A Multi-layered Motion Controller for a Mobile Robot Implemented With Fuzzy Logic

The objective of this research is to develop a simple motion controller that can direct a robot safely through a complex environmnent. The controller combines a layered control architecture with a fuzzy control implementation. Layered control is a strategy in which a complex controller is segregated into simpler layers of control that are easily implemented. A method of arbitration is used to resolve the outputs of the individual controllers into a single control action. In this paper, three layers of control are created including a protection layer, an orientation layer, and a proportional-plus-derivative layer. Each layer of control is developed using fuzzy logic control. Computer simulations are used to validate the controller design, which proves to be highly effective at traversing complex environments without the need for extensive sensory capability or advanced knowledge of the environment.