An improved Tangent Bug method integrated with artificial potential field for multi-robot path planning

This paper introduces the utilization of the wall following concept for path planning of multi-robots and proposes an improved Tangent Bug method to avoid falling in local minima encountered by the artificial potential field (APF) method used in real-time path planning. In the new algorithm, more reliable switching and merging conditions are designed to guarantee the success of escape. This method controls a team of robots with a deformable geometry, compliant with nearby static or dynamic obstacles including those represented by each robot team-mates. The robots are virtually linked to each other by the influence of artificial potentials that asymptotically stabilize the formation and keep all the robots separated by specified distances. Simulation studies have been carried out to verify the validity of the proposed method.