Robot navigation in a known environment with unknown moving obstacles

We propose a new type of artificial potential field, that we call hybrid potential field, to navigate a robot in situations in which the environment is known except for unknown and possibly moving obstacles. We show how to compute hybrid potential fields in real time and use them to control the motions of a real robot. Our method is tested on both a real robot and a simulated one. We present a feature matching approach for position error correction that we have validated experimentally with our mobile robot. We show extensive simulation results with up to 50 randomly moving obstacles.     

Path-planning strategies for a point mobile automaton moving amidst unknown obstacles of arbitrary shape

The problem of path planning for an automaton moving in a two-dimensional scene filled with unknown obstacles is considered. The automaton is presented as a point; obstacles can be of an arbitrary shape, with continuous boundaries and of finite size; no restriction on the size of the scene is imposed. The information available to the automaton is limited to its own current coordinates and those of the target position. Also, when the automaton hits an obstacle, this fact is detected by the automaton's tactile sensor. This information is shown to be sufficient for reaching the target or concluding in finite time that the target cannot be reached. A worst-case lower bound on the length of paths generated by any algorithm operating within the framework of the accepted model is developed; the bound is expressed in terms of the perimeters of the obstacles met by the automaton in the scene. Algorithms that guarantee reaching the target (if the target is reachable), and tests for target reachability are presented. The efficiency of the algorithms is studied, and worst-case upper bounds on the length of generated paths are produced.Supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant DMC-8519542.     

基于改进速度障碍法的多机器人避碰规划算法

针对多移动机器人运动协调中的动态安全避碰问题,在分析速度障碍法原理的基础上,设计用于机器人之间相互避让的互动速度法则,并通过制定机器人的碰撞时间、碰撞距离因子对构型障碍的大小进行实时调整,把运动障碍物、动力学约束下的多步可达窗口、目标点都映射到一种速度变化空间当中,使多机器人的动态避碰问题转化为一种最优化问题,并构造了新的优化评价函数;设计了基于改进速度障碍法的机器人动态避碰规划算法。仿真实验表明,该方法有效地克服了碰撞冲突,实现了多机器人之间的运动协调控制,提高了机器人追踪运动目标的快速性。     

基于预测窗的轮式移动机器人最优避障避碰算法

针对非线性轮式移动机器人的避障以及多机器人间的相互避碰问题,提出了一种基于预测窗的避障避碰算法.首先为了便于预测碰撞的发生,通过反馈线性化将非线性的机器人运动学模型转化成线性模型;然后根据线性模型预测会导致机器人发生碰撞的所有相对虚拟加速度变化量集合,称之为加速度变化障碍.基于此,为每个机器人构造既能躲避障碍物又能相互避碰的可行加速度变化集合.然后通过优化指标函数求得最优虚拟加速度变化量,最后将其转换成机器人的实际控制量.这种算法与现有的相比,可使机器人在避障或避碰过程中的行驶方向角、线速度的变化幅值更小,角速度和线加速度的变化更为平顺,而且运行所用的平均时间更短.仿真结果演示了所提出算法的有效性和相对于已有方法的优势.     

未知环境下基于可拓策略的路径规划

摘要：将可拓策略应用于移动机器人路径规划,提出了一种新的路径规划算法。该方法在绕障时引入临时目标,模拟了人在未知环境中的路径选择,使得环境信息得到有效压缩,避免了在实时计算过程中对复杂环境的建模。基于安全距离的关联函数得到的评价函数,使得所选路径更加平滑,并且降低了对机器人自身控制及传感器测量精度的要求。由于拟人策略的鲁棒性,极大地缓解了其他传统方法的振荡及局部最小现象。实验及仿真均表明该方法实时性好,规划所得路径优于已有方法。     

Optimal and suboptimal motion planning for collision avoidance of mobile robots in non-stationary environments

An optimal control formulation of the problem of collision avoidance of mobile robots moving in terrains containingmoving obstacles is presented. A dynamic model of the mobile robot and the dynamic constraints are derived. Collision avoidance is guaranteed if the minimum distance between the robot and the objects is nonzero. A nominal trajectory is assumed to be known from off-line planning. The main idea is to change the velocity along the nominal trajectory so that collisions are avoided. Furthermore, time consistency with the nominal plan is desirable. Two solutions are obtained: (1) A numerical solution of the optimization problem and a perturbation type of control to update the optimal plan and (2) A computationally efficient method giving near optimal solutions. Simulation results verify the value of the proposed strategies and allow for comparisons.     

移动机器人未知环境避障研究

针对移动机器人的避障问题,以AS-R移动机器人为实验平台,提出了一种改进人工势场和模糊逻辑相结合的路径规划方法.对于未知障碍物环境采用人工势场法进行实时路径规划,对于动态近距离动态障碍物采用模糊逻辑方法引导机器人做出避障行为.为了有效将2种方法结合,根据传感器信息对于人工势场方法引入转角的信任度,机器人运行方向由上述2...     

Seeking a path through the crowd: Robot navigation in unknown dynamic environments with moving obstacles based on an integrated environment representation

We present a novel algorithm for collision free navigation of a non-holonomic robot in unknown complex dynamic environments with moving obstacles. Our approach is based on an integrated representation of the information about the environment which does not require to separate obstacles and approximate their shapes by discs or polygons and is very easy to obtain in practice. Moreover, the proposed algorithm does not require any information on the obstacles’ velocities. Under our navigation algorithm, the robot efficiently seeks a short path through the crowd of moving or steady obstacles. A mathematically rigorous analysis of the proposed approach is provided. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated via experiments with a real robot and extensive computer simulations.     

未知环境下基于约束点的移动机器人路径规划

针对未知环境中障碍物种类多样性和位置不确定性的特点,提出了基于约束点的路径规划方法。首先对机器人在未知环境中检测到的局部障碍物信息进行分类和几何特征属性描述,得其约束点信息,然后引入改进后的A*算法,将其搜索范围局限于约束点上,计算约束点的评价函数值后得到子目标点,机器人到达子目标点后,若陷入死区,则采取回溯路径策略,重新选择子目标点,否则根据该点所属的障碍物种类采取跨越或绕行避障策略,最后移动机器人在未知环境中顺利到达目标点。仿真研究说明本文提出的路径规划方法具有可行性和有效性。     

基于情感与环境认知的移动机器人自主导航控制

将基于情感和认知的学习与决策模型引入到基于行为的移动机器人控制体系中, 设计了一种新的自主导航控制系统. 将动力学系统方法用于基本行为设计, 并利用ART2神经网络实现对连续的环境感知状态的分类, 将分类结果作为学习与决策算法中的环境认知状态. 通过在线情感和环境认知学习, 形成合理的行为协调机制. 仿真表明, 情感和环境认知能明显地改善学习和决策过程效率, 提高基于行为的移动机器人在未知环境中的自主导航能力     

Region with velocity constraints: map information and its usage for safe motion planning of a mobile robot in a public environment

Recently, various autonomous mobile robots have been developed for practical use. To support the coexistence of robots and humans in real environments, we propose a concept named ‘Region with Velocity Constraints (RVC),’ which is set around hazardous areas. RVCs are regions where the velocities of the robot are constrained to predefined values. Inside the RVCs, the robot has to reduce its translational velocity to avoid predicted hazards such as collisions with obstacles, and to reduce its rotational velocity to prevent undesirable motions such as sharp turns. We also propose a motion planning method for navigating the mobile robot in an environment with RVCs based on the Navigation Function and Global Dynamic Window Approach. Our method generates a trajectory satisfying both translational and rotational velocity constraints to be compatible with the surroundings. Moreover, to demonstrate the validity of our method, we performed numerical simulations and experiments.     

Design and implementation of a block‐backstepping based tracking control for nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot

This paper presents formulation of a novel block‐backstepping based control algorithm to overcome the challenges posed by the tracking and the stabilization problem for a differential drive wheeled mobile robot (WMR). At first, a two‐dimensional output vector for the WMR has been defined in such a manner that it would decouple the two control inputs and, thereby, allow the designer to formulate the control laws for the two inputs one at a time. Actually, the decoupling has been carried out in a way to convert the system into block‐strict feedback form. Thereafter, block‐backstepping control algorithm has been utilized to derive the expressions of the control inputs for the WMR system. The proposed block‐backstepping technique has further been enriched by incorporating an integral action for enhancing the steady state performance of the overall system. Global asymptotic stability of the overall system has been analyzed using Lyapunov stability criteria. Finally, the proposed control algorithm has been implemented on a laboratory scale differential drive WMR to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control law in real‐time environment. Indeed, the proposed design approach is novel in the sense that it has judiciously exploited the nonholonomic constraint of the WMR to result in a reduced order block‐backstepping controller for the WMR, and thereby, it has eventually yielded a compact expression of the control law that is amenable to real‐time implementation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

多移动机器人协同搬运技术综述

多移动机器人协同搬运系统是多移动机器人系统的典型应用，在一些特殊场合中具有较强的应用潜力。对此，本文综述了多移动机器人协同搬运的相关技术，总结了国内外的发展状况。针对不同的搬运对象，分析比较了抓取、推拉、锁定3种搬运方案，重点分析了不同搬运方案下的多移动机器人协同搬运策略算法原理以及各自的优缺点；概述了多移动机器人搬运系统中涉及的周边技术，主要包括多移动机器人任务分配、环境感知定位、轨迹规划3个方面；最后对多移动机器人协同搬运技术的研究方向进行了展望。     

非确定性环境中移动机器人避障策略的验证 ——基于形式化建模和概率分析

针对存在制动机误差和传感器噪声等因素的移动机器人,提出采用概率模型检测的方法对非确定性环境中移动机器人的避障策略进行验证和定量分析。首先将移动机器人的避障运动和动态障碍物的不确定性运动建模为马尔可夫决策过程。然后运用概率计算树逻辑语言描述移动机器人运动的关键属性并使用概率模型检测工具对其进行验证。最后分析得到移动机器人成功避障所花费的避碰时间,移动机器人到达目标位置所需要的时间和能量以及操作误差发生时的避碰时间对避障策略的影响,并使用MATLAB仿真验证成功避碰时间的正确性。     

Safe and efficient motion planning of multiple mobile robots based on artificial potential for human behavior and robot congestion

In order for robots to exist together with humans, safety for the humans has to be strictly ensured. On the other hand, safety might decrease working efficiency of robots. Namely, this is a trade-off problem between human safety and robot efficiency in a field of human–robot interaction. For this problem, we propose a novel motion planning technique of multiple mobile robots. Two artificial potentials are presented for generating repulsive force. The first potential is provided for humans. The von Mises distribution is used to consider the behavioral property of humans. The second potential is provided for the robots. The Kernel density estimation is used to consider the global robot congestion. Through simulation experiments, the effectiveness of the behavior and congestion potentials of the motion planning technique for human safety and robot efficiency is discussed. Moreover, a sensing system for humans in a real environment is developed. From experimental results, the significance of the behavior potential based on the actual humans is discussed. For the coexistence of humans and robots, it is important to evaluate a mutual influence between them. For this purpose, a virtual space is built using projection mapping. Finally, the effectiveness of the motion planning technique for the human–robot interaction is discussed from the point of view of not only robots but also humans.     

Multirepresentation,Multiheuristic A* search‐based motion planning for a free‐floating underwater vehicle‐manipulator system in unknown environment

A key challenge in autonomous mobile manipulation is the ability to determine, in real time, how to safely execute complex tasks when placed in unknown or changing world. Addressing this issue for Intervention Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (I‐AUVs), operating in potentially unstructured environment is becoming essential. Our research focuses on using motion planning to increase the I‐AUVs autonomy, and on addressing three major challenges: (a) producing consistent deterministic trajectories, (b) addressing the high dimensionality of the system and its impact on the real‐time response, and (c) coordinating the motion between the floating vehicle and the arm. The latter challenge is of high importance to achieve the accuracy required for manipulation, especially considering the floating nature of the AUV and the control challenges that come with it. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrate experimental results performing manipulation in unknown environment. The Multirepresentation, Multiheuristic A* (MR‐MHA*) search‐based planner, previously tested only in simulation and in a known a priori environment, is now extended to control Girona500 I‐AUV performing a Valve‐Turning intervention in a water tank. To this aim, the AUV was upgraded with an in‐house‐developed laser scanner to gather three‐dimensional (3D) point clouds for building, in real time, an occupancy grid map (octomap) of the environment. The MR‐MHA* motion planner used this octomap to plan, in real time, collision‐free trajectories. To achieve the accuracy required to complete the task, a vision‐based navigation method was employed. In addition, to reinforce the safety, accounting for the localization uncertainty, a cost function was introduced to keep minimum clearance in the planning. Moreover a visual‐servoing method had to be implemented to complete the last step of the manipulation with the desired accuracy. Lastly, we further analyzed the approach performance from both loose‐coupling and clearance perspectives. Our results show the success and efficiency of the approach to meet the desired behavior, as well as the ability to adapt to unknown environments.     

An open‐source system for vision‐based micro‐aerial vehicle mapping,planning, and flight in cluttered environments

We present an open‐source system for Micro‐Aerial Vehicle (MAV) autonomous navigation from vision‐based sensing. Our system focuses on dense mapping, safe local planning, and global trajectory generation, especially when using narrow field‐of‐view sensors in very cluttered environments. In addition, details about other necessary parts of the system and special considerations for applications in real‐world scenarios are presented. We focus our experiments on evaluating global planning, path smoothing, and local planning methods on real maps made on MAVs in realistic search‐and‐rescue and industrial inspection scenarios. We also perform thousands of simulations in cluttered synthetic environments, and finally validate the complete system in real‐world experiments.