The potential field method and the nonlinear attractor dynamics approach: what are the differences?

摘要

One of the most popular approaches to path planning and control is thepotential field method. This method is particularly attractive because it is suitablefor on-line feedback control. In this approach the gradient of a potential field is usedto generate the robot's trajectory. Thus, the path is generated by the transientsolutions of a dynamical system. On the other hand, in the nonlinear attractordynamic approach the path is generated by a sequence of attractor solutions. Thisway the transient solutions of the potential field method are replaced by a sequenceof attractor solutions (i.e., asymptotically stable states) of a dynamical system. Wediscuss at a theoretical level some of the main differences of these two approaches.