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Real-time obstacle avoidance for multiple mobile robots

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2009

Farbod Fahimi ,
C. Nataraj  and
Hashem Ashrafiuon
Farbod Fahimi*
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada
C. Nataraj
Affiliation:
Center for Nonlinear Dynamics & Control (CENDAC), Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, US
Hashem Ashrafiuon
Affiliation:
Center for Nonlinear Dynamics & Control (CENDAC), Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, US
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: ffahimi@ualberta.ca
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Summary

An efficient, simple, and practical real time path planning method for multiple mobile robots in dynamic environments is introduced. Harmonic potential functions are utilized along with the panel method known in fluid mechanics. First, a complement to the traditional panel method is introduced to generate a more effective harmonic potential field for obstacle avoidance in dynamically changing environments. Second, a group of mobile robots working in an environment containing stationary and moving obstacles is considered. Each robot is assigned to move from its current position to a goal position. The group is not forced to maintain a formation during the motion. Every robot considers the other robots of the group as moving obstacles and hence the physical dimensions of the robots are also taken into account. The path of each robot is planned based on the changing position of the other robots and the position of stationary and moving obstacles. Finally, the effectiveness of the scheme is shown by modeling an arbitrary number of mobile robots and the theory is validated by several computer simulations and hardware experiments.

Keywords

Trajectory planningmultiple robotsobstacle avoidancepotential field methodharmonic potentialspanel method
Type
Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , March 2009 , pp. 189 - 198
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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