Control of a Wheeled Robot on a Plane with Obstacles

The work proposes an algorithm for controlling a wheeled robot in an environment with static and dynamic obstacles. A wheeled robot (WR) consists of a platform, two wheels with a differential drive and one roller, which is used solely for the stability of the structure and does not affect the dynamics of the system. The robot’s motion algorithm assumes its movement from the starting point to the final point in an environment with obstacles. The robot’s motion program is specified through servo-constraints, and the algorithm that implements the motion program is based on the potential field method. In the case of a dynamic obstacle, a repulsive field of a shape elongated in the direction of movement of the obstacle is constructed, allowing the robot to safely go around it. It is possible to change the geometric dimensions of the field using the entered numerical parameters. An algorithm for overcoming a potential hole by a robot is presented, according to which the robot is taken out of the potential hole and directed to a global goal by an introduced fictitious point located outside the critical region (local minimum region) and having its own attractive field. The paper presents the results of numerical simulation of the robot’s movement both in an environment with static and dynamic obstacles, as well as the results of a numerical experiment with overcoming the region of a potential well. Graphs of the required mechanical parameters are presented. The results of numerical simulation confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.