Local path planning in dynamic environments with uncertainty

Abstract

We address the problem of planning a safe path for a mobile robot, in the presence of moving obstacles, based on local information. We consider constraints on the speed and the acceleration of the robot. Moreover, we take into account the uncertainty in estimating the velocity of each obstacle. The concept of safety is used to design a planning strategy. A path which maximizes the product of safety based on local information, attraction towards the goal, and time-to-collision, is chosen. The safety function depends on the acceleration bounds. The attraction towards goal depends on the distance from the goal. Time-to-collision depends on how far the robot is from a moving obstacle. Simulation results of this approach are presented.<>