Motion planning for mobile robots using the safety velocity obstacles method

Abstract

The main purpose of our work was to develop and implement a motion planning algorithm that can ensure the avoidance of static and moving obstacles in the workspace of the robot. We used the Velocity Obstacles method, which is suitable for motion planning of mobile robots in a dynamic environment. With this method, we planned evasive maneuvers by using information about actual velocity and actual position of the robot and obstacles which information are supposed to be known or well estimated. To choose the velocity of the robot, in the most former publications, the authors always tried to find the velocity, that is the fastest solution to reach the target position. While following such a path, the robot usually goes very close to the obstacles which can result a collision-risk, if only inaccurate size, position and velocity information are available about the obstacles. In our work, next to the fastest target reaching method, we introduced a new method, that can ensure the safest motion planning. We named this method Safety Velocity Obstacles (SVO) method. Simulations were performed to test the motion of the robot determined by SVO.