Robot Navigation Based on Discrimination of Artificial Fields: Application to Single Robots

Abstract

The paper introduces a method for local navigation of mobile robots based on the discrimination of multiple artificial fields, which correspond to targets, obstacles, robots and, if this is the case, robot collectives. Instead of just adding up all potentials, the robot discerns the pertinent potentials at its location and applies a set of motion decisions at each moment. Satisfactory results are obtained. This is the first paper of a more extensive work dealing with individual robots, unorganized groups of robot and robot formations. Here, the method is introduced, with examples for a single robot and for several independent robots.