Online motion planning using Laplace potential fields

Robot Navigation is an especially challenging problem when only online sensor information is available. The main problem is to guarantee global properties, such as algorithm convergence or trajectory optimality, based on local information. In this paper we present a new non-heuristic sensor-based planning algorithm, characterized by: 1) it is based in potential functions, allowing to introduce optimality criteria, 2) it is computed incrementally to introduce last sensor readings, and 3) it accounts for robot dynamics. The result is a method suitable for real-time navigation, it is intuitive and easy to understand, and produces smooth and safe trajectories.