Advances in Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning: Persistent Autonomy and Robot Learning Lab Report 2024

Abstract: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) approaches have emerged as popular solutions to address the general challenges of cooperation in multi-agent environments, where the success of achieving shared or individual goals critically depends on the coordination and collaboration between agents. However, existing cooperative MARL methods face several challenges intrinsic to multi-agent systems, such as the curse of dimensionality, non-stationarity, and the need for a global exploration strategy. Moreover, the presence of agents with constraints (e.g., limited battery life, restricted mobility) or distinct roles further exacerbates these challenges. This document provides an overview of recent advances in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) conducted at the Persistent Autonomy and Robot Learning (PeARL) lab at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. We briefly discuss various research directions and present a selection of approaches proposed in our most recent publications. For each proposed approach, we also highlight potential future directions to further advance the field.