I-Bug: An intensity-based bug algorithm

This paper introduces a sensor-based planning algorithm that uses less sensing information than any others within the family of bug algorithms. The robot is unable to access precise information regarding position coordinates, angular coordinates, time, or odometry, but is nevertheless able to navigate itself to a goal among unknown piecewise-analytic obstacles in the plane. The only sensor providing real values is an intensity sensor, which measures the signal strength emanating from the goal. The signal intensity function may or may not be symmetric; the main requirement is that the level sets are concentric images of simple closed curves, i.e. topological circles. Convergence analysis and distance bounds are established for the presented approach.