Configuration spaces and braid groups on graphs in robotics

Abstract

Configuration spaces of distinct labeled points on the plane are of practical relevance in designing safe control schemes for Automated Guided Vehicles (robots) in industrial settings. In this announcement, we consider the problem of the construction and classification of configuration spaces for graphs. Topological data associated to these spaces (eg, dimension, braid groups) provide an effective measure of the complexity of the control problem. The spaces are themselves topologically interesting objects: we show that they are $K(\pi_1,1)$ spaces whose homological dimension is bounded by the number of essential vertices. Hence, the braid groups are torsion-free.