Value of Incomplete Information in Mobile Target Allocation

In this paper, we consider a decentralized approach to the multi-agent target allocation problem where agents are partitioned in two groups and every member of each group is a possible target for the members of the opposite group. Each agent has a limited communication range (radius) and individual preferences for the target allocation based on its individual local utility function. Furthermore, all agents are mobile and the allocation is achieved through a proposed dynamic iterative auction algorithm. Every agent in each step finds its best target based on the auction algorithm and the exchange of information with connected agents and moves towards it without any insight in the decision-making processes of other agents in the system. In the case of connected communication graph among all agents, the algorithm results in an optimal allocation solution. We explore the deterioration of the allocation solution in respect to the decrease of the quantity of the information exchanged among agents and agents’ varying communication range when the latter is not sufficient to maintain connected communication graph.