Mobile Robot Path Planning using Voronoi Diagram and Fast Marching

Abstract

This chapter presents a new sensor-based path planner, which gives a fast local or global motion plan capable to incorporate new obstacles data. Within the first step, the safest areas in the environment are extracted by means of a Voronoi Diagram. Within the second step, the fast marching method is applied to the Voronoi extracted areas so as to get the trail. This strategy combines map-based and sensor-based designing operations to supply a reliable motion plan, whereas it operates at the frequency of the sensor. The most interesting characteristics are high speed and reliability, as the map dimensions are reduced to a virtually one-dimensional map and this map represents the safest areas within the environment.