Robust collision avoidance for autonomous mobile robots in unknown environments

Abstract

This paper presents a new collision avoidance method for mobile robots operating in unknown cluttered environments. The proposed method computes the steering angle based on the location of all obstacles surrounding the robot, not just the closest one. Hence, our technique is capable of generating smooth robot trajectories, particularly for unstructured environments. Moreover, the stability of the robot’s motion is improved by providing a smoother bridge between avoiding obstacles and approaching the goal. Oscillations occurring in narrow corridors are reduced by considering the distribution of obstacles to both sides of the direction of motion. Simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach.