Robot Motion Planning Using Vortex Fields

Abstract

A new method for planning collision-free robot motion in a structured environment is presented. The proposed technique relies on the use of an artificial potential field to drive the robot to its goal while avoiding workspace obstacles. In previous approaches, obstacles are modeled by means of repulsive potentials, which give rise to local minima in the total field, possibly causing the planning algorithm to jam up. The key point of the method here described is to place around the obstacles vortex fields, which force the robot to turn around them to reach its destination, thus preventing the generation of local minima. Simulation results show the improvement gained with the proposed technique.