Abstract
When multiple mobile robots are working in the same environment, it is necessary to plan such motions for the robots that they never collide each other. This paper proposes a useful algorithm for planning a collision-free coordination for two mobile robots in an unknown environment on the basis of local information from their sensors. This algorithm conquers the problem of coordination planning by a two-levels strategy. In the case that no collision between two robots is detected, the robots are independently guided by the motion planning algorithm proposed by V. Lumelsky. However, in the case that a potential collision is expected, their motions are coordinated to avoid the collision. To coordinate the robots, a two-dimensional task space (T-space) and a point automaton are introduced. By controlling the motion of the automaton in the T-space, any collision between the robots can be successfully aboided. Convergence of the proposed algorithm is proved, and its usefulness is shown by a simulation.
