Reactive Vision-Based Navigation Controller for Autonomous Mobile Agents

Initial results of an ongoing research in the field of reactive mobile autonomy are presented. The aim is to create a reactive obstacle avoidance method for mobile agent operating in dynamic, unstructured, and unpredictable environment. The method is inspired by the stimulus-response behavior of simple animals. An obstacle avoidance controller is developed that uses raw visual information of the environment. It employs reinforcement learning and is therefore capable of self-developing. This should result with obstacle avoidance behavior that is adaptable and therefore generalizes on various operational modalities. The general assumptions of the agent capabilities, the features of the environment as well as the initial result of the simulation are presented. The plans for improvement and suitable performance evaluation are suggested

Bio-Inspired Obstacle Avoidance: from Animals to Intelligent Agents

A considerable amount of research in the field of modern robotics deals with mobile agents and their autonomous operation in unstructured, dynamic, and unpredictable environments. Designing robust controllers that map sensory input to action in order to avoid obstacles remains a challenging task. Several biological concepts are amenable to autonomous navigation and reactive obstacle avoidance. We present an overview of most noteworthy, elaborated, and interesting biologically-inspired approaches for solving the obstacle avoidance problem. We categorize these approaches into three groups: nature inspired optimization, reinforcement learning, and biorobotics. We emphasize the advantages and highlight potential drawbacks of each approach. We also identify the benefits of using biological principles in artificial intelligence in various research areas