A Model-Free Algorithm of Moving Ball Interception by Holonomic Robot Using Geometric Approach

Abstract

In this paper, one common problem for the teams competing in the RoboCup Small Size League (SSL) is addressed, namely the interception of a moving ball at an arbitrary aspect angle relative to the direction of the shot. We present a simple, robust and efficient algorithm for the interception of a moving ball by an omnidirectional SSL robot. The algorithm, designed on the basis of a heuristic approach, requires minimal knowledge of robot dynamics and relies on two key ideas. The first idea is the consideration of ball motion via transition to a reference frame where the ball is static, and the second one is planning the motion of the robot in such a reference frame from the geometric viewpoint. Experiments conducted in a real SSL environment confirmed the beneficial properties of the algorithm: it provides successful interception in a variety of scenarios, characterized by different directions of ball motion and the positional relationships between the ball, robot and goal.