Moving game theoretical patrolling strategies from theory to practice: An USARSim simulation

Game theoretical approaches have been recently used to develop patrolling strategies for mobile robots. The idea is that the patroller and the intruder play a game, whose outcome depends on the combination of their actions. From the analysis of this game, an optimal strategy for the patrolling robot can be derived. Although game theoretical approaches are promising, their applicability in real settings is still an open problem. In this paper, we experimentally evaluate the practical applicability of the most general game theoretical approach for patrolling strategies, called BGA model. Experiments are conducted by using USARSim, with the goal of studying the behavior of the optimal patrolling strategy returned by the BGA model both in situations that violate its idealized assumptions and in comparison with other patrolling strategies that can be developed with much less computational effort.