Improvements on the virtual obstacle method. (23rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Yuan; Shao, Xueming; Chen, Zheng; Zhang, Jing
• Is Part Of: International journal of advanced robotic systems. Volume 17:Number 2(2020:Mar./Apr.)
• Publication Date: 2020-03-23
• Subjects: Virtual obstacle method -- path planning -- artificial potential field -- graph-based method -- navigation; Robotics -- Periodicals; Robotics; Periodicals; 629.892
• DOI: 10.1177/1729881420911763
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1729-8806

Abstract

While the artificial potential field has been widely employed to design path planning algorithms, it is well-known that artificial potential field-based algorithms suffer a severe problem that a robot may sink into a local minimum point. To address such problems, a virtual obstacle method has been developed in the literature. However, a robot may be blocked by virtual obstacles generated during performing the virtual obstacle method if the environments are complex. In this article, an improved virtual obstacle method for local path planning is designed via proposing a new minimum criterion, a new switching condition, and a new exploration force. All the three new contributions allow to overcome the drawbacks of the artificial potential field-based algorithms and the virtual obstacle method. As a consequence, feasible collision-free paths can be found in complex environments, as illustrated by final numerical simulations.