Perception of small-obstacles using ultrasonic sensors and its avoidance method in robot

Abstract

The research on the avoidance of the large-obstacles such as a wall, a large box, etc. using ultrasonic sensors has been generally progressed up to now. But the mobile robot could meet a small-obstacle such as a small plastic bottle, a small sphere, and so on in its designated path, and could be disturbed by them in the locomotion of the mobile robot. So, it is necessary to research on the avoidance of a small-obstacle. In this paper, a robot's small-obstacle perceiving system was designed and fabricated by arranging four ultrasonic sensors on the plastic plate to avoid small-obstacles. The system was installed on the upper part of the mobile robot with the slope angles between <TEX>$40.7^{\circ}$</TEX> and <TEX>$23.3^{\circ}$</TEX> to a horizontal line and the dynamic characteristic test of the robot was performed. As the result, it was confirmed that the mobile robot with the system could avoid small-obstacles in indoor environment safely.