Constraint-aware distributed robotic assembly and disassembly

Abstract

In this work, we present a distributed robotic system capable of the efficient assembly and disassembly of complex three-dimensional structures. We introduce algorithms for equitable partitioning of work across robots and for the efficient ordering of assembly or disassembly tasks while taking physical constraints into consideration. We then extend these algorithms to a variety of real-world situations, including when component parts are unavailable or when the time requirements of assembly tasks are non-uniform. We demonstrate the correctness and efficiency of these algorithms through a multitude of simulations. Finally, we introduce a mobile robotic platform and implement these algorithms on them. We present experimental data from this platform on the effectiveness and applicability of our algorithms.