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Decentralised Dynamic Task Allocation: A Practical Game–Theoretic Approach

Decentralised Dynamic Task Allocation: A Practical Game–Theoretic Approach
Decentralised Dynamic Task Allocation: A Practical Game–Theoretic Approach
This paper reports on a novel decentralised technique for planning agent schedules in dynamic task allocation problems. Specifically, we use a Markov game formulation of these problems for tasks with varying hard deadlines and processing requirements. We then introduce a new technique for approximating this game using a series of static potential games, before detailing a decentralised solution method for the approximating games that uses the Distributed Stochastic Algorithm. Finally, we discuss an implementation of our approach to a task allocation problem in the RoboCup Rescue disaster management simulator. Our results show that our technique performs comparably to a centralised task scheduler (within 6% on average), and also, unlike its centralised counterpart, it is robust to restrictions on the agents' communication and observation range.
Multi-agent planning, Game theory
915-922
Chapman, Archie
2eac6920-2aff-49ab-8d8e-a0ea3e39ba60
Micillo, Rosa Anna
56810e45-e584-4e9a-8991-a9705a2cb70c
Kota, Ramachandra
a2b6c536-fa54-4d9e-8f3d-c3fb66f79b86
Jennings, Nick
ab3d94cc-247c-4545-9d1e-65873d6cdb30
Chapman, Archie
2eac6920-2aff-49ab-8d8e-a0ea3e39ba60
Micillo, Rosa Anna
56810e45-e584-4e9a-8991-a9705a2cb70c
Kota, Ramachandra
a2b6c536-fa54-4d9e-8f3d-c3fb66f79b86
Jennings, Nick
ab3d94cc-247c-4545-9d1e-65873d6cdb30

Chapman, Archie, Micillo, Rosa Anna, Kota, Ramachandra and Jennings, Nick (2009) Decentralised Dynamic Task Allocation: A Practical Game–Theoretic Approach. The Eighth International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS '09), Budapest, Hungary. 10 - 15 May 2009. pp. 915-922 .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

This paper reports on a novel decentralised technique for planning agent schedules in dynamic task allocation problems. Specifically, we use a Markov game formulation of these problems for tasks with varying hard deadlines and processing requirements. We then introduce a new technique for approximating this game using a series of static potential games, before detailing a decentralised solution method for the approximating games that uses the Distributed Stochastic Algorithm. Finally, we discuss an implementation of our approach to a task allocation problem in the RoboCup Rescue disaster management simulator. Our results show that our technique performs comparably to a centralised task scheduler (within 6% on average), and also, unlike its centralised counterpart, it is robust to restrictions on the agents' communication and observation range.

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More information

Published date: May 2009
Additional Information: Event Dates: 10-15 May, 2009
Venue - Dates: The Eighth International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS '09), Budapest, Hungary, 2009-05-10 - 2009-05-15
Keywords: Multi-agent planning, Game theory
Organisations: Agents, Interactions & Complexity

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 267066
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/267066
PURE UUID: ad68586d-ca0c-45f3-a28c-f3f110fb27cc

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 29 Jan 2009 13:19
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 08:41

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Contributors

Author: Archie Chapman
Author: Rosa Anna Micillo
Author: Ramachandra Kota
Author: Nick Jennings

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