Leader-follower Behavior in Multi-agent Systems for Search and Rescue Based on PSO Approach

Natural disasters happen when no one expects them, and they can cause human casualties. The disaster’s victims can include rescue personnel in most cases. For this reason, the use of robotic systems for disaster relief and mitigation has been proposed. The robots usually carry out search, rescue, and assistance tasks for victims in the disaster zone. We propose using leader-follower behavior for victim assistance tasks development in disaster zones. The multi-robot system follows a team leader who knows the victim’s location. The leader-follower behavior is generated through the use of the PSO approach. The proposed method is evaluated using virtual models of the physical drone platforms. The evaluation of the proposed system was performed using the PyBullet system. The test evaluates aggregation and leader-follower behavior. The PSO approach demonstrates the generation of Leader-follower behavior, and the formation error is evaluated.