A New Trajectory Optimization Approach for Safe Mobile Robot Navigation: A Comparative Study (Khepera II Mobile Robot)

Abstract. Through the present paper, a new approach useful for solving the obstacle avoidance and trajectory optimization problems during robot navigation for certain tasks to be performed at minimum costs. In its real sense, the obstacle avoidance approach is based on the application of two fuzzy controllers, the first of which is designed to join the object, while the second is conceived to serve as an obstacle avoiding device. The trajectory optimization approach is based on the gradient method. Prior to implementing the solution on the real robot, the simulation has been integrated in an immersive virtual environment, for a more effective movement analysis and safer testing purposes. The study findings prove to reveal well that the proposed approach turns out to exhibit a good average speed and a satisfactory target-reaching success rate, while the optimization oriented gradient method has turned out to be rather efficient in respect of the genetic algorithm approach.