Mobile robot navigation

About: Mobile robot navigation is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14713 publications have been published within this topic receiving 263092 citations.

Multi-robot team response to a multi-robot opponent team

Abstract: Adversarial multi-robot problems, where teams of robots compete with one another, require the development of approaches that span all levels of control and integrate algorithms ranging from low-level robot motion control, through to planning, opponent modeling, and multiagent learning. Small-size robot soccer, a league within the RoboCup initiative, is a prime example of this multi-robot team adversarial environment. In this paper, we describe some of the algorithms and approaches of our robot soccer team, CMDragons'02, developed for RoboCup 2002. Our team represents an integration of many components, several of which that are in themselves state-of-the-art, into a framework designed for fast adaptation and response to the changing environment.

A potential field approach to dexterous tactile exploration of unknown objects

Abstract: Haptic exploration of unknown objects is of great importance for acquiring multi-modal object representations, which enable a humanoid robot to autonomously execute grasping and manipulation tasks. In this paper we present a tactile exploration strategy to guide an anthropomorphic five-finger hand along the surface of previously unknown objects and build a 3D object representation based on acquired tactile point clouds. The proposed strategy makes use of the dynamic potential field approach suggested in the context of mobile robot navigation. To demonstrate the capabilities of this strategy, we conduct experiments in a detailed physics simulation using a model of the five-finger hand. Exploration results of several test objects are given.

Pervasive information acquisition for mobile AR-navigation systems

Abstract: Today car-navigation systems are increasingly penetrating the automotive market. However, the need for location-based information systems is no longer limited to cars. Mobile outdoor navigation systems for pedestrians and electronic tourist guides are already available on PDAs. In addition, new indoor positioning technologies extend the area of application for location-based systems. Unfortunately, current navigation systems are burdened by the fact that they are bound to a specific tracking technology (e.g., a car navigation system works exclusively with GPS) and therefore cannot be employed in areas with alternative tracking equipment. Furthermore, the information is provided through an abstract metaphor that the user has to understand and translate into action. We present a new augmented-reality-based paradigm and a framework for mobile navigation systems that pervasively extracts position and orientation information from any sensory source and enhances the association to the real world by combining video techniques and 3D-graphics in an augmented reality view.

Robot Motion Planning in Dynamic Environments with Moving Obstacles and Target

Abstract: This paper presents a new sensor-based online method for generating collision-free near-optimal paths for mobile robots pursuing a moving target amidst dynamic and static obstacles. At each iteration, first the set of all collision-free directions are calculated using velocity vectors of the robot relative to each obstacle and target, forming the Directive Circle (DC), which is a novel concept. Then, a direction close to the shortest path to the target is selected from feasible directions in DC. The DC prevents the robot from being trapped in deadlocks or local minima. It is assumed that the target’s velocity is known, while the speeds of dynamic obstacles, as well as the locations of static obstacles, are to be calculated online. Extensive simulations and experimental results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed method and its success in coping with complex environments and obstacles. Keywords—Dynamic Environment, Moving Target, Robot Motion Planning.

Integrated mapping and navigation application

Abstract: For a device that executes an integrated map and navigation application, a method for providing different operational modes of the application is described. The method provides a first operational mode for browsing and searching a map and a second operational mode for providing a navigation presentation that provides a set of navigation directions along a navigated route by reference to the map.