decomposition (performed in simulation before the start of the mission) repeatedly partitions the task-space by generating random diagrams and measuring the efficacy of the corresponding sub-task allocation. If necessary, dynamic decomposition (performed in simulation after the start of a mission) modifies the. result, of a static decomposition (i.e., in case of resource limitations for some agents). Empirical results are reported for the problem of surveillance of an arbitrary region by a team of agents.