Real-time collision avoidance method for unmanned ground vehicle

In this paper, a real-time collision avoidance method is proposed for unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). To ensure real-time implementation, virtual force fields are calculated in on dimensional space. The steering force field is generated by the steering command either transmitted in the remote control station or calculated in the autonomous navigation system (ANS) of the UGV. The obstacle force field is generated by range data obtained from a laser range finder (LRF) mounted on the UGV. Using the integrated force field overlapped these steering and obstacle force fields modified steering, velocity and emergency stop commands are created to avoid obstacles and follow a planned path. The suggested method is inserted as one component in the experimental autonomous vehicle (XAV) system. Through various real experiments and tests using the XAV, the usefulness and practicality of the proposed method are verified.