Fleet size optimization and collaborative route planning for multi-vehicle task allocation

Abstract

Cooperative operation with multiple unmanned vehicles has received much attention, as the technology for using a single unmanned system has gradually matured for practical applications. Multi-agent task allocation and assignment algorithms are crucial for effective cooperation between multiple vehicles. This study addresses optimal fleet sizing and route planning for a group of multiple vehicles. In order to minimize the sum of total distance traveled by the vehicles, a systematic solution approach is proposed. The concept of virtual tasks is introduced to decrease the complexity of the problem, and a near-optimal route is calculated using the proposed solution approach. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated through numerical simulations.