Autonomous Navigation using an Adaptive Hierarchy of Multiple Fuzzy-Behaviors

Adaptive behavioral capabilities are necessary for robust mobile robot navigation in non-engineered environments. Robust behavior requires that uncertainty be accommodated in the robot control system, especially when autonomy is desired. Fuzzy logic control technology enables development of controllers which can provide the necessary computational intelligence in real-time. This paper presents the incorporation of fuzzy logic, into the framework of behavior-based control. An architecture for hierarchical behavior control is presented in which control decisions result from a consensus of behavioral recommendations. Multiple fuzzy-behavior coordination is discussed and applied to autonomous navigation without explicit maps. Performance and robustness is demonstrated by implementation on a mobile robot with significant mechanical imperfections. 1 Introduction Motion control solutions for mobile robotics are being sought which advance the state-of-the-art beyond fixed-path tracking and t..

Mobile Robots Navigation

Mobile robots navigation includes different interrelated activities: (i) perception, as obtaining and interpreting sensory information; (ii) exploration, as the strategy that guides the robot to select the next direction to go; (iii) mapping, involving the construction of a spatial representation by using the sensory information perceived; (iv) localization, as the strategy to estimate the robot position within the spatial map; (v) path planning, as the strategy to find a path towards a goal location being optimal or not; and (vi) path execution, where motor actions are determined and adapted to environmental changes. The book addresses those activities by integrating results from the research work of several authors all over the world. Research cases are documented in 32 chapters organized within 7 categories next described