Article outline

Goal: Construction of a multi-agent robotic system on the basis of a universal hardware and software platform, which allows, using various technical means of communication, to implement and develop algorithms for effective information exchange between agents in the group within the framework of different management models (centralized or decentralized).

Methodology: To build a multi-agent RTS as a means of hardware support, the platforms Raspberry Pi 3 (strategic level) and stm32f407(Executive level) are used. The interaction between hardware platforms is carried out through a system of interrupts and the UART port. As the main means of communication between the agents in the group uses built-in wireless modules Raspberry PI 3: Bluetooth (for short-range interaction), 4G and Wi-Fi (to ensure communication between remote agents or operator). The algorithm of information exchange of agents within the group, as well as the group with the operator is based on the cloud model of interaction. Under this model, the group members dynamically form their own intranet, where each agent is an equivalent router (node) and contains part of the distributed database information. Also, each agent is able to route this information between agents inside the intranet and transfer to the external environment (to the operator). As the main means of realization of algorithms of information exchange Protocol is used IP Socket in the context of the programming language Python 3.

Findings: The synthesis of distributed control system by a group of 5 robots is made. On the basis of the given control system the tests of algorithms of information exchange in the intranet between agents, as well as between the group and the operator within the model of cloud interaction were carried out. According to the test results, it can be concluded that this approach is workable and has a further prospect of application in large robotic groups using a more complex intranet topology.