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Application of Heuristic Asymmetric Mapping for mobile robot navigation using ultrasonic sensors

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Abstract

In this paper, an experimental study of a navigation system that allows a mobile robot to travel in an environment about which it has no prior knowledge is described. Data from multiple ultrasonic range sensors are fused into a representation called Heuristic Asymmetric Mapping to deal with the problem of uncertainties in the raw sensory data caused mainly by the transducer's beam-opening angle and specular reflections. It features a fast data-refresh rate to handle a dynamic environment. Potential-field method is used for on-line path planning based on the constructed gridtype sonar map. The mobile robot can therefore learn to find a safe path according to its self-built sonar map. To solve the problem of local minima in conventional potential field method, a new type of potential function is formulated. This new method is simple and fast in execution using the concept from distance-transform path-finding algorithms. The developed navigation system has been tested on our experimental mobile robot to demonstrate its possible application in practical situations. Several interesting simulation and experimental results are presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Control Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, 300, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC

    Kai-Tai Song & Chun-Chieh Chen

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  1. Kai-Tai Song
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  2. Chun-Chieh Chen
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This work was supported partly by the National Science Council of Taiwan, ROC under the grant NSC-82-0422-E-009-321.

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Song, KT., Chen, CC. Application of Heuristic Asymmetric Mapping for mobile robot navigation using ultrasonic sensors. Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems 17, 243–264 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339663

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00339663

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