A three-layered hierarchical path control system for mobile robots: Algorithms and experiments

摘要

Autonomous operation of mobile robots in unknown cluttered environments is one of the cornerstones of future applications of autonomous systems. This paper presents a three-layered hierarchical path control system for guiding a mobile robot through an unprepared cramped workspace to a specified goal point. It is assumed that the location of the robot with respect to a fixed world frame is provided by a suitable localization algorithm. The path control consists of three modules: global planning, local navigation, and collision avoidance. Each module is restricted to a subtask of limited competence and responsibility, allowing for on-line implementation within the associated time frames. The main emphasis is placed on achieving satisfactory performance with a minimum effort in sensing and computer hardware. Experimental results with the Siemens mobile platform ROAMER illustrate the methodology and performance of the path control system in unprepared cluttered environments.