On the influence of sensor capacities and environment dynamics onto collision-free motion plans

A methodology for computing the maximum velocity profile for a planned trajectory of the robot is described in this paper. The profile is computed considering the robot and environment dynamics as well as the constraints of the sensing apparatus. The mobile objects can be arbitrary in number and their direction and velocity of motion is not known. The only known information about the moving objects is the maximum velocity they can possess. The robot that moves with the computed velocity profile can assure from its side that it would not collide onto any of the numerous moving objects that could intercept its future trajectory. The methodology has been incorporated onto a motion planner for a nonholonomous robot and the results presented. The motivation here is to facilitate the process of having safe and understanding robots. Hence the planned velocity profiles are in general conservative though the robot could perhaps do better on-line. However at planning time the robot's immobility before collision is guaranteed.