In this paper we propose a periodic solution to the problem of persistently covering a finite set of interest points with a group of autonomous mobile agents. These agents visit periodically the points and spend some time carrying out the coverage task, which we call coverage time. Since this periodic persistent coverage problem is NP-hard, we split it into three subproblems to counteract its complexity. In the first place, we plan individual closed paths for the agents to cover all the points. Second, we formulate a quadratically constrained linear program to find the optimal coverage times and actions that satisfy the coverage objective. Finally, we join together the individual plans of the agents in a periodic team plan by obtaining a schedule that guarantees collision avoidance. To this end, we solve a mixed integer linear program that minimizes the time in which two or more agents move at the same time. Eventually, we apply the proposed solution to an induction hob with mobile inductors for a domestic heating application and show its performance with experiments on a real prototype.

翻译：本文提出了一种利用自主移动智能体群持续覆盖有限兴趣点的周期性解决方案。这些智能体周期性地访问目标点并花费一定时间执行覆盖任务，我们称之为覆盖时间。鉴于该周期性持续覆盖问题属于NP难问题，我们将其分解为三个子问题以降低复杂度。首先，为每个智能体规划覆盖所有目标点的独立闭环路径；其次，构建二次约束线性规划模型，求解满足覆盖目标的最优覆盖时间与行为；最后，通过获取保证避碰的时间表，将各智能体的独立规划整合为周期性团队计划。为此，我们求解了一个混合整数线性规划问题，以最小化两个及以上智能体同时运动的时间。最终，我们将所提方案应用于采用移动感应器的家用电磁炉加热场景，并在实际原型机上通过实验验证了其性能。