Reaching New Heights in Multi-Agent Collective Construction

Abstract

We propose a new approach for multi-agent collective construction, based on the idea of reversible ramps. Our ReRamp algorithm utilizes reversible side-ramps to generate construction plans for ramped block structures higher and larger than was previously possible using state-of-the-art planning algorithms, given the same building area. We compare the ReRamp algorithm to similar state-of-the-art algorithms on a set of benchmark instances, where we demonstrate its superior computational speed. We also establish in our experiments that the ReRamp algorithm is capable of generating plans for a single-story house, an important milestone on the road to real-world multi-agent construction applications.