Multi-Agent Path Finding

Also known as MAPF

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Overview

Multi-agent path finding studies how to route agents to their goals without collisions, often minimizing travel cost or completion time; in lifelong settings, agents repeatedly receive new tasks. Classical methods include Conflict-Based Search and space-time search for high-quality or optimal plans, while prioritized planning, PIBT, and LaCAM trade some solution quality for scalability. Other approaches use learning, local communication, optimization, or hybrid methods that combine fast planning with conflict repair, and many now address task assignment, congestion, and execution on real robots. A central tension is balancing guarantees and realistic motion or disturbances against the speed and scale needed for dense fleets.

Latest papers

CardsList

93 papers13 papers in the last four weeks, up 44% on the four weeks before. 0.1% of all new papers.

  1. Learning to Communicate Locally for Large-Scale Multi-Agent Pathfinding

    May 8, 2026Valeriy Vyaltsev, Alsu Sagirova, Anton Andreychuk +5Multi-Agent CoordinationRobust MAPF

    CogAI Lab, Moscow, Russia

  2. Optimized and kinematically feasible multi-agent motion planning

    May 3, 2026Anja Hellander, Kristoffer Bergman, Daniel AxehillConstrained Motion PlanningTrajectory Optimization

    Division of Automatic Control, Linköping University, Sweden · Saab AB, Linköping, Sweden

  3. Should I Replan? Learning to Spot the Right Time in Robust MAPF Execution

    Apr 28, 2026David Zahrádka, David Woller, Denisa Mužíková +2Robust MAPFMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague · Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague · Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czechia. +1

  4. Scalable Algorithms with Provable Optimality Bounds for the Multiple Watchman Route Problem

    Apr 17, 2026Srikar Gouru, Ariel Felner, Jiaoyang LiMulti-Robot Motion PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Carnegie Mellon University · Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

  5. Karma Mechanisms for Decentralised, Cooperative Multi Agent Path Finding

    Apr 9, 2026Kevin Riehl, Julius Schlapbach, Anastasios Kouvelas +1Multi-Agent Path FindingMechanism Design

    Traffic Engineering Group, Institute for Transportation Planning and Systems, ETH Zürich, Stefano Franscini Platz 3, 8053 Zürich, Switzerland.

  6. Train-Small Deploy-Large: Leveraging Diffusion-Based Multi-Robot Planning

    Apr 8, 2026Siddharth Singh, Soumee Guha, Qing Chang +1Multi-Robot Motion PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia · Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Virginia

  7. Multi-Agent Pathfinding with Non-Unit Integer Edge Costs via Enhanced Conflict-Based Search and Graph Discretization

    Apr 7, 2026Hongkai Fan, Qinjing Xie, Bo Ouyang +4Safe Interval Path PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    College of Electrical and Information Engineering at Hunan University · China Mobile Group Hunan Company Limited, Changsha 410082, China

  8. Certificate-Driven Closed-Loop Multi-Agent Path Finding with Inheritable Factorization

    Apr 1, 2026Jiarui Li, Runyu Zhang, Gioele ZardiniMulti-Agent Path FindingConflict-Based Search

    The authors are with the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

  9. Large Neighborhood Search for Multi-Agent Task Assignment and Path Finding with Precedence Constraints

    Mar 30, 2026Viraj Parimi, Brian C. WilliamsMulti-Agent Path FindingMulti-Robot Task Allocation

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  10. CREST: Constraint-Release Execution for Multi-Robot Warehouse Shelf Rearrangement

    Mar 27, 2026Jiaqi Tan, Yudong Luo, Sophia Huang +2Multi-Robot SystemsRobotics

    School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada · HEC Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 2A7, Canada · Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA

  11. CTS-PLL: A Robust and Anytime Framework for Collaborative Task Sequencing and Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Mar 26, 2026Junkai Jiang, Yitao Xu, Ruochen Li +2Multi-Agent PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

  12. Relaxing Constraints in Anonymous Multi Agent Path Finding for Large Agents

    Mar 25, 2026Stepan Dergachev, Dmitry AvdeevMulti-Agent Path FindingConstrained Motion Planning

    HSE University, Moscow, Russia · FRC CSC RAS, Moscow, Russia

  13. Learning-guided Prioritized Planning for Lifelong Multi-Agent Path Finding in Warehouse Automation

    Mar 25, 2026Han Zheng, Yining Ma, Brandon Araki +2Warehouse AutomationMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA · Symbotic, Wilmington, MA, USA

  14. Planning over MAPF Agent Dependencies via Multi-Dependency PIBT

    Mar 24, 2026Zixiang Jiang, Yulun Zhang, Rishi Veerapaneni +1Kinodynamic Motion PlanningMotion Planning

    University Of Melbourne · Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

  15. Optimal Path Planning in Hostile Environments

    Mar 19, 2026Andrzej Kaczmarczyk, Šimon Schierreich, Nicholas Axel Tanujaya +1Multi-Agent Path FindingGraph-Based Planning

    Czech Technical University in Prague · AGH University of Krakow · Bina Nusantara University +1

  16. Conflict-Based Search for Multi Agent Path Finding with Asynchronous Actions

    Mar 19, 2026Xuemian Wu, Shizhe Zhao, Zhongqiang RenMulti-Agent Path FindingConflict-Based Search

    Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

  17. Conflict Mitigation in Shared Environments using Flow-Aware Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Mar 13, 2026Lukas Heuer, Yufei Zhu, Luigi Palmieri +4Multi-Robot Motion PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    L. Heuer, Y. Zhu and M. Magnusson - Örebro University · L. Palmieri, A. Rudenko and A. Mannucci - Bosch Research · A. Rudenko - Technical University of Munich +1

  18. GRACE: A Unified 2D Multi-Robot Path Planning Simulator & Benchmark for Grid, Roadmap, And Continuous Environments

    Mar 11, 2026Chuanlong Zang, Anna Mannucci, Isabelle Barz +3Multi-Robot Motion PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Robert Bosch GmbH, Corporate Research, Stuttgart, Germany. · Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

  19. Decoupling Geometric Planning and Execution in Scalable Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Mar 11, 2026Fernando Salanova, Eduardo Montijano, Cristian MahuleaMulti-Agent PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Dept. of Systems Engineering and Computer Science, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

  20. A Lightweight Traffic Map for Efficient Anytime LaCAM*

    Mar 9, 2026Bojie Shen, Yue Zhang, Zhe Chen +1Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Monash University, Faculty of Information Technology

  21. SPARC: Spatial-Aware Path Planning via Attentive Agent Communication

    Mar 3, 2026Sayang Mu, Xiangyu Wu, Bo AnMulti-Robot Motion PlanningDecentralized Multi-Agent Motion Planning

    Nanyang Technological University Singapore

  22. Multi-Agent-Based Simulation of Archaeological Mobility in Uneven Landscapes

    Mar 3, 2026Chairi Kiourt, Vassilis Evangelidis, Dimitris GrigoropoulosAgent-Based ModelingMulti-Agent Path Finding

  23. Optimization of Edge Directions and Weights for Mixed Guidance Graphs in Lifelong Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Feb 26, 2026Yulun Zhang, Varun Bhatt, Matthew C. Fontaine +2Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University · Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California · Lila Sciences

  24. Conflict-Based Search for Multi-Agent Path Finding with Elevators

    Feb 24, 2026Haitong He, Xuemian Wu, Shizhe Zhao +1Conflict-Based SearchMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Global College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.

  25. Lifelong Scalable Multi-Agent Realistic Testbed and A Comprehensive Study on Design Choices in Lifelong AGV Fleet Management Systems

    Feb 17, 2026Jingtian Yan, Yulun Zhang, Zhenting Liu +5Multi-Robot SystemsMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University · Symbotic

  26. Scalable Multi-Robot Path Planning via Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization

    Feb 16, 2026Javier González VillasmilMulti-Robot Motion PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

  27. Adaptive-Horizon Conflict-Based Search for Closed-Loop Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Feb 12, 2026Jiarui Li, Federico Pecora, Runyu Zhang +1Conflict-Based SearchMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA · independent contributor

  28. Precomputing Multi-Agent Path Replanning Using Temporal Flexibility

    Jan 8, 2026Issa Hanou, Eric Kemmeren, Devin Wild Thomas +1Safe Interval Path PlanningMulti-Agent Path Finding

    Delft University of Technology · University of New Hampshire

  29. From Discrete Plans to Real-World Execution: A World-Model-Driven Framework for Execution-Aware Multi-Agent Path Finding

    Nov 26, 2025Jingtian Yan, Shuai Zhou, He Jiang +2Multi-Robot Motion PlanningWorld Models for Robotics

    This paper was produced by the IEEE Publication Technology Group. They are in Piscataway, NJ.

  30. Continuous-Space Roadmap Generation for Mobile Robot Fleets with Distance Constraints and Geometry-Aware Discretization

    Nov 10, 2025Marvin Rüdt, Constantin Enke, Kai FurmansMulti-Robot Motion PlanningConstrained Motion Planning

    Institute for Material Handling and Logistics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.