A random chemical reaction algorithm based on double containers for robot path planning

Abstract

Aiming at the path planning problem of mobile robots in unknown environment, a random chemical reaction algorithm based on double containers is proposed. The new algorithm is inspired by the bacterial foraging algorithm and applies a strategy based on randomly distributed chemical molecules around the robot, these molecules search the best path to the target location, while relying on the robot's own sensors to avoid obstacles. The selection criterion of the optimal path depends on the potential energy error and the distance error of the molecules on the detected obstacles or targets, and guides the robot to move in this direction. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the algorithm, a series of simulations were made in three different scenarios and the results were compared. The results show that the algorithm can effectively avoid falling into local minimum. At the same time, the algorithm proposed can provide a shorter and smoother path, and the operation is more simple.