Towards a Line Formation Algorithm to Reduce Congestion in Swarm Robotics

Inspired by natural phenomena such as fish schools and colonies, swarm robotics seeks to solve complex tasks through the cooperation of multiple simple robots. Despite significant advancements, the practical application of these systems faces challenges, particularly in scenarios where multiple robots share the same goal or have different goals within a common space. In such cases, the passage of a group of robots through a shared location can cause congestion. This work proposes an algorithm for line formation in swarm robotics, designed to reduce congestion in environments with spatial constraints. The methodology combines a flocking algorithm to maintain group cohesion with a line formation strategy, enabling robots to organize sequentially when traversing narrow areas. We conducted a series of simulations, varying the number of robots, to evaluate the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly reduces congestion and the time required for a group of robots to pass through a common point. By combining flocking and line formation strategies, we present a promising solution for efficient swarm navigation in environments with spatial constraints, optimizing coordinated movement, and minimizing delays.