Kinematic Models for Mobile Robots

This chapter is devoted to the development of kinematic models for two types of wheeled robots. The first type of mobile robot to be considered is the one with front‐wheel steering. The vehicle is usually powered via the rear wheels, and the steering is achieved by way of an actuator for turning the front wheels. Another common type of steering used for mobile robots is differential‐drive steering. The wheels on one side of the robot are controlled independently of the wheels on the other side. By coordinating the two different speeds, one can cause the robot to spin in place, move in a straight line, move in a circular path, or follow any prescribed trajectory. The equations of motion for the robot steered via differential wheel speeds are derived. The kinematic equations are developed along with the basic geometrical properties of achievable motion.