Neurofuzzy-Based Approach to Mobile Robot Navigation in Unknown Environments

In this paper, a neurofuzzy-based approach is proposed, which coordinates the sensor information and robot motion together. A fuzzy logic system is designed with two basic behaviors, target seeking and obstacle avoidance. A learning algorithm based on neural network techniques is developed to tune the parameters of membership functions, which smooths the trajectory generated by the fuzzy logic system. Another learning algorithm is developed to suppress redundant rules in the designed rule base. A state memory strategy is proposed for resolving the "dead cycle" problem. Under the control of the proposed model, a mobile robot can adequately sense the environment around, autonomously avoid static and moving obstacles, and generate reasonable trajectories toward the target in various situations without suffering from the "dead cycle" problems. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach are demonstrated by simulation studies.