Study of Variational Inference for Flexible Distributed Probabilistic Robotics

Abstract

By combining stochastic variational inference with message passing algorithms, we show how to solve the highly complex problem of navigation and avoidance in distributed multi-robot systems in a computationally tractable manner, allowing online implementation. Subsequently, the proposed variational method lends itself to more flexible solutions than prior methodologies. Furthermore, the derived method is verified both through simulations with multiple mobile robots and a real world experiment with two mobile robots. In both cases, the robots share the operating space and need to cross each other’s paths multiple times without colliding.

Keywords

• distributed robotics
• probabilistic robotics
• variational inference
• message-passing algorithm
• stochastic variational inference