Tracking and following algorithms for mobile robots for service activities in dynamic environments

Abstract

Providing robots with the capability of following human targets can allow them to assist people in various ways in different environments. One of the main difficulties in performing human tracking and following is the occlusion problem caused by static and dynamic obstacles. This paper addresses the occlusion problem by planning a robotic trajectory to maximize target visibility and following the moving target. Initially, a laser range finder is used to detect the human target and then robustly track the target using the Kalman filter. Afterward, a human following algorithm based on a look-ahead algorithm, DWA*, is implemented to pursue the target while avoiding static or dynamic obstacles. Extensive experiments were conducted to test to evaluate robot maneuvers and several field tests were conducted in more complex environments such as a student cafeteria, computer center, and university library.