  Spatial multi-agency has been receiving growing attention from researchers
exploring many of the aspects and modalities of this phenomenon. The aim is to
develop the theoretical background needed for a multitude of applications
involving the sharing of resources by more than one agent. A traffic management
system is one of these applications. Here, a large group of mobile robots that
are operating in communication-limited, and sensory-limited modes are required
to cope with each others presence as well as the contents of their environment
while preserving their ability to reach their preset, independent goals. This
work explores the construction of a decentralized traffic controller for a
large group of agents sharing a workspace with stationary forbidden regions.
The suggested multi-agent motion controller is complete provided that a lenient
condition on the geometry of the workspace is upheld. It has a low
computational effort that linearly increases with the number of agents. The
controller is also self-organizing; therefore, it is able to deal, on its own,
with incomplete information and unexpected situations. In addition to the
above, the controller has an open structure to enable any agent to join or
leave the group without the remaining agents having to adjust the manner in
which they function. To meet these requirements, a definition of
decentralization is suggested. This definition equates decentralization to
self-organization in a group of agents operating in an artificial life mode.
The definition is used to provide guidelines for the construction of the
multi-agent controller. The controller is realized using the potential field
approach. Theoretical developments, as well as simulation results, are
provided.
