Heterogeneous Multiagent Task Allocation Based on Graph-Based Convolutional Assignment Neural Network

Task allocation in complex multiagent systems involves assigning tasks to agents with varying capabilities to optimize overall performance. The challenge lies in selecting the most suitable agent for each task, considering the agents’ heterogeneity and the intricate relationships between tasks. Traditional methods often fail to capture this complexity. To address these limitations, we propose the graph multiagent task allocation neural network (GMATANN), a novel approach utilizing a graph attention mechanism. GMATANN models the interactions between agents and tasks through a task-agent graph, where both agents and tasks are represented as nodes, and their associations are depicted as edges. The graph attention mechanism is crucial for capturing the key relationships and ensuring effective information flow between nodes. By learning attention weights, the network automatically identifies which agents are best suited for specific tasks. We employ a neural network framework based on this attention mechanism to train and evaluate the method. Simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of GMATANN, achieving a task allocation accuracy of 92.3% and a reliability of 94.2%, outperforming traditional approaches. This innovative method offers a new strategy for complex task allocation in multiagent systems, providing an adaptive solution that selects suitable agents for diverse tasks, thereby enhancing system efficiency.