GBPPlanner: Distributing Multi-Robot Collaboration with Gaussian Belief Propagation

This code accompanies the 2023 Robotics Automation Letters (RA-L) paper. It was also presented at ICRA 2023 (Oral).

Project page: https://aalpatya.github.io/gbpplanner

Watch the Code tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvoPJ8GLiHk

Initial Setup

Install Raylib dependencies as mentioned in https://github.com/raysan5/raylib#build-and-installation This will be platform dependent

Usually included with Linux (but you may need to install on other platforms)

• OpenMP
• cmake (>=3.10)
• make

Clone the repository with the submodule dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/aalpatya/gbpplanner.git --recurse-submodules
cd gbpplanner

Use CMAKE to set up the build environment and then run 'make':

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make

Run examples

Make any changes to the simulations you want in config/config.json and then run:

./gbpplanner

Examples config files are in config directory, and include:

• config.json (default: robots travel to the opposite sides of a circle in free space)
• circle_cluttered.json (robots travel to the opposite sides of a circle around some obstacles)
• junction.json (robots travel in a crossroad junction)
• junction_twoway.json (robots can travel in both directions, in any road and can turn left, straight, right (red, green, blue) respectively)

Run the simulation:

./gbpplanner --cfg ../config/circle_cluttered.json

Or create your own config_file.json and run:

./gbpplanner --cfg ../config_file.json

During simulation

Press 'H' to display help and tips!

Use the mouse wheel to change the camera view (scroll : zoom, drag : pan, shift+drag : rotate)

Press 'spacebar' to transition between camera keyframes which were set in src/Graphics.cpp.

Play with the code

Edit the parameters in the config files and see the effects on the simulations!

Watch the Code tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvoPJ8GLiHk

Own formations

You may want to create your own formations and scenarios for the robots.

Towards the end of src/Simulator.cpp there is a function called createOrDeleteRobots(), where you may add your own case.

Custom Obstacles

• Create an image file (.png) with BLACK obstacles on a WHITE background (see assets/imgs for examples)
• Covert your image to a distance field image using the function in assets/scripts/create_distance_field.py
• Edit the OBSTACLE_FILE value in your config.json file with the new distance image

Cite us

@ARTICLE{gbpplanner,
        author={Patwardhan, Aalok and Murai, Riku and Davison, Andrew J.},
        journal={IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters}, 
        title={Distributing Collaborative Multi-Robot Planning With Gaussian Belief Propagation}, 
        year={2023},
        volume={8},
        number={2},
        pages={552-559},
        doi={10.1109/LRA.2022.3227858}}