Time Optimal Path Planning for Mobile Robots in Dynamic Environments

This paper aims to develop a control method by using artificial potential field with the addition of an algorithm that implements an online time-optimal collision avoidance strategy for a robot to move through a partially known dynamic environment. In many applications, robots are required to move along a predefined path if there are no moving obstacles. When moving obstacles are encountered a collision avoidance strategy must be employed. In this paper, a control strategy is developed to address these two requirements. This is done by using the potential field to follow the predefined paths and to avoid the obstacle. The time-optimal issue is then taken into consideration, when moving obstacles are encountered, to decide if the robot is to move around obstacles or wait until obstacles moving out of the robot path. Simulation results shown that a significant time saving (around 10%) can be achieved using the proposed method.