PSO-DVSF2: A new method for the path planning of mobile robots

This paper describes a novel approach for mobile robot path planning in known dynamic environments. It is the Particle Swarm Optimization Dynamic Variable Speed Force Field (PSO-DVSF2) based on the Force Field (F2) approach proposed by D. Wang et al [5]. The basic concept of PSO-DVSF2 is to generate a continually changing parameterised Force Field for the robot based on the characteristics of all the objects presents in the environment, the static and the dynamic objects. We search for the best combination of these parameters : location, travelling speed, heading and dimension. We apply the multi-objective PSO to obtain the shortest path and the longest safe distance. In the first group of simulations, DVSF2 is applied in various environments (static and dynamic) without optimization. The results of these simulations show the feasibility of DVSF2 in planning the mobile robot's path until it reaches its destination. In the second group of simulations, we added multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to obtain the optimal solution. The results of these simulations show the efficiency of PSO-DVSF2 to find short and safe path.