Abstract
We consider a robot-location assignment problem. The problem is confounded by a location network that restricts robots' motion to neighboring locations. The problem can be optimally solved using a centralized Hungarian algorithm. We propose a distributed game-theoretic algorithm, based on the Metropolis-Hastings mechanism, to eliminate the need for a central coordinator. Agents are activated at random. Agents compare their action, location, against a neighboring one based on the location network. If the new location represents an improvement in agent's utility, they move with probability one, otherwise, they move with a probability proportional to the difference in the two locations' utilities. Our algorithm converges to the optimal assignment of robots to locations. We provide extensive simulations, compare with previous work, and demonstrate the versatility of the proposed algorithm to various task allocation scenarios.