Time-sensitive, sensor-based, joint planning and control of mobile robots in cluttered spaces: A harmonic potential approach

This paper suggests an integrated navigation control system for time critical missions. The navigation control is derived from a harmonic potential field. It is designed to enable a mobile agent to proceed to a target point in an unknown environment without the need for a dedicated exploration and map-building stage. The agent, en route to the target, collects and processes only the necessary and sufficient sensory data needed to successfully execute the mission. Sensing, processing and all related activities needed to generate mobility are carried-out in real-time at the servo-level. The structure of the navigation control is described in details. Experimental results are provided as a proof of principle.