A modified Hybrid Reciprocal Velocity Obstacles approach for multi-robot motion planning without communication

Abstract

Ensuring a safe online motion planning despite a large number of moving agents is the problem addressed in this paper. Collision avoidance is achieved without communication between the agents and without global localization system. The proposed solution is a modification of the Hybrid Reciprocal Velocity Obstacles (HRVO) combined with a tracking error estimation, in order to adapt the Velocity Obstacle paradigm to agents with kinodynamic constraints and unreliable velocity estimates. This solution, evaluated in simulation and in real test scenario with three dynamic unicycle type robots, shows an improvement over HRVO.