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Research on dual robot collaboration method based on improved double ant colony algorithm

Xiaohui Jia (School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China)
Chunrui Tang (School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China)
Xiangbo Zhang (School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China)
Jinyue Liu (School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China)

Industrial Robot

ISSN: 0143-991x

Article publication date: 26 February 2024

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose an efficient dual-robot task collaboration strategy to address the issue of low work efficiency and inability to meet the production needs of a single robot during construction operations.

Design/methodology/approach

A hybrid task allocation method based on integer programming and auction algorithms, with the aim of achieving a balanced workload between two robots has been proposed. In addition, while ensuring reasonable workload allocation between the two robots, an improved dual ant colony algorithm was used to solve the dual traveling salesman problem, and the global path planning of the two robots was determined, resulting in an efficient and collision-free path for the dual robots to operate. Meanwhile, an improved fast Random tree rapidly-exploring random tree algorithm is introduced as a local obstacle avoidance strategy.

Findings

The proposed method combines randomization and iteration techniques to achieve an efficient task allocation strategy for two robots, ensuring the relative optimal global path of the two robots in cooperation and solving complex local obstacle avoidance problems.

Originality/value

This method is applied to the scene of steel bar tying in construction work, with the workload allocation and collaborative work between two robots as evaluation indicators. The experimental results show that this method can efficiently complete the steel bar banding operation, effectively reduce the interference between the two robots and minimize the interference of obstacles in the environment.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U20A20283), the Key R&D Program of Hebei Province (Grant No. 22311801D), and Hebei Province Higher Education Science and Technology Research Project (JZX2024014).

Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China; U20A20283.

Citation

Jia, X., Tang, C., Zhang, X. and Liu, J. (2024), "Research on dual robot collaboration method based on improved double ant colony algorithm", Industrial Robot, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-12-2023-0316

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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