Distributed unmanned ground vehicle navigation in coordinate-free and localization-free wireless sensor and actuator networks

We present a distributed algorithm for the navigation of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) towards a set of identified target nodes in coordinate-free and localization-free wireless sensor and actuator networks. The navigation algorithm proceeds in two phases: first, a node level is determined based on a hop distance from the target nodes, which is accomplished by the network nodes without the need for any UGV action; and second, the UGV uses potential fields created by the network actuators to move towards the target nodes, requiring cooperation between certain actuator nodes and the UGV. The hop distance to the target nodes is used to control the main moving direction while the potential field, which can be measured by listeners on the UGV, is used to determine the UGV´s movement. The major contribution of this paper is that the algorithm is fully distributed compared to the existing results in the field, which is suitable for real-time implementation. Meanwhile, the presenting algorithm uses three actuators to generate a potential field, which makes the algorithm more robust and flexible. A study on the communication complexity of the algorithm is presented as well as simulation examples that verify the presented algorithm.