A fuzzy logic information fusion algorithm for autonomous mobile robot avoidance based on multi-ultrasonic range sensors

Obstacle-avoiding is a key and challenging issue for autonomous mobile robot navigation, especially in unstructured environments. This paper proposes a fuzzy logic information fusion algorithm based on multi-ultrasonic ranging sensors. Compared to the single sensor approach, this algorithm can not only get the obstacle's distance and orientation information more accurately and reliably, but also obtain the numerical output results of the speed and the turning angle for robot's obstacle avoiding behavior. In addition, the method can simplify the system design by eliminating the necessity of temperature compensation which is routinely included in ultrasonic ranging. MATLAB based simulations and the local path finding experiments on the prototype autonomous mobile robot showed that this algorithm can help the robot timely and robustly to avoid the obstacles in an unstructured environment in a more correct and reliable way, in the same time, the guided path is more smooth and the fluctuation is less and more reasonable. Obviously, the algorithm proposed in the paper is effective.