Evolutionary optimization method of mobile robot structure and control system

This paper describes one of the most important issues for mobile robots: it is simultaneous optimization of robot structures and its control systems using evolutionary algorithm and dynamics simulation. Generally, wheeled mobile robots have difficulty in traveling on the outdoor environments because of its mechanical limitations. And, the effective outdoor traveling has deeply relationship between the mobile robot structures and its control systems. Our proposed optimization method evaluates and optimizes the traveling ability, time consumption, energy consumption, control accuracy, and attitude of robot. The result of dynamics simulation the optimized mobile robot could overcome the three kinds of benchmark environment including the bump and stairs. And also, the mobile robot showed effective outdoor traveling.