Path Planning for Mobile Robots

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Computer Science & Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 21543

Special Issue Editors

Department of Design Engineering and Robotics, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: smart factory; robot programming and intelligent robotics; engineering and management of innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Faculty of Engineering, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8501, Japan
Interests: language understanding and commnication; affective computing; computer science; intelligent robot; social computing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of mobile robots and land vehicles in the sense of becoming autonomous is a great concern of researchers and engineers in multidisciplinary fields. Increasing the number of mobile robots and land vehicles, as well as the number of manufacturers, involves the development of applications for road determination, including similar structures, such that, regardless of the manufacturer or user, the semantics are easy to adopt.

The need to develop applications is primarily due to the specifics of avoiding collisions and, in many other situations, mobile robots or land vehicles can collaborate. We are already talking about the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) in which human–robot interaction systems require a logistical approach, based on the ability of mobile robots to identify and plan a runway.

This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute both with original research articles and reviews highlighting issues related to mobile robot path planning and the challenges of mobile robot path planning applications. At the same time, it can provide solutions to improve planning methods, so that mobile robots can move in structured and unstructured environments.

Technical Program Committee Member:

Dr. Lucian Ștefăniță Grigore, Military Technical Academy Ferdinand I

Dr. Ionica Oncioiu
Prof. Dr. Stelian Brad
Prof. Dr. Fuji Ren
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • path planning
  • mobile robotics
  • autonomous mobile robots
  • multi-modal sensorial systems for robot navigation
  • robot motion models
  • localization and mapping
  • robots and control systems
  • IoT networks
  • intelligent transportation
  • sensor/data fusion
  • network security

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1543 KiB  
Article
Multi-Objective Combinatorial Optimization Using the Cell Mapping Algorithm for Mobile Robots Trajectory Planning
by Efraín Grisales-Ramírez and Gustavo Osorio
Electronics 2023, 12(9), 2105; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12092105 - 04 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1271
Abstract
The use of optimal control theory for motion planning is a challenging task. Cell mapping offers a way to formulate combinatorial optimization problems, allowing the inclusion of complex cost functions as well as multi-objective optimization problems. This paper presents a suboptimal solution for [...] Read more.
The use of optimal control theory for motion planning is a challenging task. Cell mapping offers a way to formulate combinatorial optimization problems, allowing the inclusion of complex cost functions as well as multi-objective optimization problems. This paper presents a suboptimal solution for a trajectory planning problem in a workspace with obstacles, for a differential drive mobile robot. This method relies on the use of any linearization technique that allows the regularization of the combinatorial optimization problem. We explore some classical problems in optimal control, i.e., distance, control effort, and navigation time), as well as the multi-objective optimization problem (MOP). We also performed a comparison with two classical path planning algorithms, namely A and RRT, to validate the proposed method when the multi-objective optimization problem includes distance in the cost function, achieving a compromise of less than 2% for the worst-case scenario for our case study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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28 pages, 1557 KiB  
Article
Evolution of Socially-Aware Robot Navigation
by Silvia Guillén-Ruiz, Juan Pedro Bandera, Alejandro Hidalgo-Paniagua and Antonio Bandera
Electronics 2023, 12(7), 1570; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12071570 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1756
Abstract
In recent years, commercial and research interest in service robots working in everyday environments has grown. These devices are expected to move autonomously in crowded environments, maximizing not only movement efficiency and safety parameters, but also social acceptability. Extending traditional path planning modules [...] Read more.
In recent years, commercial and research interest in service robots working in everyday environments has grown. These devices are expected to move autonomously in crowded environments, maximizing not only movement efficiency and safety parameters, but also social acceptability. Extending traditional path planning modules with socially aware criteria, while maintaining fast algorithms capable of reacting to human behavior without causing discomfort, can be a complex challenge. Solving this challenge has involved the development of proactive systems that take into account cooperation (and not only interaction) with the people around them, the determined incorporation of approaches based on Deep Learning, or the recent fusion with skills coming from the field of human–robot interaction (speech, touch). This review analyzes approaches to socially aware navigation and classifies them according to the strategies followed by the robot to manage interaction (or cooperation) with humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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18 pages, 43411 KiB  
Article
Application of A* Algorithm Based on Extended Neighborhood Priority Search in Multi-Scenario Maps
by Zhiyu You, Keyu Shen, Tao Huang, Yongxin Liu and Xiaofeng Zhang
Electronics 2023, 12(4), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12041004 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1448
Abstract
The robustness of the traditional A* algorithm of path planning is poor due to its excessive number of traversal nodes, slow search speed, and large turning angle. Aiming to solve the above problems, a multi-scenario adaptive A* algorithm based on extended neighborhood priority [...] Read more.
The robustness of the traditional A* algorithm of path planning is poor due to its excessive number of traversal nodes, slow search speed, and large turning angle. Aiming to solve the above problems, a multi-scenario adaptive A* algorithm based on extended neighborhood priority search is proposed. Firstly, this algorithm designs the heuristic function that can adapt to various scene changes by quantifying the scene map information, and the search weight is adjusted adaptively to enhance the robustness and adaptability of the algorithm. Secondly, the search strategy based on extended neighborhood priority is adopted to improve the orientation of the algorithm, and the redundant node removal strategy is used to smooth the path to reduce the number of traversed nodes and the turning angle. Finally, simulation tests are conducted in several representative map environments. The test results show that the proposed algorithm is superior to the traditional A* algorithm due to its stronger robustness and significantly improved performance metrics, with an 84.95% reduction in the number of traversal nodes, an 83.84% reduction in the number of path nodes, a 62.28% reduction in turning points on the path, a 77.38% reduction in the total turning angle, and a 58.47% reduction in the search time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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16 pages, 933 KiB  
Article
A Dual Forward–Backward Algorithm to Solve Convex Model Predictive Control for Obstacle Avoidance in a Logistics Scenario
by Daniele Ludovico, Paolo Guardiani, Alessandro Pistone, Lorenzo De Mari Casareto Dal Verme, Darwin G. Caldwell and Carlo Canali
Electronics 2023, 12(3), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12030622 - 26 Jan 2023
Viewed by 978
Abstract
In recent years, the logistics sector expanded significantly, leading to the birth of smart warehouses. In this context, a key role is represented by autonomous mobile robots, whose main challenge is to find collision-free paths in their working environment in real-time. Model Predictive [...] Read more.
In recent years, the logistics sector expanded significantly, leading to the birth of smart warehouses. In this context, a key role is represented by autonomous mobile robots, whose main challenge is to find collision-free paths in their working environment in real-time. Model Predictive Control Algorithms combined with global path planners, such as the A* algorithm, show great potential in providing efficient navigation for collision avoidance problems. This paper proposes a Dual Forward–Backward Algorithm to find the solution to a Model Predictive Control problem in which the task of driving a mobile robotic platform into a bi-dimensional semi-structured environment is formulated in a convex optimisation framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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20 pages, 7171 KiB  
Article
Improving Path Accuracy of Mobile Robots in Uncertain Environments by Adapted Bézier Curves
by Ioana-Alexandra Șomîtcă, Stelian Brad, Vlad Florian and Ștefan-Eduard Deaconu
Electronics 2022, 11(21), 3568; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11213568 - 01 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1588
Abstract
An algorithm that presents the best possible approximation for the theoretical Bézier curve and the real path on which a mobile robot moves in a dynamic environment with mobile obstacles and boundaries is introduced in this paper. The algorithm is tested on a [...] Read more.
An algorithm that presents the best possible approximation for the theoretical Bézier curve and the real path on which a mobile robot moves in a dynamic environment with mobile obstacles and boundaries is introduced in this paper. The algorithm is tested on a set of scenarios that comprehensively cover critical situations of obstacle avoidance. The selection of scenarios is made by deploying robot navigation performances into constraints and further into descriptive characteristics of the scenarios. Computer-simulated environments are created with dedicated tools (i.e., Gazebo) and modeling and programming technologies (i.e., Robot Operating System (ROS) and Python). It is shown that the proposed algorithm improves the performance of the path for robot navigation in a highly dynamic environment, with dense mobile obstacles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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14 pages, 2220 KiB  
Article
Multi-Objective Navigation Strategy for Guide Robot Based on Machine Emotion
by Dan Chen and Yuncong Ge
Electronics 2022, 11(16), 2482; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11162482 - 09 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1512
Abstract
In recent years, the rapid development of robot technology means more kinds of robots appear in life and they are applied in different fields of society. Service robots are mainly used to provide convenience for human beings. Guide robots are a kind of [...] Read more.
In recent years, the rapid development of robot technology means more kinds of robots appear in life and they are applied in different fields of society. Service robots are mainly used to provide convenience for human beings. Guide robots are a kind of service robot, which can replace manual instruction and guidance. However, most of the existing studies provide a preset guidance trajectory for the guiding robot, or they let the user choose the next target point for position guidance, which is a lack of intelligence. To solve the above problems, a robot navigation strategy based on machine emotion is proposed. Firstly, the machine emotion of the guide robot is established according to the user’s emotional state and environmental information. Then, the machine emotion and current location information are used to estimate the user’s intention, i.e., the most desired next target point. Finally, the classical indoor path planning method and obstacle avoidance method are employed to calculate a passable path between the target point and the current position. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy can execute different navigation strategies according to user emotion. The navigation strategy proposed in this paper has been tested on Pepper robot and received good feedback from the subjects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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25 pages, 9198 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Stiffness of the Robotic Arm on the Position of the Effector of an EOD Robot
by Amado Ștefan, Lucian Ștefăniță Grigore, Ionica Oncioiu, Daniel Constantin, Ștefan Mustață, Vlad Florin Toma, Cristian Molder and Damian Gorgoteanu
Electronics 2022, 11(15), 2355; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11152355 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1671
Abstract
Terrestrial robots are being employed in a variety of sectors and for a variety of objectives. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and validate an analytical–numerical model of a robotic arm’s behavior. The proposed robot was designed to replace human personnel [...] Read more.
Terrestrial robots are being employed in a variety of sectors and for a variety of objectives. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and validate an analytical–numerical model of a robotic arm’s behavior. The proposed robot was designed to replace human personnel who remove ammunition or explosive devices. At the same time, the influence of the stiffness of the EOD robotic arm on the position of the effector in a variety of geometric task configurations was investigated. In order to obtain results relevant to the investigation, the angles of rotation under the load of each component of the arm’s composition and the vertical movement of the effector were measured. The main conclusions emphasize that a lower stiffness comes from the components of linear motors, which act on the elements of the robotic arm, and they substantially influence the elastic behavior of the arm. In addition, the constructive components of the arm have high rigidity compared to those of the linear actuators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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20 pages, 761 KiB  
Article
Effective Parametrization of Low Order Bézier Motion Primitives for Continuous-Curvature Path-Planning Applications
by Sašo Blažič and Gregor Klančar
Electronics 2022, 11(11), 1709; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11111709 - 27 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1643
Abstract
We propose a new parametrization of motion primitives based on Bézier curves that suits perfectly path-planning applications (and environment exploration) of wheeled mobile robots. The individual motion primitives can simply be calculated taking into account the requirements of path planning and the constraints [...] Read more.
We propose a new parametrization of motion primitives based on Bézier curves that suits perfectly path-planning applications (and environment exploration) of wheeled mobile robots. The individual motion primitives can simply be calculated taking into account the requirements of path planning and the constraints of a vehicle, given in the form of the starting and ending orientations, velocities, turning rates, and curvatures. The proposed parametrization provides a natural geometric interpretation of the curve. The solution of the problem does not require optimization and is obtained by solving a system of simple polynomial equations. The resulting planar path composed of the primitives is guaranteed to be C2 continuous (the curvature is therefore continuous). The proposed primitives feature low order Bézier (third order polynomial) curves. This not only provides the final path with minimal required turns or unwanted oscillations that typically appear when using higher-order polynomial primitives due to Runge’s phenomenon but also makes the approach extremely computationally efficient. When used in path planning optimizers, the proposed primitives enable better convergence and conditionality of the optimization problem due to a low number of required parameters and a low order of the polynomials. The main contribution of the paper therefore lies in the analytic solution for the third-order Bézier motion primitive under given boundary conditions that guarantee continuous curvature of the composed spline path. The proposed approach is illustrated on some typical scenarios of path planning for wheeled mobile robots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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24 pages, 1820 KiB  
Article
Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Control for Differential Steering Systems in Vehicular Yaw Tracking Motion
by Oliver Kruse, Aidana Mukhamejanova and Paolo Mercorelli
Electronics 2022, 11(9), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11091330 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2461
Abstract
This paper deals with the modelling and control of differential steering for vehicular motions with the help of Sliding Mode Control (SMC) with a Super-Twisting Algorithm (STA). A single-track mechanical model of the vehicular dynamics [...] Read more.
This paper deals with the modelling and control of differential steering for vehicular motions with the help of Sliding Mode Control (SMC) with a Super-Twisting Algorithm (STA). A single-track mechanical model of the vehicular dynamics is proposed and validated by simulations. A control strategy based on the STA is proposed for the yaw dynamics to improve travel comfort and the stability of the vehicular motion. The desired yaw trajectory is given and the equivalent and corrective control parts of the STA are calculated by the controller. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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16 pages, 5517 KiB  
Article
An Efficient Object Navigation Strategy for Mobile Robots Based on Semantic Information
by Yu Guo, Yuanyan Xie, Yue Chen, Xiaojuan Ban, Balqies Sadoun and Mohammad S. Obaidat
Electronics 2022, 11(7), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11071136 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2341
Abstract
In recent years, the rapid development of computer vision makes it possible for mobile robots to be more intelligent. Among the related technologies, the visual SLAM system allows the mobile robot to locate itself, build the map, and provide a navigation strategy to [...] Read more.
In recent years, the rapid development of computer vision makes it possible for mobile robots to be more intelligent. Among the related technologies, the visual SLAM system allows the mobile robot to locate itself, build the map, and provide a navigation strategy to execute follow-up tasks, such as searching for objects in unknown environment according to the observed information. However, most of the existing studies are meant to provide a predefined trajectory for the robot or allow the robot to explore blindly and randomly, which undoubtedly affects the efficiency of the object navigation process and goes against with the idea of “intelligent”. To solve the above problems, an efficient object navigation strategy is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a semantic association model is obtained by using the Mask R-CNN and skip-gram to conduct correlation analysis of common indoor objects. Then, with the help of the above model and ROS framework, an effective object navigation strategy is designed to enable the robot to find the given target efficiently. Finally, the classical ORB-SLAM2 system method is integrated to help the robot build a high usability environment map and find passable paths when moving. Simulation results validated that the proposed strategy can efficiently help the robot to navigate to the object without human intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 1021 KiB  
Review
A Review on Human–Robot Proxemics
by S. M. Bhagya P. Samarakoon, M. A. Viraj J. Muthugala and A. G. Buddhika P. Jayasekara
Electronics 2022, 11(16), 2490; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11162490 - 10 Aug 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3559
Abstract
An emerging trend in utilizing service robots in a vast range of application areas could be seen nowadays as a promising effort to uplift the living standard. These service robots are intended to be used by non-expert users, and their service tasks often [...] Read more.
An emerging trend in utilizing service robots in a vast range of application areas could be seen nowadays as a promising effort to uplift the living standard. These service robots are intended to be used by non-expert users, and their service tasks often require navigation in human-populated environments. Thus, human-friendly navigation behavior is expected from these robots by users. A service robot should be aware of Human–Robot Proxemics (HRP) to facilitate human-friendly navigation behavior. This paper presents a review on HRP. Both user studies conducted for exploring HRP preferences and methods developed toward establishing HRP awareness in service robots are considered within the scope of the review. The available literature has been scrutinized to identify the limitations of state of the art and potential future work. Furthermore, important HRP parameters and behavior revealed by the existing user studies are summarized under one roof to smooth the availability of data required for developing HRP-aware behavior in service robots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Path Planning for Mobile Robots)
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